Estimating Time of Death

Forensics 2014-1015

Livor Mortis
Death Color

As body begins to decompose blood seeps down through

tissues and settles in lower parts of body
Red Blood Cells Turn purplish-blue

Pooling of blood = lividity

Lividity Begins about 2 hours after death
Between 2-8 hours lividity will be present, but if the skin
is pressed color will dissappear
After 8 hours lividity remains if the skin is pressed
Ambient Temperature = Temperature surrounding body
affects the rate of lividity
Higher Temperature = Increase in rate of lividity
Lower Temperature = Decrease in rate of lividity

Livor Mortis

What else can be determined from

lividity?
Position of body following death
Whether a body has been moved post
mortem

Algor Mortis
death heat

The Chill of Death

Algor Mortis-Describes temperature loss in a
corpse
Rate of loss influenced by environmental conditions
Exterior temps
Clothes vs no clothes ect

First 12 hours.
Temperature loss = .78 degrees Celsius (1.4 degrees
Fahrenheit) per hour

After 12 hours
Temperature loss = .39 degrees Celsius (.7 degrees
Fahrenheit) per hour

Muscle Fibers and

Contraction

Rigor Mortis
Death Stiffness
Normal Muscle Contraction
Calcium released from membranes inside cell causes muscle fibers cells to
contract
Active transport then removes calcium so muscle fibers can relax
This requires oxygen and an energy supply

The Rigidity of Death

Stiffness occurs because skeletal muscles are locked in a flexed position and
are unable to relax.
Calcium leaks out of cell and muscle remains in a contracted position
No active transport after death

Starts within 2 hours of death

Begins with Head (Face) and neck

Peak Rigor, At 12 hours the body is at its most rigid state

At about 15 hours muscle fibers break down and soften

Stiffness gradually disappears after 36 hours

Rigor may remain for up to 48 hours

Rigor Mortis
Observation

Approx. Time Scale

The body is at its most rigid

state

Just over 2 hours

No visible signs of rigor

Less than 2 hours

or more than 48 hours ago

Stiffness generally
disappears

After 36 hours

Factors Affecting Rate of Rigor

Ambient Temperature
Cold- slows rigor
Warm- Accelerates Rigor

Clothing or Lack of Clothing

Clothes = accelerates rigor
No Clothes = slows rigor

Sun Exposure
Accelerates rigor

Activity/Exercise
Exercising or struggling = accelerates rigor
Sleep = slows rigor

Body Weight
Obese- slows rigor (fat stores oxygen)
Thin- Accelerates Rigor

Stomach and Intestinal

Contents
If undigested stomach
contents are present, then
death occurred 0 to 2 hours
after last meal
If the stomach is empty but
food is found in the small
intestine, then death occurred
at least 4-6 hours after last
meal
If the small intestines is
empty and wastes are found in
large intestine, then death
probably occurred 12 or more
hours after last meal

Decomposition
The rotting or break down of all
tissues and organs
Bacteria and other microorganisms aid
the decomposition process, just as they
decompose plants and animals in the
environment.

Occurs in Predictable Pattern

Can be used to help determine Time of
Death

Stages of Decomposition
Initial Decay
Corpse appears normal from the outside, but is starting to
decompose from the actions of bacteria and autolysis

Putrefecation
Odor of decaying flesh is present and the corps e appears
swollen

Black Putrefecation
Very Strong odor. Parts of the flesh appear black. Gases
escape and the corpse collapses

Butyric Fermentation
Corpse is beginning to try out. Most of the flesh is gone

Dry Decay
Corpse is almost dry. Further decay is very slow from lack of
moisture

Timeline of Events during

Decomposition

Within 2 days after death:

Cell Autolysis begins following death
Green and purplish staining occurs form blood decomposition
The skin takes on a marbled appearance
The Face Becomes discolored
After 4 Days:
The skin blisters
The abdomen swells with the gas carbon dioxide release by
bacteria living in the intestines
Within 6-10 Days:
Corpse bloats with carbon dioxide, eventually gas causes the chest
and abdominal cavities to burst and collapse
Fluids begin to leak from body openings as cell membranes rupture
Eyeball and other tissues liquefy
The Skin sloughs off

Factors Affecting Rate of

Decomposition
Temperature
Bodies decompose fastest within 21-37 degrees Celsius (7099 degrees Fahrenheit)
Below this range rate decreases because cold temperatures
slow the growth of bacteria and microorganisms
Above this range tends to dry out corpses and preserve them

Several other factors

Illness
Age
Weight
Clothing or Lack of Clothing

Forensic Entomology
Forensic entomologist
Collects insect evidence from on, above, and below

the body
Records environmental conditions
Because life cycles are affected by fluctuations in
the daily environmental conditions, insects cannot
provide an exact time of death, only a close
estimate.
At crime lab some of the insects are raised under
environmental conditions that mimic the
environmental conditions at the crime scene to
obtain most accurate approximation

Forensic Entomology

Blowflies are usually the first insects to

arrive at a dead body
Usually arrive within minutes

Blowflies exhibit different life stages

Egg, larva (also known as instars), pupa,
prepupa, adult

Egg
Soon after Deathblowfly eggs
can be found in the moist, warm
areas of a corpse
< 8 hrs

Larva Stages 1
(Instar 1)
Within 20 hours

Larva 2
(Instar 2)
After 2 days

Larva Stage 3
(Instar 3)
After 4-5 days

Pre-Pupa
After 8-12 days

Pupa
After 18-24 days

Adult
After 21-24 days

Time of DeathInsects
o

The insect life cycle provides scientists with a

benchmark to estimate a time of death

Insect evidence cannot provide an exact time of

deathfluctuating environmental conditions

Insect evidence provides a close estimate