The wound was oval and measured about 0.6 centimeters in length along the major axis, with a slightly irregular margin. The 5-centimeter deep wound, which caused death, injured the medulla oblongata through the atlantoaxial interspace, reaching the left vertebral artery. The weapon used in this incident would have to have a long, thin shank to be inserted deeply in the direction of the external cranial basis, allowing it to penetrate in the manner described. A 48-year- old man was arrested two weeks after the murder; he confessed to stabbing the victim's neck with a skewer that he used as a work tool. The appearance of the wound closely agreed with that of the horizontal section of the skewer, which was found in a river close to the crime scene. The unique characteristics of the wound corresponded to the circumstances of the murder as told by the assailant. 4 figures and 5 references