Transcript Time of Death - Dr. Diamond`s Website

Determining Time of Death
The Sherman Murder Case, the
Body Farm, etc.
Indicators
• At crime scene - establish
approx. TOD by
determining
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Body temp. (algor mortis)
Discoloration (livor mortis)
Rigor mortis
Decay/decomposition
Ocular conditions
Personal factors
Food digestion (determined
on autopsy)
Decay/Decomposition
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Immediately upon death
bacteria
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Begin to break down the
body
Gas is produced
Body bloats, abdomen green
Face darkens
Liquids leak from nose and
mouth
Tongue swells
Skin blisters; loss of hair,nails
Maggots
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Other insects
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Blow flies deposit eggs
before or at death – hatch in
18 – 24 hrs.
dependent on area, season,
temperature
Moist area – adipocere forms
Dry area – mummification
Ocular Conditions
• Eyes open
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Thin film forms on surface
Cloudy within 2-3 hrs
Opaque – 3 d. post-mortem
Bulging – with gas
formation
– Retraction – adv. decomp.
• Eyes closed
– Same things happen
– Takes longer
– Cloudiness may take a day
to appear
• Not affected by
temperature
Personal Factors
• Last time person was
seen or heard from
• Missed appointment
• Something else
– e.g., crushed watch
found on victim
indicating TOD
Food Digestion
• Influences on time in
stomach
– Type of food
• Light meal – 1 - 2 hrs
• Med. meal– 3 – 4 hrs.
• Heavy meal – 4 - 6 hrs.
– Drugs or medications
– Exercise
– Emotional condition
Time of Death Estimates
• Mitigating factors
– Chemicals
– 1920, David Paul
• Body found buried near
a stream
• TOD estimated at about
24h. prior
• But, had been missing
for 9 days
• Explanation?
• High levels of tannic
acid in the stream
(from tanning
factories)
• Tannic acid is a
preservative
• Body had been
dumped in stream
and later buried
John Belushi
• Died of a drug overdose
– Drug-induced coma
– Indicated by a full bladder
• TOD estimate
complicated by drugs
• Found at 12:35 pm with
some jaw stiffness
suggesting?
• Some lividity
• At 4:37 pm
– Skin blanched to touch
– Body temp. at 95oF
Complications
• Belushi was heavy
• Cocaine raises body
temp. – so probably
higher than normal at
TOD
• Cheryl Smith (friend – last
person to see him alive)
– Claimed she gave last drug
injection (cocaine + heroin)
at 3:30 am
– At 6:30 am he was up
– Left at 10:15 am – he was
alive
Conclusions
• Lividity indicated death
between 8:30 – 10:30 am
• Rigor indicated death at
10:30 – 11:30
• Body temp. inconclusive
• Last injection must have
been later (8:30 am –
ish?)
• Cathy Smith still there
• Convicted of
manslaughter
JonBenet Ramsey
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Accurate TOD never established
5:52 am, 12/26/96, mother called
911
– Daughter kidnapped
– Ransom note
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House not searched immediately
by police
At 1 pm, police told John Ramsey
to search
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Unqualified
Removed duct tape from mouth
Moved body
Body covered with blanket
Coroner arrived at 8 pm
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Examined body for <10min
No rectal temp.
Did not examine eye fluids
Took to the morgue and
refrigerated
The Sherman Murder Case
• Sun. evening, 8/4/85, Ellen
Sherman found strangled
• In rigor mortis
• Estimated TOD, 10 pm Fri.,8/2
– 7 am Sun., 8/4
• Husband, had left at 7:30 pm,
Fri., 8/2
Sherman Murder Complications
• Undigested food (dinner) found
in stomach
• Room in which body found
very cold from air cond.
• But no room temp. taken
(cold temps. delay rigor)
• Frost observed on air cond.
• TOD later revised to 7am
Thurs., 8/1 to 7 am Sat., 8/3
based on cooler temps.
• Revised TOD estimate
implicated husband
The Body Farm
• Univ. Tenn. Forensic
Anthropology Dept.
• Started by Bill Bass
• To study how bodies
decompose under various
conditions
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Direct sunlight
Car trunk
Under canvas/plastic
In mud
In water
In a coffin
In body bags, etc.
Body Farm
• Study
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Stages of insect infestation
Exposure to the environment
Small rodent disturbance
Soil around body
• Most info. about forensic
entomology comes from
studies done here
• Bodies are donated directly to
body farm
• One-third of practicing forensic
anthropologists trained here
• Now, two more body farmstest other environmental
conds.