Scoring and comparing decomposition of pig carcass in a sewer manhole and on the soil surface

Abstract

© 2018 Romanian Society of Legal Medicine. Knowing the decomposition process is the starting point in estimating the postmortem interval (PMI). In this study, the decomposition of pig carcasses in a sewer manhole (underground) and on the soil surface was compared. The carcasses were simultaneously placed into the manhole and on the soil surface, and over the following year, postmortem changes and the temperature, i.e. the accumulated degree-days (ADD) were observed. The condition of the carcasses was quantified during the study using the total body score (TBS). At the early stage, there was no difference in the rate of decomposition between the manhole (U) and the control, soil surface (C) carcasses, where both required 70.7 and 186.2 ADD to reach, respectively, TBS≥6 and TBS≥10. After the early stage (PMI 20 days), the U carcass decomposed more quickly compared to the C carcass and reached the stages of advanced decay and skeletonization earlier. Advanced decomposition (TBS≥19) was achieved after an average of 294.9 ADD for U carcass and 354.9 for C carcass. Skeletonization (TBS≥27) was achieved at 790.4 ADD for U carcass and 2440.2 ADD for C carcass.