Homicide followed by freezing and burning: Usefulness of measuring SCHAD (short-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase) activity

Abstract

An observation of homicide in which the victim was frozen then burned, was reported. This confirmed the usefulness of measuring SCHAD (short-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase) activity in the freezing of a human corpse despite unusual circumstances.

Keywords: Criminal burning, Freezing, Short-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCHAD)

a Institut Universitaire de Médecine légale de Lyon, Université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1, 12, Avenue Rockefeller, 69008 Lyon, France

b Service de biochimie pédiatrique, Hôpital Debrousse, 29 rue Sœur Bouvier, 69322 Lyon Cedex 05, France

Corresponding author. Tel.: +33 4 78 01 17 89; fax: +33 4 78 01 01 85.

PII: S1353-1131(06)00147-7

doi:10.1016/j.jcfm.2006.06.005

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