Read Online Criminal Poisoning: Investigational Guide for Law Enforcement, Toxicologists, Forensic Scientists, and Attorneys by John H. Trestrail - Free Book Online
Authors: John H. Trestrail
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dose that will kill 100% of a test population. People will die at different doses of poisons, owing to their ability to resist or detoxify the toxic substance. Many factors can alter the response of an individual to a dose of poison, including the duration of the exposure, the animal test species, the individual’s gender, nutritional status, age, health status, susceptibility to the material, genetic makeup, and ability to adapt; and the presence of other chemical substances already in the body. These factors help explain how some individuals can tolerate a dose of poison at a level high enough that it would kill other individuals ( see Fig. 2-2 ).
One must never forget that although administering too much of a substance can kill, so can administering too little. For those individuals whose lives depend on medication, elimination of the necessary medication or a reduction in the dosage (subtherapeutic dosage) can bring about death. Drugs such as insulin, digoxin, anticoagulants, or anticancer drugs can bring about such a negative effect if the dosages are reduced. For the investigator, a patient’s death may appear to be the result of the patient’s noncompliance with the prescribed dosage, when in fact it is the result of foul play. An example of such a crime would be the case of the Kansas City pharmacist Robert R.
Courtney, who, between 1992 and 2001, reduced the amount of anticancer drugs in the prescriptions he dispensed to his customers, in order to increase his profits. His scheme involved some 98,000 prescriptions and almost 4200
patients. For this despicable crime, Courtney was sentenced in 2002 to 30 years in prison with no parole.
2.2. CHARACTERISTICS OF “IDEAL” POISONS
There are certain characteristics to an “ideal” poison, and homicidal poisoners will select their murderous compounds to encompass as many of
32
Criminal Poisoning
Figure 2-2
these characteristics as possible. What follows are some of the characteristics of such an ideal homicidal poison:
• It should be odorless, tasteless, and colorless. This allows administration to the intended victim without any warning signs that the victim can detect by the normal bodily senses of smell, taste, and sight.
• It should be readily soluble, preferably in water. This allows easy administration in normal foods and drinks of which the victim may partake.
• It should have a delayed onset of action. This allows a time period in which the poisoner can attempt to create an alibi.
• It should be undetectable, and certainly the more exotic the poison the more likely that it will not be detected in more routine toxicological analyses.
• It should have a low-dose lethality, which means less of the toxic material needs to be administered in the dose. It is much easier to administer a pinch of a substance, rather than a pound.
• It should be easily obtained, but not traceable, so that it will leave no investigative trail that would lead to the poisoner.
• It should be chemically stable. This makes it easy to store without loss of potency.
• It should decompose/break down on death.
• It should be found as a naturally occurring substance in the environment of the burial place.
Types of Poisons
33
Figure 2-3
The heavy metals (e.g., arsenic, antimony, mercury, lead) are elements or elemental compounds and are as toxic today as they were when first created millions of years ago. These compounds tend to remain detectable many years after a victim’s burial, which is advantageous for law enforcement investigators.
Probably one of the greatest aspects desired in a poison is for its effects to mimic a natural disease state, because the poisoning will be missed. A death certificate would then bear an unrelated medical cause of death, and the victim would be buried without detection of an actual crime.
See Fig. 2-3 for a summary of the ideal characteristics of poison discussed here.
2.3. CONTRASTS BETWEEN POISONS
AND MORE
One must never forget that although administering too much of a substance can kill, so can administering too little. For those individuals whose lives depend on medication, elimination of the necessary medication or a reduction in the dosage (subtherapeutic dosage) can bring about death. Drugs such as insulin, digoxin, anticoagulants, or anticancer drugs can bring about such a negative effect if the dosages are reduced. For the investigator, a patient’s death may appear to be the result of the patient’s noncompliance with the prescribed dosage, when in fact it is the result of foul play. An example of such a crime would be the case of the Kansas City pharmacist Robert R.
Courtney, who, between 1992 and 2001, reduced the amount of anticancer drugs in the prescriptions he dispensed to his customers, in order to increase his profits. His scheme involved some 98,000 prescriptions and almost 4200
patients. For this despicable crime, Courtney was sentenced in 2002 to 30 years in prison with no parole.
2.2. CHARACTERISTICS OF “IDEAL” POISONS
There are certain characteristics to an “ideal” poison, and homicidal poisoners will select their murderous compounds to encompass as many of
32
Criminal Poisoning
Figure 2-2
these characteristics as possible. What follows are some of the characteristics of such an ideal homicidal poison:
• It should be odorless, tasteless, and colorless. This allows administration to the intended victim without any warning signs that the victim can detect by the normal bodily senses of smell, taste, and sight.
• It should be readily soluble, preferably in water. This allows easy administration in normal foods and drinks of which the victim may partake.
• It should have a delayed onset of action. This allows a time period in which the poisoner can attempt to create an alibi.
• It should be undetectable, and certainly the more exotic the poison the more likely that it will not be detected in more routine toxicological analyses.
• It should have a low-dose lethality, which means less of the toxic material needs to be administered in the dose. It is much easier to administer a pinch of a substance, rather than a pound.
• It should be easily obtained, but not traceable, so that it will leave no investigative trail that would lead to the poisoner.
• It should be chemically stable. This makes it easy to store without loss of potency.
• It should decompose/break down on death.
• It should be found as a naturally occurring substance in the environment of the burial place.
Types of Poisons
33
Figure 2-3
The heavy metals (e.g., arsenic, antimony, mercury, lead) are elements or elemental compounds and are as toxic today as they were when first created millions of years ago. These compounds tend to remain detectable many years after a victim’s burial, which is advantageous for law enforcement investigators.
Probably one of the greatest aspects desired in a poison is for its effects to mimic a natural disease state, because the poisoning will be missed. A death certificate would then bear an unrelated medical cause of death, and the victim would be buried without detection of an actual crime.
See Fig. 2-3 for a summary of the ideal characteristics of poison discussed here.
2.3. CONTRASTS BETWEEN POISONS
AND MORE
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