The "microwave oven" practice in Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Lemos, Yara Vieira
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Corradi, Luciene Menrique, Silva, Melina Calmon, Couto, Lorena de Oliveira, Bittencourt, Giovanna Hooper, Dionísio, Alexander Santos, Lima, Adriana Zatti, Cardoso, Márcio Alberto, Cunha, Eugénia
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/44434; https://doi.org/10.1080/20961790.2022.2067727
• topic: Forensic sciences; Carbonization; Cremation; Homicide; Human identification; Brasil

This article presents a forensic case of an unusual illegal cremation of a person using a process colloquially known as the “microwave oven” practice in Brazil. The microwave process involves two actions: placing the victim in a tire stack and then setting the structure on fire using flammable substances to accelerate the progression. A similar practice, identified as “necklacing”, has also been reported in other countries such as South Africa. This report presents a case of microwave oven cremation of a body found in a rural area of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The forensic work helped determine the biological profile and identity of the victim using radiological comparisons. Although the microwave oven cremation practice is rare, it can impose challenges for investigators. Therefore, fully understanding this practice can be helpful to the academic and forensic communities.