Two exemplary cases of minimal and extensive dismemberment

Dismemberment is the voluntary removal of body parts after death, and today it is very often associated with criminal activity (murder). It can be distinguished as localised or generalised, depending on whether one or a few pieces are separated from the body or multiple pieces are involved. In another classification, dismemberment is divided into defensive, aggressive, offensive and necromantic, based on the psychological motivation of the perpetrator. A dismembered body poses a series of difficulties for the forensic pathologist because it is often difficult to establish the cause and time of death. Sometimes there are also significant identification issues. We present two cases we have observed: one of minimal (localised) dismemberment and another of extensive (generalised) dismemberment. A detailed description of the circumstances of the discovery and the injuries is provided. The first case involved two women, mother and daughter, murdered by the son/brother, the second a woman killed by her partner. In both cases, the corpses were disarticulated with sharp instruments, according to the literature, as it has been observed that the most commonly used tool is the knife, especially for disarticulation. Furthermore, the autopsy, X-ray examinations, and DNA analysis enabled the identification of all the victims. The analysis of our cases, together with the literature including case reports and case series, shows that only a careful examination of the injuries and a multidisciplinary approach can yield useful insights into unravelling these complex cases.