Establishing time of death plays an important part in solving a murder; this helps investigators narrow down a suspect list. With the time of death, investigators are able to ascertain the victim’s movements leading up to their death. This paper describes how the medical examiner determines the time of death. After death the human body goes through stages of decomposition; this paper will define those stages.
When detectives respond to a crime scene that has a deceased body, the first thing they need to know is when this person died. Detectives need this information to have a starting point for their investigation and to narrow down the range of suspects. This information helps detectives substantiate a suspect’s statements
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The organs, tissue and body cavities will build up with gases due to bacteria; also called putrefaction. The skin will take on a “marbling” appearance and in the lower quadrants of the abdomen will turn green because of the immune system not functioning to fight off bacteria. The body will start to secrete fecal matter out of the body’s orifices such as the nose and mouth. Derrick J. Pounder of the University of Dundee (1995) stated “the gases produced include: hydrogen sulphide, methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia and hydrogen” (p. 14). The offensive odor of decomposition is due in part by these gases. The bloating of the face may make identification impossible due to the eyes bulging and the tongue swelling and being forced out of the mouth. The fly larvae will be present during this stage. Active decay, according to Paradon (2011), is the next stage in the decomposition process; it lasts for ten to twenty days. The body loses most of its fluids and tissue when the pressure of the gasses erupts. Insect and carnivores scavenging for food will speed up the active decay stage. There will be large masses of maggots and the smell of decomposition will intensify. At this stage the body cavity will collapse. (“Black Putrefaction – Advanced Decay …show more content…
In this stage there is no longer any organs; the skeleton, teeth and hair are the only things that remain. This is the longest stage of decomposition because of the physical properties of bone take longer to decompose and weather conditions vary by location. If the climate is hot then a body can reach this stage in a week and if the climate is cold it could take a month or longer (para. 5). There may be some insects, using the body as shelter or feeding off other insects, during this stage. The bones will turn white from being exposed to the sun for an extended period of time. Many factors will determine the weathering of the bones such as: if they were buried or not, climate, moisture, and scavengers (Kercheval, n.d.,
20 Jan. 2014. http://www.invw.org/node/955>. United States. Office of the Medical Examiner.
When a death occurs suddenly, unexpectedly and from unnatural or unknown causes, a forensic scientist has the duty to gather and analyze evidence to determine whether the victim died from a previously undiagnosed disease or infection or from a homicide, suicide or accident (Lurigio, 2009). When considering suicide as the probable cause of death, we are looking at the act of intentionally killing oneself through one’s own effort or with the assistance of another (Sever, 2009). The resolution of the manner of death by a forensic pathologist as suicide is based on a series of factors which eliminate natural causes of death, homicide and accident (Geberth, 2013, p.55). The cause of death is also determined by the medical examiner in conjunction with the crime scene investigator; however, it can only be determined after a thorough investigation is concluded. Therefore, in the complicated process of doing a death investigation there are several mistakes that should be avoided, which are discussed in Geberth’s article, Seven Mistakes in Suicide Investigation (2013). Mistakes in doing any death investigation affect the integrity of the evidence in determining the cause of death and in its admissibility in court.
“In most human society's death is an extremely important cultural and social phenomenon, sometimes more important than birth” (Ohnuki-Tierney, Angrosino, & Daar et al. 1994). In the United States of America, when a body dies it is cherished, mourned over, and given respect by the ones that knew the person. It is sent to the morgue and from there the family decides how the body should be buried or cremated based on...
begins to wonder exactly what happens when one is cremated. This mood of awe is
Even though Death is all a part of life, it’s really a difficult thing to find in the art world. If it is dealing with death the most common idea to find is the scenarios dealing with dramatic times in history. No matter the day and age there is always the idea of death when it comes to the idea of the human body.
The medico-legal autopsy report should be as detailed as possible so as not to miss even the slightest of findings, which may later play a big role in determining the case, hence standardized autopsy procedures as well as autopsy protocols have been devised.
One scientist was able to tell what a person had done his or her entire life, be it sitting at a desk twenty-four seven or playing professional tennis. The way forensic anthropology is used in an investigation is when a body is found that is beyond recognition, whether it be burned or decomposed. These scientists will clean the bones after a forensic pathologist has looked at the body to see if there are any noticeable differences in the organs or tissues. Once that is done, they will do a facial reconstruction on the skull. Most of the time, this is done to get a positive identification on the body. Then, they will examine the entire skeletal remains, looking for nicks, broken bones, anything that could help identify how the victim was killed. All of these processes take a lot of time to complete, but once they are done, the rewards are worth
Roesch, R., Zapf, P. A., & Hart, S. D. (2010). Forensic psychology and law. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons.
2. Kirsch, Laura. “Diagnosis: DEATH.” Forensic Examiner 15.2 (2006): 52-54. Criminal Justice Periodicals. ProQuest. USF Mears Library, Sioux Falls, SD. 24 Apr. 2008 http://www.proquest.com/
It has been found that the decomposition process is best divided into five stages: fresh stage, bloated stage, decay stage, post-decay stage, and remains. The fresh stage starts the moment the individual died and lasts until bloating can be observed. The bloated stage is usually within two to seven days after death. Putrefaction begins at this stage and the gases produced from bacteria cause...
Experiment after experiment of the process of decomposition and all of its contributors can prove how long a corpse has been decaying; it is simply a matter of applying known information on insect life cycles to those insects found on and in a corpse. However, insects that aide in the decomposition process are not the only insects of interest in criminal or civil cases. Insects have existed on earth for about 250 million years; comparatively humans have existed for about 300,000 years (Byrd, 2014). Such a tremendous amount of time has allowed insects to attain a wide diversity in both form and development. There are currently about 700,000 described species and it is estimated that there may be more than 10 million species of insects yet to be described (Byrd, 2014). Insects of all species are found in specific locations or areas; if they are found outside of those areas they had to have been moved there by other means. Like any other animal, most insects have distinctive features and specific habitat requirements. Insects as they pertain to medicolegal death investigations help to establish post mortem interval (PMI) as long as the specimens are properly collected and properly preserved (Benecke & Lessig, 2001). Forensic entomology can also be used to assist law enforcement in determining neglect in the elderly and abuse in the very young (Benecke & Lessig, 2001). From criminal
Through this research I have found that forensics and forensics anthropology work hand in hand. They seem to be closely related in regards (regards is an emotion, you mean regard) to solving criminal cases. A huge interest for me, while conducting this research is the impact the analysis has on cold cases. Cold cases are very important and require an extensive analysis of one’s life whose life? Mine?. Often victims in a cold case do not have strong family bonds, or persons that they are close to. It is imperative within life to have friends and persons, who will say something if you are not seen in a couple of days or weeks. Knowing where a person may be or what a person is involved is important in the case of a missing person. It is a vital part of forensics in relation to forensic anthropology. Within forensics anthropology you can find out more detailed information on the decomposition process. Steadman (2014) The information (what information?) can be used to identify a victim and maybe lead to clues of the perpetrator. New paragraph The study of a victim may also l...
Maio, V. D. (2003). Medicolegal death investigation system: workshop summary. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research. Defining Death: A Report on the Medical, Legal and Ethical Issues in the Determination of Death. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1981.