Bodies bounce - deflection of bodies following first ground impact after falls from height.

Abstract

Forensic examination of a scene where two bodies were found after a fall from a high-rise apartment building revealed a distinct tissue imprint resembling facial contours on the asphalt between the two bodies as well as a laceration on the back of the head and an abrasion on the forehead of one body. Tissue imprints located away from the positions of the bodies can indicate manipulation of the finding scene and injuries in opposing body regions at least two distinct blunt traumas. Initial assessment ruled out intermediate contacts with the building, pointing instead to a significant horizontal deflection of the bodies after the initial impact on the ground followed by a second impact. A review of the existing literature on falls from height was conducted, which provided limited information on the possibility of a body's deflection after fall from height. Detailed investigations into the biomechanical relevance of sequences following that impact are rare. In contrast, surveillance video footage from the presented case shows the deflection of the corpses by as much as 1.5 m after initial impact, followed by a second impact. In combination with the autopsy results this provided a good explanation for the unusual forensic findings and unique biomechanical insights. It demonstrates that, depending on various factors like the impacted body region, ground structure and height of fall, a body can be significantly deflected from the initial impact region, resulting in a second impact and sometimes forensically misleading injury patterns.