Authors: B Karger H Bratzke H Graß G Lasczkowski R Lessig F Monticelli J Wiese R F Zweihoff
Publish Date: 2004/09/04
Volume: 118, Issue: 6, Pages: 332-336
Abstract
A total of eight cases of homicide by crossbow are reported including six intentional assaultlike killings and one hired killer The bolts showed a high penetration capacity despite the rather low kinetic energy 100 J a fieldtip traversed one upper arm and the thorax 36 cm and two broadheads caused perforating injuries of the thorax 25–26 cm This was due to the high sectional density and the splitlike penetration mechanism Wound morphology was especially important if the perpetrator had extracted the bolt which occurred in half of the cases The shape of the entrance wound depended on the type of arrowhead broadheads produced starshaped to triangular wounds fieldtips caused circular oval or slitlike injuries Foreign material from the arrowhead was found inside two injuries In assaults the crossbow was used to hunt the victim down from a short distance which does not require practice but still has the advantage of a distance weapon However immediate incapacitation occurred rarely so that additional violence was frequently applied The noiseless character of the weapon explains why many victims were taken by surprise and why the corpses initially remained unnoticed Crossbows can therefore be considered ideal weapons for man hunting and some were bought for the very purpose of the killing
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