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What are the forensic signs that someone died of strangulation? How are they different from asphyxiation?

April 26, 2017asphyxiation cause death died different Forensic forensics Legal signs strangulation

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What are the forensic signs that someone died of strangulation? How are they different from asphyxiation?

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Here’s my uneducated answer… In strangulation there is usually some evidence of trauma (brusing, tissue damage etc). Aphyxiation bascially just means oxygen deprivation, and strangulation results in asphyxiation.

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One of the classic signs is a broken hyoid bone in the throat, although research indicates that is less common in suicidal hangings and more often in homicidal, manual strangulation incidents. Generally in ligature and manual strangulations, the face and eyes will have petechiae and the head will be congested with blood. Obviously, ligature marks might be seen. Manual strangulation cases also sometimes show signs of struggle like fingernail marks in the skin or other contusions around the neck. Asphyxiation in all its varieties has a number of signs, since (according to DiMaio and DiMaio in _Forensic Pathology_) it includes death by entrapment, smothering, choking, suffocating gases, chemical asphyxiants, crucifixion, and more. Good question!