Approximate times for algor and rigor mortis in temperate regions Body temperature Body stiffness Time since death warm not stiff dead not more than three hours warm stiff dead 3 to 8 hours cold stiff dead 8 to 36 hours cold not stiff dead more than 36 hours SOURCE: Stærkeby, M. "What Happens after Death?" In the University of Oslo Forensic Entomology [web site]. Available from http://folk.uio.no/mostarke/forens_ent/afterdeath.shtml.
Livor Mortis.... Livor mortis is the way blood settles after death to the dependant parts of the body. Blood settles to the lowest points of the body once the heart has stopped pumping. The areas where blood has settled will become dark and take on a dark bluish or purple color. Visibility will depend on the level of pigmentation in the deceased skin.
Because the heart stops beating at death, livor begins very soon afterward. This darkening maximizes at 8-12 hours after death and does not disappear.
The body cools uniformly after death. Once metabolism has ceased, the body immediately begins to cool down. Body temperature after death can be raised or maintained due to activity, illness, decompositon, infection and absorption of heat from the surroundings. In determining the rate of cooling, consideration must be given to the clothing, victim size, activity and physical factors. The one equation used to determine the cooling rate is known as the GLAISTER EQUATION: 98.4% minus measured rectal temperature
When we begin eating, it is approximately 10 minutes before food begins to leave the stomach. A light meal will have left the stomach in 1-2 hours, a medium meal 3-4 hours, and a very heavy meal, 4-6 hours. One variable to be considered is the emotional state of the individual at the time of death since the stomach rate varies with emotional stress.
Pallor mortis is a postmortem paleness which happens almost instantaneously (in the 15–120 minutes after the death) because of a lack of capillary circulation throughout the body. Paleness develops so rapidly after death that it has little to no use in determining the time of death. Please [ expand] this article.
So now we have Algor(e) involved in this case! ;)