Systematic Integration of Death Scene, Autopsy, and DNA Evidence in the Medico-legal Investigation of Sexual Homicide: A Case Report

Sexual homicide (SH) is a rare but complex form of violent death that requires meticulous medico-legal investigation to establish the cause and manner of death, determine the occurrence of sexual assault, and identify the perpetrator. However, reports illustrating the systematic integration of independent crime scene, pathological, biological, and investigative evidence to resolve such complex cases remain limited. We report the case of a 30-year-old woman who was found dead in her residence and was subsequently subjected to a comprehensive forensic investigation. Crime scene examination revealed a partially unclothed body with shoelaces around the neck. Autopsy demonstrated findings consistent with combined manual and ligature strangulation and genital bruising. Forensic laboratory analysis identified seminal material in the vaginal swabs, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) profiling matched the biological evidence to the suspect. Systematic correlation of independent crime scene, pathological, biological, toxicological, and investigative findings enables the accurate determination of the cause and manner of death, establishment of sexual assault, and identification of the perpetrator. This case demonstrates that robust medico-legal conclusions in suspected SHs depend on the systematic integration of complementary forensic evidence rather than reliance on any single finding and highlights the evidential value of a comprehensive multidisciplinary forensic approach to investigating complex SH.