In a chilling twist of culinary fate, a man in the UK fatally stabbed himself while trying to pry apart two frozen burgers. The bizarre burger-related accident left authorities initially perplexed, as revealed during a court hearing regarding his unusual death.
Barry Griffiths, 57, tragically died in July of last year after accidentally stabbing himself in the stomach while at his home in Powys, Wales, as reported by the Western Telegraph.
Griffiths, who lived alone, had been deceased for several days before police conducted a welfare check. Upon their arrival, they discovered blood splattered throughout his kitchen and bedroom.
His phone, wallet, and computer remained untouched, with no signs of disturbance in the apartment. It was only when detectives found the uncooked patties that they pieced together the events leading up to his death.
Detective Sergeant Stephen Vaughan was present at the flat alongside crime scene investigator Elizabeth Nurse. He testified that he believed the incident was not a suicide but rather “an unexplained death.” He noted that there were no signs of assault.
Investigators Ruled the Frozen Burger Incident ‘Unexplained’ Before Realizing the Victim Stabbed Himself
In fact, the investigators on the scene didn’t realize Griffiths had stabbed himself.
“On reflection, I should have probably got closer to check the wound,” DS Vaughan admitted. “There were no adverse comments or concerns raised other than reddening on the stomach.”
“Some days later I was made aware that a wound had been found on Mr Griffiths. I stepped away and had no further involvement for integrity and not to compromise the investigation,” he added
Detective Chief Inspector Jonathan Rees detailed how authorities ruled the death an accident.
“The bottom drawer of the freezer had been left open and pulled forward in a position to access food items,” Rees explained. “On the work surface in the kitchen adjacent to the fridge-freezer were two uncooked burgers, a knife, and a tea towel,” he added.
“The wound to the abdomen would have been approximately the height of the work surface. My hypothesis at that stage was that Mr. Griffiths was attempting to separate frozen burgers using a knife,” Rees concluded.
DSI Rees stated that the tip of a kitchen knife was initially thought to be marked with chocolate. However, it was found to contain Mr. Griffiths’ blood.
The medical examiner ultimately concluded that Griffiths, who had limited use of one arm due to a stroke, most likely died from an accident rather than by suicide.