Beketova Yu.A.
Determining the criminal nature of a victim's poisoning in solving and investigating murders
Keywords: crime scene investigation, examination of the corpse, forensic medical examination, murder, poisoning, toxic substance, poison, victim, corpse, toxicology, signs of poisoning
One method of murder is to poison the victim. This method is characterized by the fact that the criminal seeks to remain unidentified, carefully plans the method of committing the crime, waits for favorable conditions to arise and takes steps to conceal the crime. It is not uncommon for an accident to be staged. This creates difficulties in detecting, uncovering and investigating these crimes. The purpose of the study is to develop a system for identifying, documenting and evaluating evidence of crimes involving the administration of toxic substances to a victim. Materials and methods. To achieve this goal, data from toxicological chemistry and forensic medicine were used, as well as the results of studying the practice of solving crimes against life and health. On their basis a study was conducted using general scientific methods (systematization, classification), natural science methods (chemical-toxicological analysis, mass spectrometry), and specialized forensic methods (forensic modeling of investigative scenarios, systems-activity approach). Results. Determining whether a case of poisoning is criminal in nature involves a number of objective challenges: the presence of a toxin in the body does not necessarily indicate poisoning, as toxins may have entered the body after death or been produced endogenously; conversely, the absence of a toxin does not rule out poisoning, as toxins may have broken down, been excreted, or undergone putrefactive changes. External signs observed during the examination of the corpse and the crime scene have been identified that may indicate the administration of poison: chemical burns, injection marks, characteristic discoloration of livor mortis, and the degree of rigor mortis. The necessity of obtaining medical records has been established in order to correlate anamnestic data on chronic diseases and prior treatment with the results of forensic chemical analysis. Recommendations have been proposed for investigators that rule out the detection of a toxic substance in the victim’s body as the sole evidence of poisoning and emphasize a comprehensive assessment of all investigative and forensic data. Conclusions. The evidence base in poisoning cases cannot be based on any one fact, whether it is detection or non-detection of poison in the body. A systemic approach is needed, involving a comparison of three groups of data: morphological (external signs on the corpse and the crime scene), chemical and toxicological (laboratory results taking into account postmortem changes) and anamnestic one (information from medical documentation and testimony of informed persons). This approach makes it possible to distinguish criminal poisoning from accidental poisoning and minimize the likelihood of expert errors. The proposed recommendations can be used both in investigation of murders and in cases of sudden death of a person under suspicious or unexplained circumstances.
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About authors
- Beketova Yulia A.
- Post-Graduate Student, Department of Criminal Law and Procedure, National Research Ogarev Mordovia State University, Russia, Saransk (yulya.beketova.01@mail.ru; )
Article link
Beketova Yu.A. Determining the criminal nature of a victim’s poisoning in solving and investigating murders [Electronic resource] // Oeconomia et Jus. – 2026. – №3. P. 62-70. – URL: https://oecomia-et-jus.ru/en/single/2026/3/5/. DOI: 10.47026/2499-9636-2026-3-62-70.
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