Question and Answer
Samples and Techniques
Experts agree on a single definition for
death.
There are 4 ways a person can die, and
these are referred to as the manner of
death.
What are the 4 manners of death?
A man with a heart condition is attacked and
dies from a heart attack during the assault.
What is the manner of death?
homicide
accident
natural
suicide
An elderly woman dies after being kept from
receiving proper health care by her son. What is the
manner of death?
natural
accident
homicide
suicide
The reason someone dies if referred
to as the ________________.
manner of death
mechanism of death
cause of death
time of death
Which of the following is NOT a
cause of death?
suffocation
shooting
loss of blood
strangulation
heart attack
What is the mechanism of death?
The means by which someone dies.
The specific change in the body that brought about death.
The immediate reason for a person’s death.
The stiffness that occurs after death.
What are the 6 factors used to estimate a
person’s time of death?
Livor mortis refers to:
death coolness
death heat
death stiffness
death color
What is lividity?
Lividity begins ___ hours after death,
and If the skin is pressed, lividity will
remain after _________ hours.
2 hours; 8 hours
4 hours; 12 hours
2 hours; 12 hours hours
4 hours; 8 hours
2 hours; 6 hours
Lividity can reveal the position of a corpse
during the first 8 hours after death.
What does dual lividity suggest?
Rigor mortis is permanent.
Which statement is true about rigor
mortis?
It may remain in the body for up to 36 hours.
It starts in the feet and works its way up to the head.
Peak rigor is at 10 hours.
It starts in the head and works its way down to the legs.
When leaving the body, it starts in the feet and works its way up to the
head.
If a person experiences hypothermia, the
onset of rigor will be slower.
Algor mortis means:
death chill and describes the temperature loss in the corpse.
death heat and describes the temperature loss in the corpse.
death heat and describes the temperature gain in the corpse.
death color
death stiffness
To take a corpse’s temperature,
forensic investigators insert a
thermometer into the ______.
liver
mouth
rectum
stomach
underarm
A rule of thumb is to expect a
corpse to lose ____ degrees F/hour.
3
2
.5
1
2.5
Why do medical examiners study the
corpse’s stomach and intestinal contents?
If the stomach is empty but food is
found in the small intestine, then death
occurred _______________ after a meal.
at least 4-6 hours
12 or more hours
0-2 hours
at least 2-4 hours
at least 6-8 hours
Cell autolysis begins 4 hours after death.
During decomposition, the skin takes on
a marbled appearance within:
0-2 days after death
2-4 days after death
5-6 days after death
6-8 days after death
8-10 days after death
During decomposition, when do fluids
begin to leak from the body and organs
begin to liquify?
0-2 days
3-4 days
4-6 days
6-10 days
More than 10 days
Lower temperatures tend to prevent
bacterial growth and slow down
decomposition.
The study of insects as they pertain to
legal matters is called ________________.
What insects are the first to arrive to lay
eggs on the warm body?
What are the 7 stages in the blowfly life
cycle?
Insect evidence can provide an exact time
of death.