YOUR BODY COMES ALIVE AFTER DEATH

THE FIRST MINUTES

THE FIRST HOURS

THE FIRST DAYS

THE FIRST MONTHS

Time of death can be surprisingly difficult to identify, even when investigators desperately need answers to eliminate some suspects and incriminate others. Take the tragic 1997 case of Cody Smith and his half sister India in Ohio, USA. The two children, aged 4 and 11, were discovered in high grass around a graveyard close to their home nearly two months after they disappeared from their home. It was clear the police had a double murder on their hands, but the investigators could not immediately establish the time of death. In theory, the murders could have happened at any time since their disappearance.

There was a suspect, the stepfather Kevin Neal, who was already known to police, and he had been imprisoned on a different case of violence 19 days after Cody and India had disappeared. So from that day up until the discovery of the bodies, Neal had an alibi. If he was to be charged with double homicide, the police had to prove that the deaths occurred before Neal had been imprisoned.

Scientist Neal Haskell established the crucial time of death in the case of the murders of India and Cody Smith.

The police called in scientists, and biologist Neal Haskell agreed to help them. But rather than focus on the victims’ death, he began