L eg al M ed & J ur isp ru de n ce

Changes in the Body Following Death

Dures Fe. E. Tagayuna, MD
February 2, 2021

OUTLINE - Cadaveric spasm or instantaneous rigor

CHANGES IN THE BODY FOLLOWING DEATH ........................................... 1

Changes in the Muscles........................................................................................................ 1 Heat stiffening. This occurs when the body made to reach a
Factors Influencing the Time of Onset of Rigor Mortis .................................................... 1 temperature of over 75C. There is coagulation of the muscle proteins
Conditions Simulating Rigor Mortis.................................................................................... 1
Difference Between Rigor Mortis and Cadaveric Spasm ................................................ 1 causing the muscles to become rigid and the body resumes a pugilistic
Changes in the Blood ............................................................................................................ 1 attitude with the upper and lower extremities flexed and the hands
AUTOLYTIC OR AUTODIGESTIVE CHANGES AFTER DEATH .................... 2 clenched because the flexor muscles are stronger than the extensor
Putrefaction of the Body....................................................................................................... 2 muscles. Cold stiffening is manifested when the dead body is frozen.
Influence of Bacteria in Decomposition ............................................................................. 2
Other Destructive Agents During Decomposition ............................................................ 2 This is due to the solidification of fat when exposed to freezing
Special Modification of Putrefaction .................................................................................. 2 temperatures. Cadaveric spams or instantaneous rigor is the
PRESUMPTION OF DEATH .......................................................................... 2
instantaneous rigidity of the muscles which occur at the moment of death
and this is due to extreme nervous tension, exhaustion, and injury to the
PRESUMPTION OF SURVIVORSHIP ............................................................ 3 nervous system, or injury to the chest. The last voluntary contraction of
muscle during life does not stop after death but it is continuous with the
act of cadaveric rigidity. An example is that a weapon held in the hand
CHANGES IN THE BODY FOLLOWING DEATH may be difficult to remove after death. Only a certain group of muscles
1) Changes in the muscle is involved and this is not usually symmetrical.
2) Changes in the blood
3) Autolytic or autodigestive changes after death
Difference Between Rigor Mortis and Cadaveric Spasm
4) Putrefaction of the body
RIGOR MORTIS CADAVERIC SPASM
Time of 3-6 hours after death Immediately after
Changes in the Muscles
Appearance death
Post-mortem muscle changes: Muscles All muscles of the body Group of muscles and
1) Stage of primary flaccidity involved asymmetrical
2) Stage of post-mortem rigidity Occurrence Natural phenomena May or may not
3) Stage of secondary flaccidity appear
Medico-legal Utilized to approximate time Utilized to determine
significance of death nature of death
After death, there is complete relaxation of the body with the entire
muscular system being contractile for the next 3-6 hours after which, MUSCULAR CONTRACTION RIGOR MORTIS
rigidity sets in. Secondary relaxation of the muscles appear on when Contracted muscle is Muscle is opaque
decomposition has set in. The three stages in which the muscle tissues transparent or translucent
pass after death are: (1) the stage of primary flaccidity or the post- Very elastic – restores original Elasticity lost and maintains
mortem muscular irritability, (2) the stage of post-mortem rigidity or the form distorted position
cadaveric rigidity sometimes referred to as the death struggle of the Neutral or slightly alkaline Distinctly and constantly acidic
muscles or rigor mortis, and (3) the stage of secondary flaccidity or Still possess inherent power of Absolute flaccidity and no power
commencement of putrefaction and this is the decay of the muscles. contraction even when to resume old position if
overcome by mechanical force overcome by mechanical force

Factors Influencing the Time of Onset of Rigor Mortis

Changes in the Blood
- Internal factors:
ANTE-MOORTEM POST-MORTEM
o State of muscles CLOT CLOT
o Age Consistency Firm Soft
o Integrity of nerves Blood vessel surface raw Smooth
- External factors once clot is removed
o Temperature Clots homogenous Stripped off in layers
o Moisture color uniform Distinct layers

Post-mortem lividity or Livor Mortis

Rigor mortis appears late and lasts longer incases where the muscles
are healthy and at rest during death. There is early onset of rigor mortis - also known as Cadaveric Lividity or Postmortem Suggillation or
at the extremes of age such that of the elderly and the newborn. The Postmortem Hypostasis
integrity of the nerves; Transection of the nerves delays rigor mortis as - blood accumulates in the most dependent portions of the body
shown in paralyzed muscles. For external factors, rigor mortis is - capillaries become distended with blood and may coalesce until the
accelerated at high temperature but not over 75C. Rigor sets early but whole dependent area becomes dull red or purplish in color
in a shorter duration in the presence of moisture. - areas of the bone prominence may not show lividity on account of the
pressure of the soft tissues
- occurs in the more extensive areas and most dependent portions of
Conditions Simulating Rigor Mortis the body involving only the superficial layer of the skin
- Heat stiffening - does not appear elevated from the rest of the skin
- Cold stiffening

