In the Lab
The process of determining what may have led to death. Done for all manners of death
What is an autopsy?
This type of stinging insect can sometimes be found near bodies. The meaner, more aggressive relative of bees
What are wasps?
This type of mortis involves the stiffening of muscles after death.
What is Rigor mortis?
There are 5 of these, each used to generally describe how someone passed
What is manner of death?
This manner of death involves the intentional murder of a victim
What is homicide?
An elected official who (hopefully) knows how to examine bodies and determine causes of death
What is a coroner?
This is the first life stage of most insects. Finding them on a body means it has not been there very long
What are maggots or larvae?
This mortis type involves the pooling of blood in certain parts of the body. The body then may turn a pinkish/purplish color.
What is livor mortis?
The physical event or action that leads to death, for example, stabbing or strangling
What is cause of death?
This method of identifying time of death involves the life cycle of a certain type of organism that many people might be grossed out by
What is entomology/insects/bugs
An individual who determines cause of death that (should) be more trained and skilled at analyzing a body than a coroner
What is medical examiner?
This is the most common type of insect found near a body, as well as one of the most common types of insects in general
What are flies?
This external factor can change the speed of different mortis types, making it harder to pin down a time of death
What is temperature (Weight, Wind, etc. also accepted)?
The internal or physiological thing happening to the body that leads to death. For example, bleeding out or suffocation
What is mechanism of death?
This celebrity's death was initially a mystery and her manner of death was unknown: until it was later ruled that she drowned after an overdose. Her manner of death was then changed to "accidental"
Who is Whitney Houston?
An arachnaphobe's worst nightmare: This field involves the study of insects and other bugs, which is surprisingly useful for forensic scientists
What is entomology?
These types of insects are occasionally found on bodies. They are easy to identify based on their horns they usually have
What are beetles?
Rigor mortis is not a permanent change. After around this length of time, the muscles loosen and rigor wears off
What is 24-36 hours?
A man is walking his dog. While walking home, a bear attacks and the man is killed. The dog (thankfully) survives, but what would this man's manner of death be?
What is accidental?
This word is another way of saying "suffocation" it's the official medical term for the mechanism of death
What is asphyxiation?
Just like the axis that it's shares a name with, this type of incision travels vertically. It starts behind the ear and works it's way down the victim's torso.
What is a Y cut/incision?
The middle life stage of most insects, can be found on a body after a few days. Similar to the cocoon most caterpillars weave.
What is a pupa?
If using Algor mortis to determine time of death, it's important to know how much the body is cooling each hour. The generally accepted range for change in temperature per hour is
What is 1-1.4 degrees/hour?
An individual decides to go cliff jumping with his friends at a state park. He slips and falls into the water below. He is conscious, but the strength of the water and waterfall are too much and he eventually drowns. A likely mechanism of death in this case would be
What is suffocation/asphyxiation?
This basketball legend's father was missing, only for his body to go unidentified by a lackluster coroner and be cremated without his family knowing
Who is Michael Jordan?