6.20—Determining time of death

Forensic time-of-death estimates combine decomposition, insect succession, body cooling and muscle stiffening. Each clue changes over time but is also affected by temperature, oxygen, clothing, humidity and location.

No single measurement gives an exact time. Independent clues can narrow an interval, while a mismatch may reveal that the environment differs from the assumed model.

A cooling body suggests time since death from the temperature difference, while blowfly larvae indicate an insect life stage; together they can constrain the estimate more than either clue alone.

Rates such as body cooling are not universal constants. State the environmental assumptions and distinguish an estimate from a precise timestamp.