Tuesday March 14th, 2016 Today: Short Notes on Death “Stop hating yourself for everything you aren’t. Start loving yourself for everything that you are” – Unknown Happy National Potato Chip Day and Learn about Butterflies Day Fun Fact: The average person in the U.S eats 35 tons of food in a lifetime Today: Short Notes on Death Death Scenario Worksheet

Thursday March 16th, 2016 Today: Famous People Death Scenarios “Stop hating yourself for everything you aren’t. Start loving yourself for everything that you are” – Unknown Happy National Artichoke Heart Day Fun Fact: There’s a toilet-themed restaurant in Taiwan, where food is served on miniature toilets Today: Famous People Death Scenarios DUE WHEN WE GET BACK FROM BREAK

Death: Meaning, Manner, Mechanisms, Cause and Time Chapter 11

Death Death: the cessation of life; heart stops beating causing the cessation of blood circulation Death is a process Heart stops beating Oxygen levels in the body drop Cells begin to die from lack of fresh oxygen Nerves, muscles, organs and the brain stop working Outward signs of death can be seen while a person is still alive

Death Autopsy: examination on the deceased; especially when the death is suspicious or unnatural Autopsy is performed by a medical doctor known as a Forensic Pathologist Pathologist determines the manner of death, cause of death, and mechanism of death

Manner of Death Manner of Death: one of the four means by which someone dies Natural Death: failure of body functions resulting from age or disease Most common manner of death Accidental Death: caused by unplanned events Car accident, falling from a ladder, electrocution Suicide: a person purposely kills themselves Hanging, drug overdose, gunshot, self poisoning, jumping off a cliff Homicide: death of a person caused by another person “Fifth” manner of death is undetermined Put on death certificate when official cause can’t determined Allows investigators to continue investigating

Manner of Death Given the following examples, determine the manner of death A man with a heart condition is attacked and dies from a heart attack during the assault. Is the manner of death accident or homicide An elderly woman dies after being kept from receiving proper health care by her son. Is the manner of death accident or homicide

Cause of Death Cause of Death: the reason someone dies Disease, physical injury, stroke, heart attacks, shooting, burning, drowning, strangulation, hanging and suffocation Proximate Cause of Death: underlying cause of death Example: if someone is exposed to large amounts of radiation and then develops cancer, the proximate cause of death is the radiation exposure

Mechanism of Death Mechanism of Death: the specific change in the body that brought about death Example: The cause of death is a shooting; the mechanism of death could be loss of blood Example: Cause of death is a heart attack; the mechanism of death could be the heart stopping to beat or it could be pulmonary arrest Forensic pathologist report can include the cause and mechanism of death in a single statement Example: Someone killed in a car accident may have died from “massive trauma to the body leading to pulmonary arrest” Cause of Death: Mechanism of Death: trauma to the body pulmonary arrest

Check For Understanding 1 The cessation of life The specific change in the body that brought about death The reason someone dies Purposely taking your own life Examination of a dead body to determine cause of death Define Manner of Death Getting struck by lightening and dying is considered The 4 manners of death Purposely killing another human

Quick Activity Read the following scenario and decide the manner of death, cause of death, mechanism of death A man is shot during a robbery, the man is stabilized and taken to the hospital. At the hospital he develops pneumonia. Pneumonia leads kidney failure, liver failure, heart failure and death. The man had previously suffered from lung and heart disease. He would’ve probably survived the pneumonia if it wasn’t for his prior lung and heart disease. Manner of Death: Cause of Death: Mechanism of Death: Homicide- being shot during the robbery The gun shot Heart failure

Tuesday March 28th, 2016 Today: Continue Notes on Death Celebrity Death Scenarios from before Spring Break is DUE FRIDAY “Either you run the day, or the day runs you” – Jim Rohn Happy National Something on a Stick Day Fun Fact: Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words

Time of Death The Forensic Pathologist is responsible for determining a Time of Death Postmortem Interval: the time elapsed from the moment of death until a corpse is discovered