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 Legal Med & Jurisprudence | Changes in the Body Following Death
- color is uniform but may become greenish at onset of putrefaction if
there is not injury to the skin
Kinds of post-mortem lividity
- Hypostatic Lividity
o blood merely gravitates to the most dependent portions of the
body when is still inside the blood vessel and still fluid in form
o change in body position leads to formation of lividity in another
place and this occurs during the early stage after death
- Diffusion Lividity
o appears in the later stage
o blood is coagulated inside blood vessels or has been fused into
body tissues
o change in body position does not change location of lividity
AUTOLYTIC OR AUTODIGESTIVE CHANGES AFTER DEATH
- after death, glycolytic, proteolytic, and lipolytic ferments of glandular
tissue continues leading to autodigestion of organs
- autolysis or self-distraction is an intrinsic process that occurs due to
leakage of hydrolytic cellular enzymes from cells after death
- cell membranes breakdown and release enzymes that start self-
digestion
- changes that occur in this process are mainly microscopic rather than
a macroscopic level
- facilitated by weak acid and higher temperature
- delayed by alkaline reaction of tissue of the body and below
temperature
Putrefaction of the Body
- Putrefaction: the breaking of down of the complex proteins into
simpler components associated with the evolution of foul-smelling
gasses and accompanied by the change of color of the body
- predominant cause of tissue degradation and involves the action of
bacteria on the tissues of the body
- 4-10 days after death
- Process of putrefaction is prevalent in moist climates is associated
with the
o Changes in the color of the tissue (green discoloration of the
body)
o Evolution of the gasses in the tissues (gas production with
associated bloating)
o Liquefaction of the soft tissues (skin slippage and foul odor)
- most of the appearance of a dead body over time is due to
putrefaction such as bloating, green discoloration of the abdomen,
marbling around blood vessels (brown-black discoloration) caused
by hydrogen sulfide gas, blisters and skin slippage, loss of hair and
nails
Factors modifying rate of putrefaction
- Internal factors
o Age
▪ Healthy adults putrefy later than infants
o Condition of the body
▪ Fully grown and obese patients decompose more rapidly
o Cause of death
▪ Due to infection decompose rapidly
- External factors
o Free Air
▪ Hastens decomposition
o Earth
▪ Moist soil accelerates decomposition
o Water
▪ Decomposition is more rapid in running water
o Clothing
▪ Initially accelerates decomposition and later delays it by
protecting bodies from flies and other insects
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Influence of Bacteria in Decomposition
- Clostridium welchii (most important microorganism)
o Responsible for the disintegration of cytoplasm, destruction of
nuclei and generation of gases in the cells
- OTHER BACTERIA PARTICIPATING IN DECOMPOSITION:
o Bacillus coli
o Bacillus proteus vulgaris
o Bacillus mesentericus
o Bacillus aerogenes
allows investigators to roughly estimate the time of death based on this
timeline but again you should note that the broad ranges of time. This is
not an exact science which will make prosecutors very unhappy.
Other Destructive Agents During Decomposition
- Flies: maggots and adult flies
- Reptiles: lizards and snakes
- Rodents: rats and mice
- Other mammals: dogs and jackals
- Fishes and crabs: sharks and crustaceans
- Molds: molds does not destroy the dead bodies but their growth
cause disfigurement and minor superficial lesions on the skin
Special Modification of Putrefaction
- Mummification
o Natural
o Artificial
- Saponification or Adipocere formation
- Maceration
Special modification of putrefaction involves mummification, this is the
dehydration of the whole body which results in shivering and
preservation of the body when buried in a hot arid place with dry
atmosphere. It is observed in warm countries where evaporation of body
fluids occurs earlier and faster than decomposition. There are two kinds:
when mummification is due to the forces of nature or artificial when it
is due to the acceleration of evaporation of body fluids before onset of
decomposition and the addition of body preservatives to inhibit
decomposition allowing evaporation of fluids. Examples are arsenic and
formalin.
Saponification occurs when fatty tissues are transformed to soft
brownish white substance we call it adipocere, a waxy material which is
rancid or moldy in color. It floats in water and dissolves in ether and
alcohol. This is accelerated by moist soil.
Maceration on the other hand is the softening of the tissues when in a
fluid medium in the absence of putrefactive microorganisms. It is
frequently observed in fetal death in utero.
PRESUMPTION OF DEATH
- Disputable presumption
- Presumption of death
- Situations where persons may be presumed dead:
o Lost in sea or air travel
o Person taking part in war
o Person in danger of death
Disputable presumption of death is invoked when a person has not
been heard from for seven years and is presumed dead this is Rule
131 Section 5 of the rules of court.
 Legal Med & Jurisprudence | Changes in the Body Following Death

After an absence of seven years and it being unknown whether or not

the absentee still lives, he shall be presumed dead for all purposes
except for those of succession which needs the absence of 10
years.

There are situations where persons may be presumed dead such as

when a person on board a vessel is lost during sea voyage or an
airplane which is missing and has not been heard of for four years
since the loss of the vessel or airplane. Person in the armed forces
taking part in a war and has been missing for four years and a person
who has been in danger of death under other circumstances and his
existence has not been known also for four years.

PRESUMPTION OF SURVIVORSHIP
- Survivorship: depends on STRENGTH and AGE of the sexes.
(presumed to survive)
o Both under 15: (older)
o Both above 60 (younger)
o One under 15 and the other above 60: (former)
o Both above 15 and under 60:
▪ Sexes different (male) or sexes same (older)
o One under 15 or above 60 and other is between those ages
(latter)

Survivorship between two persons is presumed from the possibilities

resulting from strength and age of the sexes. If both of the persons are
under 15 years old the older of the two is presumed to have survived. If
both persons are above 60 this the younger person is presumed to have
survived.

If one is under 15 and the other person is above 60 the former or the
person under 15 is presumed to have survived. If both of the persons
are above 15 and under 60 and the sexes is different the male is
presumed to have survived. If the sexes are the same the older one is
presumed to survive. If one be under 15 or above 60 and the other
person is between these two ages the latter is presumed to have
survived.

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