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the Forensic Medicine Division of El Callao, the results of the autopsies and
the photographs that the family took of the corpses of both Rafael Samuel
and Emilio Moisés Gómez Paquiyauri.
Descriptions of injuries and other pathologies in a protocol must be done in
such a detailed manner that another expert can reach the same conclusion as
the pathologist who did the autopsy. In this case, the protocols of the two
autopsies are very brief and lack many descriptions of the various injuries.
While there was a description of the wounds caused by firearms, it would
have been necessary to provide greater detail regarding the trajectory of the
bullet. For example, regarding to the head, there was no reference to the
phenomenon of the “bevel” of the skull bone, when a bullet goes through it,
which is crucial to know the direction of the bullet. Several affirmative points
were also missing, merely marked “normal.” In pathology one usually
describes both what is normal and what is pathological. Furthermore, no
pictures of the corpses taken during the autopsy were included. There no
inspection of the site of the facts and no toxicological or biological
examination of natural orifices in search of, for example, semen, to verify that
no sexual crime was committed.
Behind Rafael’s left eye, on the lower edge, there was an injury consistent
with exit of a bullet. There were other lesions on his face, including abrasions
on his nasal ala. There was also a red hematoma and another blue one on the
upper eyelid, probably caused by exit of the bullet. Finally, he noticed flaying
in the upper eyelid as well as some linear erosions, which might have been
fingernail marks. Some of the flaying, as well as one of the hematomas,
might have been caused by violence inflicted by another person.
On Rafael’s hands, the left one had a round, black injury surrounded by a pink
area. On the right hand there was an irregular black injury and another one
on the thumb, where the external part of said finger was missing and the
fingernail was displaced and almost separated from the finger. In addition to
this, there was a small injury on the third finger of the right hand. The
characteristics of the three wounds were those caused by firearms: round and
with regular edges and with the black color of burnt gunpowder. This is also
consistent with a very short-range shot, less than a centimeter away,
probably in direct contact. The pink discoloration around them indicated that
the impact occurred while there was blood circulation, in other words, it was
consistent with the existence of life.
The expert witness also stated that it was not possible for a person to die
instantaneously from a bullet shot to a hand. It was not possible to establish
the type of revolver, pistol, or other firearm used in this case, but the wound
was consistent with an “MGP” firearm.
Regarding to Emilio Moisés Gómez Paquiyauri, it could be seen that the skin
around the right eye was discolored and reddish. There were two wounds
there: one on the inner edge of the right eye and another on the upper right
eyelid; they were relatively round and seem to be from bullet exits, although
it was not possible to verify that they were caused by firearms, because bullet
exit wounds may have many shapes. On the upper right eyelid there was also
a small, blue hematoma and two flayings.
There were a number of holes in Rafael’s clothing that were not there