1. "All I desire for my own burial is not to be buried alive." - Lord Chesterfield, 1769. 17 th Century –Coma or weak heartbeat = –Fear of being buried alive  bell in coffin

2. "Have me decently buried, but do not let my body be put into a vault in less than two days after I am dead." - deathbed request of George Washington. Waiting Mortuaries –Established in 17 th century

3. Definitions of Death Experts cannot agree on definition –Is a person with a heartbeat alive even if there is no brain activity? What do you think?

4. Process ~ not instant event According to physiologists –When heart stops beating, cells begin to die (no fresh O 2 ) Basic body functions fail to occur – –FIRST STAGE OF DEATH =

5. Autolysis When a cell dies – it breaks down –Breakdown = Definition: Once enough cells begin autolysis…life cannot be restarted

6. Autopsy Suspicious or unnatural deaths – medical doctor called –AKA Reason for autopsy –

7. Manner of Death TOD Unit

8. Manner of Death Four ways a person can die (manner of death) –1. Natural – By age or disease Most common –2. Accidental – Car accident, falling from ladder, etc

9. Manner of Death –3. Suicidal – Hanging, drug overdose, gunshot, etc. Rates higher during –4. Homicidal – –5 ** “Undetermined” – sometimes used on death certificate

10. Categorize Manner of Death A man with a heart condition is attacked and dies from a heart attack during the assault –Accident or homicide? An elderly woman dies after being kept from receiving proper health care by her son. –Natural or homicide? Both cases =. Proving in court that manner of death was a homicide may be difficult

11. Cause of Death Cause of death = reason someone dies “Proximate cause of death” – –Ex: If someone is exposed to large amounts of radiation and then developed cancer Proximate cause of death?

12. Mechanism of Death Mechanism of Death = –Ex: If cause of death is shooting, what would be the mechanism of death? –Ex: If cause of death is heart attack, what would be the mechanism of death?

13. Time of Death T.O.D  to eliminate, confirm or add suspect –3 ways

14. Livor Mortis Literally means Not instant, takes time –Lividity = –First begins about __________ after death Discoloration becomes permanent after If death occurred between _____________, lividity is present, but if skin is pressed – color will disappear __________________, if skin is pressed, lividity will remain

15. Affects of Temp on Lividity Temperature affects the speed of lividity **This is why it’s important to Wristwatches and tight belts can also affect speed of lividity (anything that impedes flow of blood)

16. Livor Mortis not only good for TOD Reveal position of corpse during first 8 hours Reveal if a body has been moved

17. Rigor Mortis “The Rigidity of Death” At death, skeletal muscles _____________________________ Without oxygen, ______________ accumulates in these muscles – – This starts in the head and works its way down to legs –

19. Rigor Mortis 12 hours after death, If a body has no visible signs of rigor, If the body exhibits rigor only in head and neck  Stiffness disappears (for the most part) after 36 hours

20. Rigor Mortis Many factors affect when rigor mortis sets in and how long it lasts:

21. Algor Mortis The Chill of Death Literally means Corpse no longer generates – To find the standard temperature of a corpse, a thermometer is inserted into liver Why the liver? - Standard location so investigators can compare results

22. Algor Mortis Body heat is lost at Time of death determined by temperature calculations is expressed as Rule of thumb –