Postmortem Interval Estimation

Preautopsy conference is an important part of the postmortem autopsy. This conference include: the crime scene investigator, the criminalists who were at the scene and analyze the evidence from the autopsy, the lead investigator, and the autopsy pathologist. The preautopsy conference should be planned early of the autopsy. They have meetings to develop a well planned approach to the autopsy. Each member of the team will know what type of information each one will need in order to facilitate the autopsy.

After reading, The Embalming of Mr. Jones by Jessica Mitford, I was in shock about the whole process that happens hour after death. Previously, when I heard about embalming I thought they basically just cleaned the body up and dressed them up for the casket showing, but now that I know what actually happens I’m a little grossed out. The body shouldn’t be changed so much because you want to see them as you last remember not reconstructed due to the embalming. While the bodies are deceased, I can't help but wonder if they are feeling all of this happening. I feel bad for Mr. Jones and others who have been through the process. I can’t even imagine what it is like for the embalmer, and how they can go through with it.

The condition rigor mortis develops several hours after death because of a lack of ATP. It is characterized by

The second, or putrefaction, stage of decomposition is when the skin, all over the body, starts to change color (Young & Ortmeier, 2011). Gases begin to be released from inside the body, which causes it to swell, or bloat (enkivillage). As those gases build up, a foul odor begins to emanate from the body, while blisters start to appear on the skin. It is during this stage of decomposition where fluids will be purged through the body’s orifices (Young & Ortmeier, 2011). The active decay stage is where the body will start to lose mass.

American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that nearly 700 Americans die each day of sudden cardiac arrest (MI), or 250,000 every year, as many as 50,000 lives could be saved each year if certain critical interventions were made. (Freeman , 50) A patient who receives early life support measures and defibrillation within one to five minutes of arrest is much more likely to live and to retain normal brain function. The brain is often at a serious risk for irreparable brain damage related to anoxia and many other co-morbidities that are associated with cardiac arrest (MI). When a perfusing cardiac rhythm returns after a heart attack, the most important objective is to preserve brain function. The AHA and the Advanced Life Support Task Force of

In reality, once someone is clinically dead, there is no blood pressure, the heart is asystole, and there is no brain function. Without oxygen, the body’s cells start to die and the bodily systems fail.

Human death has once held more mystery than facts. In pursuit of prolonging life countless knowledgeable individuals attempted to define patterns of work of our body as well as find cure to common illnesses and injuries. Thus in certain way or form, any civilized society would amass experience that translated into early medicine. Simultaneously, the same society would establish rules and regulations that helped govern population. Combination of these two fields led to development of forensics.

On an episode of law and order the ME will arrive on the scene and look at the body. She will exam the body and determine roughly the time of death. Saying it occurred approximately 12 hours ago, she will then take the body to her lab to examine for more details, but now the detective when interviewing the suspects can ask where were you approximately twelve hours ago to determine if they have an alibi. Later the ME will call the detective to give further details of what she found if the body was moved? if any DNA or semen were found on the body? and how the victim died exactly? With the new details and the time of death the detective can narrow down the suspect list and find the perp. An accurate estimation of the time of death can lead to discovering the identity of the assailant. In criminal cases, it can eliminate some suspects while focusing attention on others. For example, a husband says that he left for a business meeting at 2 P.M. and returned at 8 P.M. to find his wife dead. He says that he was home all morning and that she was alive and well when he

Since blood flow to Joseph’s heart has slowed down greatly so have others things such as oxygen flow, glucose, and necessary ions. With cells having to work extra hard attempting to get the body back to homeostasis it is rapidly burning up its supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Carbon dioxide is beginning to build up in the cells, throwing off pH levels because carbon dioxide is waste that needs to be gotten rid of. The mitochondria in Joseph’s cells cannot make more ATP due to the lack of oxygen and glucose. Since there is no ATP active transport cells cannot work so the hearts plasma membrane shut down.

An autopsy is an examination of the body after death. It usually consists of an external and an internal examination of the body. The external examination also documents identifying features such as scars, tattoos or other markings which may assist in the identification of the body. The internal examination looks at the internal organs to document any natural disease processes and/or injury .Its purpose is to learn the truth about the persons health during life and how the person really died, These situations include, violent deaths such as homicides, accidents, and suicides. Other categories are suspicious deaths, sudden and expected deaths, deaths in children and infants, prisoners, persons under the care of an institution,

A post mortem change is the term used to describe any changes which are observed in a subject after death has occurred. Post mortem changes which may be observed in a cadaver include algor mortis, rigor mortis, liver mortis, post mortem blood alterations and subsequent clotting, purification and autolysis (Unknown, 2013). However, histological tissue samples may undergo a series of alterations which causes alterations in tissue structure to occur. Alterations in tissue structure may encourage disparity between expected staining and the subsequent reactions to

One way to determine death is through a toxicology test or “tox screen”. A toxicology test is when the medical examiner tests stomach contents, bone, bone marrow, hair and nails to see if there is a trace of drugs in their system (“Toxicology”, 2013, para. 8-10). Toxicology can be dated back in ancient times, though it is still very modern (ToxEdFoundation, 2016, para. 1). The 16th century physician, Paracelsus, is considered to be the “Father of Toxicology” (ToxEdFoundation, 2016, para. 1).

Something that is relatively new to the world of medical profession as well as the criminal justice system is virtual autopsies. The use of Virtual autopsies have seen their fair share of use in the Armed Forces as well as used in police investigations. The use of this technology is essential in solving certain cases as well as dramatically cutting the time it takes to prove the cause of death.

It was the first of two deaths that has ever happened in mankind. On February 14th ,2000 2am at night ,Mrs Parker, an old woman died suspiciously in her house on Redvilla ,Northwood street. The day after, suspects say that the killer was also run over by and found dead. Was this a coincidence or not?

During the video there were five distinct stages of decompositions. The first stage is the process of autolysis. Autolysis consists of cellular breakdown, the change of body temperature, and the invasion of insect in the body, laying eggs. The second stage is putrefaction which is the bloating of the body due to bacteria and the gases produced. The third stage is black putrefaction in which maggots and insects destroy