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To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2008.09.017 Byline: Fatma Gloulou, Mohamed Allouche, Mehdi Ben Khelil, Olfa Bekir, Ahmed Banasr, Mongi Zhioua, Moncef Hamdoun Keywords: Forensic science; Suicide; Band saw; Power tools; Schizophrenia Abstract: Suicides or suicide attempts with power saws (band, circular or chain saws) are rather rare events and only a few case reports exist in the forensic literature. The use of a band saw, in particular, has been extremely rare in cases of suicide. We report two cases of suicide that occurred in the same suburban area, three years apart. In each case, the victim was a carpenter and had a history of psychiatric disorder and/or of prior suicide attempts. We summarize the findings of the death scene investigations, the pertinent autopsy findings, and also summarize the world literature pertaining to suicide committed with power saws. Author Affiliation: Service de Medecine Legale de Tunis, HA[acute accent]pital Charles Nicolle, 138 Boulevard du 9 avril 1938, Tunis 1006, Tunisia Article History: Received 5 June 2007; Accepted 23 September 2008