Time of Death Livor Mortis: the pooling of the blood in tissues after death, resulting in a reddish color to the skin Lividity: pooling of blood Blood seeps down and settles in the lower parts of the body Red blood cells turn bluish-purple; causing the skin to get a bluish tint where the blood is pooled Lividity begins about 2 hours after death

Time of Death Lividity Continued Lividity will be present 2-8 hrs after death if the skin is pressed the color will disappear Discoloration caused by lividity becomes permanent after 8 hrs if skin is pressed the color will remain Ambient temperature affects the time for lividity to set in Hot: livor mortis occurs faster Cold/Room Temperature: livor mortis occurs slower

Time of Death Lividity Continued Lividity can also reveal if the body has been moved Dual Lividity occurs if body is moved from one place/position to another between the 2-8hrs between lividity becomes permanent

Time of Death Rigor Mortis: the stiffening of the skeletal muscles after death Live muscles fibers slide back and forth After death, muscle fibers become locked in a flexed (stiff) position Without oxygen in the blood Calcium accumulates in the muscles Muscles stiffen Starts 2 hrs after death Stiffness starts in the head and works its way down to the legs After 12 hrs body is at its most stiff Stiffness gradually disappears after about 36 hrs If body shows no visible rigor mortis it has either been dead for less than 2hrs or more than 48 hrs

Time of Death Rigor Mortis Continued Factors affecting rigor mortis Ambient Temperature Cooler the body, slower for rigor to kick in. Hotter the body, quicker for rigor to kick in A person’s weight The more body fat on a person, the slower for rigor to kick in Type of clothing Presence of clothes on a body accelerates rigor Illness Someone dies with a fever it accelerates rigor Level of physical activity before death Exercise raises body temperature, accelerating rigor Sun Exposure

Progression of Rigor Mortis Time After Death Event Appearance Circumstances 2 to 6 Hours Rigor begins Body becomes stiff and stiffness moves down the body Stiffness begins with eyelids and jaw muscles after 2 hrs, followed by the center of the body and the arms and legs 12 Hours Rigor complete Peak rigor is exhibited Entire body is rigid 15 to 36 Hours Slow loss of rigor Loss of rigor in small muscles first followed by larger muscles Rigor lost first in head and neck and last in bigger leg muscles 36 to 48 Hours Rigor totally disappears Muscles become relaxed Many variable may extend rigor beyond the normal 36 hours

Factors Affecting Rigor Factors Affecting Rigor Mortis Factors Affecting Rigor Event Effect Circumstances Temperature Cold Warm/Hot Inhibits rigor Accelerates rigor Slower onset, slower progression of rigor Faster onset, faster progression of rigor Activity before death Aerobic Exercise Sleep Slows rigor Lack of oxygen to muscle, the buildup of lactic acid and higher body temperature accelerates rigor Muscles fully oxygenated will exhibit rigor more slowly

Factors Affecting Rigor Factors Affecting Rigor Mortis Continued Factors Affecting Rigor Event Effect Circumstances Body Weight Obese Thin Slows rigor Accelerates rigor Fat stores oxygen Body loses oxygen quickly and body heats faster

Check For Understanding 2 Pooling of blood Stiffening of skeletal muscles after death 6 factors which affect rigor mortis pooling of blood after death which causes the skin to look reddish How does temperature affect lividity What happens after 36 hrs of rigor mortis How does sleep affect rigor mortis When is peak rigor mortis present

Wednesday March 29th, 2016 Today: Continue Notes on Death Calculating Postmortem Interval Celebrity Death Scenarios from before Spring Break is DUE FRIDAY “Only you can control your future” – Dr. Seuss Happy National Little Red Wagon Die Fun Fact: McDonalds opens a new restaurant every 14.5 hours

