ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 March 1987
Page Count: 2

The Cutaneous Ink Sign: A Tipoff to Suicide or Suicide Notes
Hanzlick, RL
Associate medical examiner, Office of the Medical Examiner, Fulton County, GA

Ross, WK
Resident, Emory University School of Medicine, GA

(Received 18 April 1986; accepted 19 May 1986)

Abstract

The presence of smeared or unsmeared ink on the skin resulting from the writing process has been observed in a number of suicide victims who have left suicide notes. The authors report a case of a palmar “cutaneous ink sign” and discuss its forensic science import.

Keywords:
pathology and biology, suicide, inks, hands, suicide notes

Paper ID: JFS11163J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS11163J
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