CRIM 355 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Livor Mortis, Algor Mortis, Rigor Mortis

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Criminology
• Course: CRIM 355
• Professor: Jodie- Ann Warren

Document Summary

Focuses investigation timeline prior to death. Cannot be that specific about time of death he would provide time lines of death to the minutue. Even within a few hours difficult. May be very wide e. g. ~1-2 yrs. May be more narrow e. g. 4-6 h. General methods- 4 of these to determine death. Anamnestic people"s memory of a regular pattern of activity. Eye witness was present at death. Exception reliable, trained witness e. g. doctor, police officer. After death, body cools down to ambient temperature. Useful for first 18 h after death. Myosinogen, stiff gel, so muscles stiff. Rigor mortis- is shifting of muscles and body. Timing and amount of rigor is used to determine time since death. Actually, all starts at same time, but visible in small muscles first. On average starts 2-4 h after death. Face -1-4 h, limbs 4-6 h. Appears more quickly in people who have been exerting themselves e. g. a fight.