The temperature of a body can be used to estimate time of death during the first 24 hours. ... If the body is discovered before the body temperature has come into equilibrium with the ambient temperature, forensic scientists can estimate the time of death by measuring core temperature of the body.
Answer:
Generally, the time elapsed since death is determined by analyzing the remains through external observation, physicochemical control and estimation of deterioration produced over time in clothing, shoes and props. External observation includes factors such as body temperature, cadaveric libors, stiffness, signs of dehydration, external injury, animal attack, and insect invasion.
In traditional chronotanatognosis methods, the actual postmortem interval is inversely proportional to its estimate, ie, the longer the postmortem interval, the less likely to be accurate. Conversely, by the entomological method, the longer the interval, the safer the estimation accuracy.
The estimation of the post mortem interval by the entomological method aims to establish the minimum and maximum time between death and body meeting. The maximum time limit is established by specimen collection and analysis of their succession pattern in the bodies, provided they are correlated with the environmental conditions of the exposure site and all factors that may delay insect arrival and colonization. The minimum time limit is established, for example, by the age of the specimens collected from corpses; therefore, the oldest specimen corresponds to the shortest interval between colonization and the discovery of the body.
After the initial decomposition phase, the body begins to emit odors, which attracts different insects to the corpse. The odors result from the gases mentioned: ammonia (NH3), sulfuric acid (SH2), free nitrogen (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Ammonia (similar to bathroom smell) is easy to dissipate; free nitrogen forms a fundamental constituent part (about 70%) of normal air; carbon dioxide forms a fundamental constituent part (about 15%) of normal air; and hydrogen sulfide (hydrogen sulfide or hydrogen disulfide) is the only aberrant and the source of the rot odor.
