Introduction. In drug facilitated crimes the victims are subjected to nonconsensual acts while they are incapacitated through the effects of a drug. In the case hereby reported, a 26- year-old girl claimed to have been sexually assaulted while at work. She could remind her employer offering a coffee with a bitter taste. Initially, she could not recollect what happened thereafter, but 3 days later she could recall the man having made palpations to her so she went to the hospital. Urine and blood collected at the hospital gave no evidence of drug assumption. Our laboratory was asked to analyze the girl’s hair collected 5 months after the episode. At the same time, the police could seize a variety of materials at the girl’s workplace, including Xanax and Zolpidem Teva blister packs. Aims. Aim of our investigation was to target the allegedly administered drug in the victim hair specimen. A single drug intake could be identified only by using highly sensitive instrumental techniques. Furthermore, hair segmentation appears appropriate to give a chronological interpretation to the analytical findings. Methods. Hair specimen was fractioned in 1 cm length segments, then pulverized by a ball-mill. Incubation in methanol at 55 °C was performed overnight. Then, the organic layer was dried and reconstituted with 50 μl of mobile phase. Analyses were performed by triple quadrupole HPLC-MS/MS, operating in SRM mode with a specific protocol for benzodiazepines and hypnotics. Results and Conclusions. The non-benzodiazepine hypnotic Zolpidem was detected in different segments of hair samples. Total hair length was 16 cm; positive findings were in segment 2-3 cm (concentration 2.8 pg/mg); segment 5-6 cm (1.6 pg/mg); segment 6-8 cm (0.9 pg/mg). Positive results in consecutive segments from 5 to 8 cm may arise from single assumption. It is deduced that Zolpidem was assumed in at least two occasions, but no regular intake of the drug could be observed.
Hair analysis in a suspected rape case involving zolpidem
A. Salomone;GERACE, ENRICO;VINCENTI, Marco;
2010-01-01
Abstract
Introduction. In drug facilitated crimes the victims are subjected to nonconsensual acts while they are incapacitated through the effects of a drug. In the case hereby reported, a 26- year-old girl claimed to have been sexually assaulted while at work. She could remind her employer offering a coffee with a bitter taste. Initially, she could not recollect what happened thereafter, but 3 days later she could recall the man having made palpations to her so she went to the hospital. Urine and blood collected at the hospital gave no evidence of drug assumption. Our laboratory was asked to analyze the girl’s hair collected 5 months after the episode. At the same time, the police could seize a variety of materials at the girl’s workplace, including Xanax and Zolpidem Teva blister packs. Aims. Aim of our investigation was to target the allegedly administered drug in the victim hair specimen. A single drug intake could be identified only by using highly sensitive instrumental techniques. Furthermore, hair segmentation appears appropriate to give a chronological interpretation to the analytical findings. Methods. Hair specimen was fractioned in 1 cm length segments, then pulverized by a ball-mill. Incubation in methanol at 55 °C was performed overnight. Then, the organic layer was dried and reconstituted with 50 μl of mobile phase. Analyses were performed by triple quadrupole HPLC-MS/MS, operating in SRM mode with a specific protocol for benzodiazepines and hypnotics. Results and Conclusions. The non-benzodiazepine hypnotic Zolpidem was detected in different segments of hair samples. Total hair length was 16 cm; positive findings were in segment 2-3 cm (concentration 2.8 pg/mg); segment 5-6 cm (1.6 pg/mg); segment 6-8 cm (0.9 pg/mg). Positive results in consecutive segments from 5 to 8 cm may arise from single assumption. It is deduced that Zolpidem was assumed in at least two occasions, but no regular intake of the drug could be observed.
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