How to Determine Ligature Strangulation

Strangulation is a method of homicide and can be done in a number of different ways. Ligature strangulation is one of them. To determine whether ligature strangulation has taken place, it takes a trained eye and experience with investigating homicide. Use these steps to learn more about identifying ligature strangulation and how to determine it in a case.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Be a criminal justice student or read criminal justice instructional books. This will give you the knowledge to know what ligature marks look like and how to identify them in a real case. As a student you will also be presented with real case evidence to help determine ligature strangulation.
2. Understand what ligature strangulation looks like. Strangulation is death by crushing the throat until breathing ceases. A ligature is an item other than the hands. This could be a rope, pantyhose, necktie, shoelaces or anything else that can be wrapped around the neck tightly. This is often a weapon of opportunity that the killer finds at the scene or is easy to carry with them.
3. Look for deceptive markers. There may be similarities with other forms of homicide that can throw you off your determination. Often hanging can have the same marking on the body as ligature strangulation as they are technically the same thing, but with different processes. Look for the angle of the ligature marks to find the difference. A marking slated up toward the back of the neck would more likely be ligature strangulation than a marking that goes perfectly around the neck with no slant.
4. Get a second opinion. Whether you are with the crime scene squad or an officer, you will have other people around you to bounce ideas off of and study the scene with you. Always get the official ruling from the medical examiner who does the autopsy.