When the corpse talks.pdf
- 1. When the corpse talks --------Dr. Prakash Verekar Forensic Journalists Ponda Goa Once again, movement has started in the case of deceased Sushant Singh Rajput. There has always been doubts as to whether his death was a suicide or a murder. Now it seems that the case will be reopened and reinvestigated. When a murder takes place and the forensic team comes to investigate it, they get a lot of information from the dead person as if, the corpse speaks to them. A key factor useful in homicide investigations is timing. Knowing the exact time of the death makes it easier to catch the murderer. This article gives a rough idea of how to determine the exact time of death by
- 2. examining the dead body. To understand this information, we will first look at when and what changes occur in the dead body after death. After death, the body undergoes unpredictable and complex changes. These postmortem changes depend on a variety of conditions. Ambient temperature, season and geographical location where the corpse is found as well as the amount of body fat, purulent wounds, intoxication, presence of clothing, bed sheet covering the body etc. Changes in that corpse depend on such factors. Understanding postmortem changes is essential to predict when death has occurred. This article is written with the aim of explaining the various changes that occur in a human body after death, its onset time, its rate and the factors affecting it. Changes in the body after death are the result of physico-chemical and environmental processes. They are affected by factors inside and outside the corpse. These factors affect the commencement of changes and either increase or stop postmortem changes. Factors that accelerate necropsy include hot and humid weather, presence of body fat, open wounds on the body, infestation or infection, and location of the carcass. Post-mortem changes are delayed due to inadequately dressed body, cold weather and storage of dead bodies in cold storage units. According to the order in which these changes occur, postmortem changes are classified into 3 types as immediate changes, early changes and later changes. Immediate post-death changes relate to the death of the body and the death or termination of its systems. Physical death is associated with the irreversible cessation of vital functions of the brain, heart, and lungs. Thus, postmortem changes are referred to as "signs of death" or symptoms of death. Immediate changes include insensibility, loss of voluntary movement, respiratory arrest, circulatory arrest, and cessation of nervous system function. At this time, primary muscle relaxation
- 3. occurs. Although insensibility and loss of voluntary movement is considered to be one of the early signs of death, these symptoms can also be seen in cases of drowsiness, unconsciousness, fainting and electrocution states etc. Forensic experts conduct further investigations to confirm death. Respiration can be checked by placing a stethoscope over the upper part of the lung where even the slightest breath sounds, if any, can be detected. Here one is reminded that drowning, electric shock, in neonates and Cheyne-Stokes respiration can cause respiratory arrest for some time. It is not death. These people can be revived and made to live. Circulation is checked by placing a stethoscope on the chest and listening to the heart beat. Another alternative to using a stethoscope is the use of an electrocardiograph (ECG). A flat ECG is indicative of circulatory arrest. Nervous system dysfunction is detected using an electroencephalograph (EEG) examination method. Brain stem reflexes should also be examined. A null finding of breath sounds and movement, heart rate, brain stem reflexes, ECG and EEG proves death and these symptoms are recorded as signs occurring immediately after death. Early postmortem changes are associated with the death of body cells. These include changes in the skin, eyes, postmortem loss of body temperature (Algor mortis), postmortem muscle stiffness (Rigore mortis), and postmortem discoloration of different parts of the body (livor mortis). After death, the person's skin turns pale and within minutes of death the skin loses its elasticity, the lips become dry and hard. Numerous changes in the eye occur after death, including corneal opacity, loss of pupillary and corneal reflexes, and loss of intraocular tension. Due to this the eyes become dull. If the eyes are kept open after death, dust accumulates in the open area of the eye. This dust appears as a yellow triangular area on the exposed sclera. An important visual observation is the fragmentation
- 4. of blood vessels known as the 'Kevorkian sign'. The Kevorkian sign appears within minutes of death and lasts for about an hour. After death and cessation of circulation, conduction of body heat ceases. Since a dead body does not generate heat, the body begins to lose heat due to the temperature difference between the body and the surroundings. Heat loss due to radiation is initially significant but then decreases. Most of the decrease in body temperature is due to heat conduction. This drop in body temperature after death is known as 'algor mortis' and is used to accurately estimate the time since death. Many factors can affect the rate at which a body cools down after death. The most important factor in changing the rate of cooling is the ambient temperature. The greater the difference between the body temperature and the ambient temperature, the faster the cooling rate. Body heat decreases rapidly in windy or humid environments. If the body is covered with clothing or other coverings, the rate of heat loss is reduced. Changes also occur in the muscles of the body after death as mentioned above, the muscles undergo a primary relaxation. Within an hour there is primary relaxation (relaxation of the muscles) along with pallor of the skin. After two to six hours, the muscles begin to stiffen. In seven to 12 hours the whole body hardening process is complete. After 12 hours, this stiffness subsides and the body begins to soften, and within one to three days, the entire body becomes soft and relaxed. Around that time, the body begins to decompose. Stiffness is first seen in the involuntary muscles of the heart after death, i.e. the process of muscle stiffness begins with the involuntary muscles of the heart. Later it appears in the eyelids, followed by the neck, lower jaw, chest, upper arms, abdomen, lower legs, and finally the fingers and toes. Rigor mortis appears 1 to 2 hours after death, spreading to the whole body 12 hours after death. Lasts for next 12 hours and fades in next 12 hours.
