1
Q
Five stages of death
A
1st- pallor mortis 2nd- algor mortis 3rd- rigor mortis 4th- liver mortis 5th- decomposition
2
Q
Pallor mortis
A
- paleness
- almost immediately up to 25 mins
- useful if body is discovered soon after death
3
Q
Algor mortis
A
- body cooling
- body cools 1/2 degree per hour in normal conditions (70-75)
- most accurate first 10 hours after death
4
Q
Rigor mortis
A
- Immediately following death muscles become flaccid
- Within 1-4 hours muscles become increasingly stiff
- all muscles stiffen at same time
- body remains stiff for 24-48 hours
5
Q
Liver mortis
A
- purple or red discoloration after death
- starts early but noticeable 1-2 hours after death and increases in intensity with time
- pattern can tell you if the body has been moved
- purple = normal liver, red = carbon monoxide/cyanide, hypothermia
- tardieu spots
6
Q
Decomposition
A
- 5th stage
- bloat, marbling, skin slippage, tache noire
