A Scrupulous Autopsy can Unravel the Mystery of Time since Death

Estimation of time since death especially in a putrefied body is one of the common problems faced by the forensic experts. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most difficult issues to resolve throughout the world. Lack of proper and systemic examination of each and every part of the body can lead to the wrong estimation of time since death. Generally, it is believed that decomposition to skeleton remains may occur in less than six weeks in moderate summer and in less than two months in winter conditions in a tropical country like India. But on certain occasions, moderate to severe scavenging activity by insects or animals may hasten the process of skeletonization to even less than 24 to 48 hours period. Here, we are going to discuss a postmortem case of a mutilated skeletonized body in multiple pieces which was being referred to us from a nearby city and later on which was proved to be a tricky one mainly for ascertaining the time since death. Hopefully, this case will enlighten you that how a detailed/ scrupulous autopsy could solve the uncertainty principle of estimating post mortem interval.