NCJ Number
196330
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 47 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2002 Pages: 843-846
Date Published
July 2002
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article contains statistics on body packer deaths in New York City from 1990 to 2001.
Abstract
The majority of deaths were caused by acute intoxications due to open or leaking drug packets in the gastrointestinal tract. The number of packets recovered ranged from 1 to 111 (average 46). The weight of the combined packets ranged from 9.4 to 1,200 g (average 377). The age of the decedents ranged from 19 to 57 years. The decedents were: 82 percent male, 66 percent Hispanic, 24 percent Black, and 10 percent white. The manners of death were 47 accidents, 1 homicide, 1 natural, and 1 undetermined. The causes of death included 42 acute intoxications, 5 intestinal obstructions/bowel perforations, 1 gunshot wound, 1 intracerebral hemorrhage due to hypertensive disease, and 1 undetermined. Of the 50 decedents, 42 were transporting opiates, 4 cocaine, and 4 both opiates and cocaine. There was a marked predominance of opiate body packer deaths with few cocaine deaths. Figure, tables, references