Postmortem Interval: Submerged Bodies

Simmons, Tal; Heaton, Vivienne

Abstract

There are an estimated 388 000 victims of accidental drowning worldwide every year, and the number of bodies recovered from water environments is augmented by bodies that are in water because of suicide and homicide. Numerous challenges are created when attempting to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI) and identify a victim whose body was recovered from water. For the investigator on a case involving a body found in water, it is important to be aware of the environmental factors that may influence the rate of decomposition, and hence the appearance of the corpse. Although the prime mover of decomposition in water, as on land, is temperature, a number of variables unique to the aquatic system may influence the appearance of the remains, namely obstructions underwater that may snag and cause injury to the body and marine scavengers. Submerged bodies undergo a decomposition progression similar to that of bodies found on land, but with specific features such as washerwoman hands/feet and degloving and they also undergo a characteristic disarticulation sequence. Submerged bodies are also more likely to form adipocere, which may inhibit decomposition from progressing further and impede the investigator's ability to estimate of time since death. Equations, based on a decomposition scale, predict the accumulated temperatures to which a body has been exposed in water and allow the calculation of a PMI range.

Citation

Simmons, T., & Heaton, V. Postmortem Interval: Submerged Bodies. In Wiley Encyclopedia of Forensic Science (1-10). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470061589.fsa1080

• Online Publication Date: Dec 4, 2013
• Deposit Date: Jun 16, 2023
• Publisher: Wiley
• Pages: 1-10
• Book Title: Wiley Encyclopedia of Forensic Science
• ISBN: 9780470018262
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470061589.fsa1080