Detection of toluene in a body buried for years with a fatal cardiac contusion

•The cadaver had been buried under the ground for six years.•Toluene was detected in the bone marrow of the head of the humerus.•Anterior rib fractures and right ventricular rupture were observed.

This report aimed to present the postmortem finding of toluene in a homicide victim buried under the ground for six years. The bones of the skull and limbs were exposed, and the remainder of the subcutaneous tissues, brain and heart had formed into adipocere. There were numerous fractures in the skull and the anterior side of the ribs. A cardiac contusion extending into the cavity of the right ventricle was also observed. No other obvious injuries were identified on the body. The concentration of toluene in the bone marrow within the head of the humerus was 58.4 μg/g. The cause of death was suspected as heart rupture, possibly from a forceful impact or compression of the anterior chest under toluene intoxication. This report presents a rare case where toluene intake by a human was disclosed by autopsy even after several years of death.