Objective: To highlight the findings present in the autopsy of drowning victims in comparison with those present in victims of falls. Evidence findings compatible with post-mortem injuries. Methods: This is a descriptive study, in which the case of a homicide is reported, where signs of drowning of a child were observed in Minas Gerais, with an attempt to simulate death by falling from a height. Case details: The case analyzed concerns a victim found in a location that initially suggested a hypothesis of a fall, which was contested due to the absence of lethal trauma caused by blunt force. Nail bruises in the cervical region and postmortem injuries suggested death before the fall. The findings of foam mushroom, crepitus due to aqueous emphysema, excessive enlargement of the lungs, identification of foamy liquid in the digestive system and the presence of Tardieu and Paltauf spots, present in the victim, suggested drowning. Conclusion: The macro and microscopic findings allowed us to determine the cause of death, such as asphyxia due to immersion in a liquid medium, refuting the initial hypothesis of death due to blunt force
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