corpse analysis

Question 1

Name and describe the 4 old methods of finding a body.

Answer 1

1- looking downill:
easier move a body going down than up
2- Variation in the terrain:
freshly turned dirt, trenches, elevations, depressions
3- Variations in vegetation:
turning soil, compaction, moisture, aeration, and temperature could attract different plants.
4- Tracking dogs:
can smell clothes
cadavre dogs trained search decaing flesh

Question 2

Name and describe 4 newer methods of finding a body.

Answer 2

1- checking out the scene from the air:
aerial reconnaissance and photography
termal imaging
freshly turned dirt loses heat faster and decaying body releases heat.
2- searching for byproducts of decay:
byproducts = heat and nitrogen
ground-penetration radar help locate physical changes in the soil.
3- Measuring electrical conductivity of the ground:
buried body adds moisture to the soil, which increases the soil’s electrical conductivity.
4- measuring magnetic properties of the ground:
simple metal detector can locate jewelry or belt buckle of the body.

Question 3

Difference between cause, mechanism and manner?

Answer 3

1- cause is the reason the person died (heart attack, )
2- mechanism is the actual change in the body.
3- manner is the reason why the death happened, the intention.

Question 4

What is the difference bwteen the legal, physiological and estimated TOD?

Answer 4

Legal: time body was found or pronounced dead
Physiological: when body functions stopped
Estimated: The ME’s best guess as to when the physiological death happened.

Question 5

What is the name of the method regarding the stiffening of the muscles? Explain how it works.

Answer 5

Rigor Mortis
after death, muscles stiffen following a certain order (which takes about 8-12 h), then stays stiff for 18h. Then the process reverses in the same order.

Question 6

What is the name of the method regarding the loss of body heat? Explain how it works.

Answer 6

Algor Mortis
body loses heat (1.5 degree C/h) until reaches room T.
Lots of factor can affect that.

Question 7

What is the name of the method regarding the pooling of blood? Explain how it works.

Answer 7

Livor Mortis
pooling of blood causes discoloration of the skin.
Can help to know if body was moved after death.
Discoloration changes if body was moved in the first 6h, after 8 hours permanent.

Question 8

What are te other methods (4) that can help us determine the time of death?

Answer 8

insect development
degree of tissue decomposition
progress food digestion
opaque eye pupils.