Characteristics of Fatal AEA Cases
| Partial or complete asphyxiation while often but not always engaged in masturbatory activity |
| Neck constriction by ligature or rope, asphyxiation by plastic bag and masks often with inhalants (nitrous oxide, trichloroethane, butane, chloroform, and others) |
| Partial or complete nudity |
| Binding of head, trunk, extremities, or genitals |
| Insertion of dildos or other objects per rectum (or vagina) |
| Pain, real or simulated, associated with occasional evidence of self-mutilation |
| Pornography or bondage literature |
| Mirrors positioned so that “victims” may see themselves in the predicament in which they have placed themselves (or were placed in their erotic fantasy) |
| Transvestic elements, usually fetishist articles of feminine clothing (eg, undergarments, brassieres, dresses) |
Adapted from ref 19.