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Autopsy as a form of evisceration: Implications for decomposition rate, pattern, and estimation of postmortem interval
Abstract
Evisceration following penetrating trauma or animal scavenging has the potential to affect the probative value of biological evidence and postmortem interval estimation. Autopsy presents an opportunity for controlled assessment of the rate of decomposition following evisceration. A balanced sample of twenty-six human cadavers was used to assess intergroup rate and trajectory of decomposition at the Forensic Investigation Research Station in Whitewater, Colorado. A linear mixed model using maximum likelihood estimates showed that the decomposition rate did not differ between autopsied and non-autopsied donors based on a comparison of slopes χ 2 (1) =0.223, p=0.637. The results demonstrate that penetrating trauma and the loss of systemic continuity following evisceration affect the pattern of decomposition, but not the rate. This suggests that the bloat phase may not be a major catalyst of decomposition, and that evisceration may not preclude the use of scopic methods for estimating postmortem interval, when sufficient peripheral tissue is retained.
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Frozen or autopsied carcass decomposition differs from fresh carcasses.
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From Forensic experiments on animal scavenging: A systematic literature review on what we have and what we need (2023) · cites this paper as [161]
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Research works printed but not linked: 24
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Indra, L., Lösch, S., Errickson, D., & Finaughty, D. (2023) · Forensic Science International · doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111862 · Cited by 18
Metadata
- Authors
- Baigent, C., Agan, C., Connor, M., & Hansen, E. S.
- Affiliations
- Colorado Mesa University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Baigent, Christiane
- ORCID
- Connor, Melissa
- Venue
- Forensic Science International
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-01
- Volume
- 306
- Pages
- 110068
- ISSN
- 0379-0738 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2990380691
- Cited by
- 6
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 0.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Forensic Science International (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology (arts and humanities) › Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Autopsy Techniques and Outcomes
- Keywords
- evisceration, autopsy, decomposition rate, decomposition patterns, postmortem interval estimation, human cadavers, penetrating trauma, biological evidence
- MeSH terms
- Forensic Entomology, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Animals, Autopsy, Cadaver, Colorado, Feeding Behavior, Female, Humans, Larva, Male, Middle Aged, Postmortem Changes, Linear Models, Forensic Pathology
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