Estimation of Time Since Death

Key points

• • The time since death is estimated from the changes that follow death, though none is exact and all are affected by the surroundings.
• • Body cooling (algor mortis) lowers the temperature of the body towards that of the surroundings over the hours after death.
• • Rigor mortis, the stiffening of the muscles, appears within a few hours, becomes complete, and then passes off over the following day or so.
• • Postmortem lividity (livor mortis), the pooling of blood in the lowest parts, and its fixing help to judge both the time and the position.
• • Stomach contents, the state of decomposition, and insect activity give further clues, especially after longer periods.