ABSTRACT
Determining elapsed time since death is extremely important, whether or not the death is criminal. In all deaths, it is of great importance to the family to know when their loved one died. People almost invariably refer to the death of a loved one in terms of time, such as “It was a week ago … a month ago … a year ago.” If certain factors about a death are unknown, particularly the timing, it is very difficult for family and friends to grieve and, therefore, eventually heal. This is particularly true when time has elapsed between when the person was seen alive and when their decomposed remains are found. Understanding how, when, and why a person has died can help to give closure to family and friends and allow them to move on with their lives. Therefore, for purely humanitarian reasons, it is vital to be able to determine elapsed time since death in all cases.