Time of Death Algor Mortis: describes temperature loss in a corpse after death the body no longer generates heat the body’s temperature is taken through the liver how fast a body loses heat has been measured; investigators can determine time of death via temperature 1 hour after death body cools at a rate of .78o C (1.4oF) per hour after 12 hrs the body loses about .39o C (0.7oF) per hour until it reaches ambient temperature Air temperature and environmental factors are noted, environment will affect the rate at which the body loses heat

Time of Death Stomach and Intestinal Contents Time of death can be determined by the body’s stomach contents It takes 4 to 6 hours for the stomach to empty it’s contents into the small intestine another 12 hours for it to exit the small intestine 24 hours from when you eat the undigested food to be released from the large intestine if undigested stomach contents are present, death occurred 0 to 2 hours after last meal if the stomach is empty but food is found in the small intestine death occurred 4 to 6 hours after last meal if the small intestine is empty and waste is found in the large intestine death occurred 12 hrs after the last meal

Time of Death Decomposition: rotting of all tissues and organs Bacteria and microorganisms decompose the body internally Decomposition depends on Age: younger people decompose FASTER than the elderly Size: overweight people break down faster than average weight people Nature of Death: sick people decompose faster than healthy people Environment: Naked bodies decompose quicker than clothed people Bodies decompose fastest between 70-99o Higher temperatures dry out the body and preserve it Colder temperatures prevent bacterial growth and slow down decomposition

Time of Death Stages of Decomposition 1. Within 2 days after death Cell death begins Green and purplish staining occurs due to blood breakdown Face becomes discolored 2. 4 days after Skin blisters Abdomen swells with carbon dioxide (CO2); which is released by bacteria living in the intestines 3. 6-10 days Body bloats with CO2, as bacteria continue to feed on tissues Gas causes chest and abdominal cavities to burst and collapse Fluid leaks from body openings; caused by cell membrane ruptures Eyelids and other tissues liquify Skin sloughs

Stages of Decomposition What Occurs Initial Decay Corpse appears normal on the outside Internally decomposing from bacteria and cell death Putrefaction Odor of decaying flesh, corpse looks swollen Black Putrefaction Strong odor, parts of the flesh appear black, gas escapes, corpse collapses Butyric Putrefaction Corpse begins to dry out, most of the flesh is gone Dry Decay Corpse is almost dry, decay slows due to lack of moisture

Check For Understanding 3 5 stages of decomposition 4 things which decomposition depends on Corpse looks normal externally but inside it’s beginning to decompose Temperature loss in a corpse How many days does it take for the skin blisters, corpse bloats because CO2 Odor of decaying flesh, corpse looks swollen Rotting of all tissues and organs

Insects Forensic Entomology: the use of insects in decomposing remains to aid legal investigations Collects insect evidence from on, above and below the body Records the environmental conditions Insect life cycles are affected by fluctuations in the daily environmental conditions, insects cannot provide an exact time of death, only a close estimate At crime lab some of the insects are raised under environmental conditions that mimic the environmental conditions at the crime scene

Insects Forensic Entomology Blowflies are usually the first insects to arrive at a dead body Entomologist know how long it takes for blowfly development at certain temperatures so they can determine when the blowflies arrived Identifying the stage of blowfly development by change in size color mobility number of spiracle slits

Blowfly Lifecycle Stage Size Color 1st Appearance Duration Characteristics Egg 2 mm white soon after death 8 hrs found in moist, warm areas of body (mouth, eyes, ears, anus) Larva 1 5 mm 2 days 20 hrs black mouth hooks visible, thin body, one spiracle slit near anus Larva 2 10 mm 2.5 days 15-20 hrs actively feeding on the body, two spiracle slits near anus Larva 3 17 mm 4-5 days 36-56 hrs develops fat bodies, three spiracle slits near anus Pre-Pupa 9 mm 8-12 days 86-180 hrs larva migrates away from body to a dry area Early & Late Pupa light brown 18-24 days 6-12 days immobile doesn’t feed Adult Varies black or green 21-24 days Several weeks incapable of flight for first few hours