Detrimental Effects of Scene Manipulations on Temperature-based Time Since Death Estimation

Overview

Journal Int J Legal Med

Specialty Forensic Sciences

Date 2024 May 21

PMID 38772947

Authors

Patrick Sauer

Constantin Lux

Hannes Gruber

Marcel A Verhoff

Frank Ramsthaler

Natascha Kern

Mattias Kettner

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In forensic casework, time since death (TSD) estimations may play a crucial role to establish chains of events as well as for alibi assessment in homicide cases. Classical TSD estimation relies on reasonably stable ambient temperatures and a correct documentation of ambient and rectal temperatures. This constancy is in some cases disturbed by post-discovery alterations of the crime scene, e.g. opening a window. In order to develop a better understanding of this alteration-based detrimental impact on TSD estimation as well as to identify feasible recommendations for casework, the present pilot study examined ambient temperature effects of different window opening scenarios regarding various time intervals (5 to 360 min) in a furnished 10 m apartment during winter. In this context, in addition to the ambient temperature and thus the cooling rate of the room, re-approximation to initial room temperature, potential influences on a nomogram-based time since death estimation using a fictitious case, and the impact of the measurement height above the ground were investigated. Our data indicate a significant reduction of the mean temperature decrease rate after 15 min regardless of the remaining opening time and a correlation with the size of the respective opening surfaces. Re-approximation to initial room temperatures was observed with up to three times longer than the initial opening time. There was no evidence of a substantial advantage of temperature measurements above the level of the corpse (> 0.1 m). The limitations of the study and its applicability for forensic casework are critically reviewed.

Citing Articles

An assessment of the Henssge method for forensic death time estimation in the early post-mortem interval.

Heinrich F, Rimkus-Ebeling F, Dietz E, Raupach T, Ondruschka B, Anders-Lohner S Int J Legal Med. 2024; 139(1):105-117.

PMID: 39316179 PMC: 11732859. DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03338-5.

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