Medan Ex-Police Wife's Death: Doctor Explains Bruise Origin

In Medan, North Sumatra, the death of L, the ex-wife of a police officer, found dead at her home in the Bumi Asri Complex, Medan Sunggal Police Sector, Bripda IH, has become a focal point. The family suspected that L did not end her own life using a firearm, but had been assaulted, as several bruises were found on her body. Dr. Mistar Ritonga, a forensic doctor at the Medan Bhayangkara Hospital, explained that the examination results showed the wounds were consistent with a contact gunshot wound, meaning the firearm was pressed directly against the head or skin when fired. "Based on our expertise and direct examination of the victim, we found characteristics of a contact gunshot wound. This means the firearm was pressed directly against the victim's head or skin when fired," said Mistar at the Medan Police Station on Thursday (6/8). Addressing the family's doubts about the projectile not penetrating the skull, Mistar stated that medically and forensically, this is very possible. According to him, the velocity of the bullet can be reduced by various factors, including when the projectile has to pass through hard parts of the body like the skull. "The bullet's velocity is influenced by many factors. So, if it's moving, if there are any deviations or friction with other objects, of course, its speed will slow down. So, in this case, it seems that it passed through several hard parts, bones," he explained. "From the entry wound on the right side, it actually traced the base of the skull, even causing it to crack. Then it penetrated to the left side. So, its energy was no longer strong enough to penetrate, and it stopped under the skin," he continued. Mistar also refuted the family's earlier suspicion of assault. "During my examination from the beginning, I did not see or find any signs of violence. The only thing I found were scar marks on the inner, front part of the left hand, old brown-colored scars," he elaborated. He also denied the presence of strangulation marks on the victim's neck, as suspected by the family. "There were no marks of strangulation when we conducted the examination. Any changes that might arise are usually due to decomposition, such as post-mortem lividity, which appears blue," he said. The bruising around the victim's left eye was explained as not being caused by external force. Mistar clarified it was a result of the rupture of blood vessels at the base of the skull, along the bullet's path, leading to blood accumulation around the eyelid, causing a bluish discoloration. This condition is also referred to as "raccoon eyes" or periorbital hematoma. "This is not due to external violence, but due to the rupture of blood vessels," he explained. Mistar further noted that the bluish discoloration seen in several parts of the body can also occur due to post-mortem lividity, a natural process after death. "So, that's why during the external examination, no signs of violence were found. Post-mortem lividity also appears blue. The principle is the same – blood accumulation visible from the outside," he stated. Mistar also explained that the sutures found on the victim's neck, which had raised questions from the family, were part of the complete autopsy procedure. He stated that the neck and head are opened during a full autopsy to examine all organs thoroughly before being stitched back up. "If it's stitched, it's because when we perform the autopsy, the neck is opened. Because we perform a complete autopsy, not just the neck, but the head as well. We open it, make an incision down to the symphysis [abdomen], and after we remove the organs and examine everything, we stitch it back up. There will definitely be stitches on the head too, because we open the entire skull," said Mistar. Information Source: CNN Indonesia