- 5. In children and the elderly, physical rigors appear rapidly in death from major epidemics such as cholera or from poisoning. In such a situation, hardness also disappears quickly. Individual muscles are affected differently by the hardening process. Due to the stiffness of the erector piles muscles, the hair stands up, pimples appear on the skin. This phenomenon is called 'cutis anserina'. There are many other types of minor changes. A group of muscles that are heavily used just before death becomes stiff and rigid immediately after death. This 'immediate stiffness' mainly involves the hands. Rigidity of the whole body may occur in cases of violence, suicide, drowning etc. before death. In such cases, the victim's hand is stiff and clinging to clothes, buttons or hair etc. Circulation is a continuous process driven by the pumping action of the heart. However, once a person dies, circulation stops and blood begins to flow to the lower parts of the body due to gravity. This effect causes red-blue staining of the lower body, called livor mortis, postmortem staining, or postmortem lividity. These sizes increase and spread to all lower parts in 4 to 6 hours and the effect is complete in 6 to 8 hours. Any change in body position causes the blood to settle in the lower part of the new body position. This is called 'migration of postmortem lividity'. However, this migration may not occur after 6 to 8 hours after death. The appearance of postmortem staining depends on several factors, including blood volume and coagulability at the time of death, as well as death by asphyxiation. In cases of poisoning, postmortem stains may be of a different color. Carbon monoxide poisoning shows cherry red spots, cyanide poisoning shows pink spots, and nitrate poisoning shows brown spots. Thus, autopsy scars can provide useful information about the
- 6. condition of the body or the cause of death, in addition to the time since death. After death, if the dead body remains lying there, it starts to rot. There are many ways in this decomposition process, according to which the time of death can be correctly diagnosed. This part of investigation is complex and can be investigated only by forensic specialists in this field. Immediate postmortem changes are of clinical importance in diagnosing death. The symptoms like Loss of voluntary movement and loss of sensation are also seen in cases of narcosis, catalepsy, fits of unconsciousness, drowning and electrocution, in addition to death. Similar symptoms can also be seen in Drowning, electrocution, respiratory arrest in neonates and Cheyne-Stokes respiration can occur. Due to this, the doctor takes a decision only after examining thoroughly before declaring the patient dead. In murder and suicide cases, the apprehension and punishment of the suspect responsible for the death depends on when the death actually occurred. If the time of death is known, it is possible to find out where the suspect was at that time. Forensic experts are skilled in this type of investigation and its conclusions. Forensic science has advanced a lot in the last hundred years. Now a university of forensic science has been established in India. This National Forensic Science University has a branch at Ponda in Goa. We are students of this university and we are writing this many articles so that maximum number of people know about this science. Similarly, the purpose is to deter people of bad disposition from committing crimes. No matter how much planning someone does before committing a crime, he will be caught and given appropriate punishment. No criminal will get away with committing a crime. The forensic scientist are now equipped to find out all that is necessary to bring justice.