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What will be the approximate temperature of the liver if a victim dies at 3:15pm and is found at 5:15pm on the same day? (assume ambient temperatures are normal)
97.2 degrees F
A 911 call is made on 7/4/2011 at 6:00 pm from a
man who says that he walked in his home to find his
wife dead. He says that when he left the house (1
hour prior), she was alive. Forensic investigators
record her liver temperature at 70.6°F. The ambient
temperature of the home was also 70.6°. What can
you conclude about this situation.
The husband is lying. She’s been dead for more
than 29 hrs.
How does temperature affect rigor
mortis?
An increase in temperature will also increase rigor
What are 3 ways in which
investigators determine TOD?
-liver temp
-coloration of the body (lividity)
-stiffness (rigor)
-stomach contents
-entomology (insect activity)
What will be the approximate
temperature of the liver if a victim
dies at 2:00 am and is found later
that morning at 10:00 am?
88.8 degrees F
The body of a 19 year old male was
found sitting on the driver’s side of his
car with lividity on the back of his head,
neck, shoulders, back, posterior, and
back of the legs. Explain how you know
that the body was moved after
death.
If he died in the car (in a sitting position), lividity
would be present in the posterior and feet.
A 56 year old Caucasian male was
found with no lividity present. What
is the approximate TOD for this
victim? (assume all conditions are
normal)
He has been dead less than 2 hours
The body of a male was found in a
warehouse with multiple stab wounds. He
displayed rigor in his head and neck area
only. Since the warehouse was extremely
hot (100° F), rigor set in much quicker
than normal. What is the
approximate TOD for the victim?
He’s been dead less than 2 hours. (a good guess would be 30 minutes to 1 hour)
A body is found abandoned in a shed
in the extreme August heat. The liver
temperature is 84.6° F. How will the
heat affect the TOD prediction for
this victim? (rigor, lividity, and algor)
Heat will increase the rate of lividity and rigor.
However, heat will decrease the rate that the body
loses heat (algor)
A victim’s body was found floating in
the river. The body showed lividity in
the head only. There were rope
markings around the victim’s ankles.
Explain what you think happened to
the victim.
The victim may have been hanging (head down)
by her ankles at TOD.
A female gunshot victim displays rigor throughout her entire body. Approximately how long has she been dead? (assume ambient temperatures are normal)
She’s been dead anywhere from 12-24 hours
Explain why someone is found lying face down, but only displays lividity in some places. For example, lividity may be present in the arms with the exception of the forearm. Or...lividity is present in the lower legs, but not the upper legs.
Lividity will be absent in points where pressure is present
What are some of the conditions
that could increase the rate at which
livor mortis occurs?
Anything that increases body temp (exercising,
fever, insulated clothing, ambient temp. above 70
degrees)
The body of a Hispanic female is
found in the woods. The
temperature of her liver registers
74.1° F. What is her approximate
TOD (assuming ambient
temperatures are normal)?
Approximately 25 hours
The body of a 9 year old girl was found
in the woods behind her house with
no evidence of rigor. Explain the
possible TOD for this situation.
She’s either been dead for less than 2 hours or more than 24 hours
Why do the muscles stiffen after
death?
The cells can no longer pump calcium out of the cell, so the calcium concentration increases, forcing the muscles to contract