One of the important aspects of a forensic investigation is a toxicological analysis. In post-mortem examinations involving suspected drug overdoses, toxicological analysis is warranted to determine if excessive intake of a drug is responsible for the death. In this regard, the present case emphasizes the importance of complete toxicological analysis to determine the cause of the death of a prisoner. Case presentation A 41-year-old male prisoner was found dead by his cellmate.
He was lying on the right side of the bed with seven patches on his body. Circumstantial evidence The trash in the prison cell contained fourteen nicotine patches (21 mg) and five empty blisters of nicotine tablets (1.5 mg). The bin in the cell was normally emptied on a regular basis. Post-mortem examinations External Generalized rigor mortis predominantly at the cervical level and was easily broken at the upper…
