A corpse was discovered in an apartment last November. It was that of a 50-year-old male who died of a heart attack. At the time of discovery, the body temperature was determined to be 89°F. What is the most probable post mortem interval?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The average human body temperature is approximately 98.6°F. After death, the body cools at an average rate of about 1.5°F per hour under normal room conditions. Given that the body was found at 89°F, this suggests a cooling of 9.6°F. Dividing 9.6°F by the average cooling rate of 1.5°F per hour gives approximately 6.4 hours, which rounds to about 7 hours, making option C the most probable post mortem interval.

A Corpse Was Discovered in an Apartment Last November