{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,22]],"date-time":"2026-01-22T11:15:46Z","timestamp":1769080546869,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":15,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,10]],"date-time":"2025-08-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1754784000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Forensic Sciences"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Companion deaths have received little attention in the forensic literature, especially those resulting from natural causes. These include so\u2010called \u201cPhilemon and Bauci\u201d deaths, referring to the natural demise of two emotionally bonded individuals, occurring within brief temporal proximity, conceptualized as the death of one person as a reaction to the death of the other. This study investigates companion fatalities documented by two large medical examiner offices in the United States over 10\u2009years, focusing on cases where at least one individual's cause of death is non\u2010traumatic. Ninety\u2010two total companion cases met the inclusion criteria, including 14 double natural deaths characterized as caregiving relationships, where the dependent individual died after the natural death of the caregiver. Five companion cases were separately categorized as \u201cPhilemon and Baucis\u2010like\u201d, as they were similar in features to the so\u2010called Philemon and Baucis deaths previously described in the literature, and a caregiving relationship could not be substantiated. Other case types involved drug toxicity, carbon monoxide poisoning, hypothermia, and several unique causes and manners of death. The largest study on non\u2010traumatic companion deaths to date, this investigation reveals the opportunities, challenges, overlap, and limitations in distinguishing between \u201cPhilemon and Baucis\u201d deaths and double deaths resulting from caregiving relationships. Key points of emphasis in the investigation, autopsy, and certification of such companion deaths are discussed, as considerations for the practicing forensic pathologist.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/1556-4029.70149","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,11]],"date-time":"2025-08-11T03:54:33Z","timestamp":1754884473000},"page":"2375-2380","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["One house, two bodies: Investigating non\u2010traumatic companion deaths and challenges in the \u201cPhilemon and Baucis\u201d syndrome"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"70","author":[{"given":"Ilaria","family":"Tarozzi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Brown University  Providence Rhode Island USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lorenzo","family":"Gitto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cook County Medical Examiner's Office  Chicago Illinois USA"},{"name":"Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine University of Campania \u201cLuigi Vanvitelli\u201d  Naples Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Christopher C.","family":"Borck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner  Farmington Connecticut USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Deland","family":"Weyrauch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Montana State Medical Examiner's Office  Billings Montana USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0379\u20100738(88)90009\u20106"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1258\/rsmmsl.49.1.27"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00414\u2010023\u201003126\u20107"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_5_1","volume-title":"Gene Hackman's death shows why caregivers need more care","author":"Stites S","year":"2025"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0023465"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ypmed.2016.06.019"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.298.3.324"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/brain\/awh324"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.275.21.1651"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1161\/01.CIR.0000153801.51470.EB"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJM199111283252205"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1161\/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.055854"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_13_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Erratum in: Circulation 2022;145(20):e1053.https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1161\/CIR.0000000000001075.","DOI":"10.1161\/CIR.0000000000001075"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/PAF.0000000000000232"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.forsciint.2013.01.021"}],"container-title":["Journal of Forensic Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/1556-4029.70149","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]],"date-time":"2025-11-04T18:54:03Z","timestamp":1762282443000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/1556-4029.70149"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,10]]},"references-count":15,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,11]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1111\/1556-4029.70149"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/1556-4029.70149","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0022-1198","1556-4029"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0022-1198","type":"print"},{"value":"1556-4029","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,10]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-06-10","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-07-30","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-08-10","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}