Question

megan and robby are walking home from school one day and notice a pair of shoes sticking out from under some bushes. they go to investigate and find a body. the body is laying on its back with its arms and legs in a contracted position lifted from the ground. the body shows a deep purple bruising on the face and chest. can megan and robby determine an approximate time of death? justify your answer.
susan is on a field trip to the body farm. she is excited to learn more about how bodies decompose under different environmental conditions. she starts her tour and notices two bodies that are similar in height, weight, build, and clothing. one has been placed under about 6 inches of native soil while the other has been submerged in a cattle trough. it is a balmy 105° with no cloud cover. the bodies have been in their position for 3 days. describe what the bodies should look like.

Explanation:

For the first part, the deep - purple bruising (livor mortis) can give some indication of time of death, but without more information like body temperature, rigor mortis stage, and insect activity, an exact time cannot be determined. Rigor mortis usually sets in 1 - 3 hours after death and is complete in 12 hours, then starts to dissipate. Livor mortis becomes fixed after about 8 - 12 hours. For the second part, the body under the soil may have some soil particles adhering to it and slower decomposition due to less oxygen and insect access. The submerged body in the cattle trough may show signs of water - logging, and decomposition may be affected by water temperature and oxygen levels in the water.

Answer:

1. Megan and Robby cannot accurately determine the time of death. While the deep - purple bruising (livor mortis) is an indicator of post - mortem changes, more information such as body temperature, rigor mortis status, and insect activity is needed for a more accurate estimate.
2. The body under about 6 inches of native soil may have soil particles on its surface. Decomposition may be slower due to limited oxygen and insect access compared to an exposed body. The body submerged in the cattle trough may appear water - logged. The warm, sunny conditions (105°F with no cloud cover) will accelerate decomposition in both cases, but the water environment may affect the rate and nature of decomposition differently than the soil environment.