Are the marks, levidity? If so, from where? Is movement from the dryer to wine cellar consistant with degree of rigor, at various times during that morning? Not that this hasn't been discussed a million times over during the past number of years; but I thought I would re-visit the issue of levidity and rigor, with respect to possible causes of these weird marks. Not much else going on, so I indulged in my wind-bag version.
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This is a long winded one...sorry...
If we state the time at which JR/PR went to bed (est. 10:45pm); the time at which PR did not see JBR in her bed (at 5:45am on Dec. 26); when the 911 call was made at 5:52am (approx. 6am); and the time the body was "discovered" by JR, we get a loose timeline in which to insert the estimates for levidity and rigor:
I am reminding myself that the time interval from 10:45pm 12/25 to 6am on 12/26 - is approx. 7 hours. IMHO, JBR's body would not have been in full rigor, when the 911 call was made. Not even close. If we dare to presume, that JBR was not killed immediately upon the family arriving home from the Whites, JBR would have been dead for an even shorter interval of time when the 911 call was made, and the onset of advanced rigor would have occured even later that day. Estimate a time of death, and count forward approx. 13 hours for an estimated onset of advanced rigor (+4).
IMO, JBR's body could have been moved quite easily, from one place to another, during these morning hours before and after the 911 call was made, and subsequent search for JBR was initiated.
1. JBR eats pineapple (at Xo'clock, presumably after 10pm 12/25)
2. JBR is dead (happened bet. 12/25/1996 at 10pm and 12/26/1996 at 5:52p.m.
3.. The body is hidden (from other family members) until the perp(s) figured out what to do,
4. Onset of levidity (in minutes - ranging from 15 to 20 minutes, to 3 hours after death. Maximum levidity occurs within 6-12 hours)
5. Onset of rigor (est. to begin in about 3 to 4 hours after death); and
6. Discovery of the body (est. between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm on Dec. 26, by JR. JR said "I tried to untie her hands and arms. She was stiff).
7. Advanced/full rigor est. to occur in about 10 to 13 hours after death).
Excerpt from Coroner's report:
"There is dorsal 3+ to 4+ livor mortis which is nonblanching. Livor mortis is also present on the right side of the face. At the time of the initiation of the autopsy there is mild 1 to 2+ rigor mortis of the elbows and shoulders with more advanced 2 to 3+ rigor mortis of the joints of the lower extremities".
The 1 to 3 or 4 point scale, is used to describe the degree of livor and rigor. I wish the coroner had been more descriptive of rigor. If he is using a 4 point scale, I am left to presume that the body was not in a state of advanced/full rigor (4+). Are we left to interpret that at after 8:20pm, the body is not yet in an advanced state of rigor? Odd. Would any arm chair forensic pathologist, care to jump in here, and save me from myself? ;]
Given the "body temporarily hidden in the dryer" scenario:
Onset of levidity Immediately after death to 4 hours after death: Body Hidden In the Dryer
It would be possible, for the body to have been put in the dryer, to hide it, until "someone/they" figured out what to do. The dryer was reported to be quite large, more like a larger/heavy duty model, rather than a little home-use model. They would have had until 5:45am to decide what to do. The time during which the body was in the dryer drum, might account for the weird circular marks on the face and back (remember the suggestion that JBR's face and back had pressure contact with the holes in the dryer drum), due to the onset of levidity. Visualize the many little circular air holes, on the walls of the dryer drum. It may also account for the transfer of various clothes/robe/towel fibers to the body and clothes. The very act of picking up the child, and moving it to the dryer, would have probably have caused additional transfer of fibers. Onset of rigor may or may not have begun towards the end of this time interval; but likely not to the extent that the joints could not be removed from the dryer, and re-positioned somewhere else rather easily. The "13 Hour Advanced Rigor" clock starts ticking.
JBR may have had the ligature, tape etc., affixed to her body, and all the other evidence associated with her body ( the garrote, underwear) already wrapped up with her, in the dryer, at some point.
IMO, considering the coroner's report of the degree of rigor of the upper/lower extremities, a "person" could easily move the body from the dryer, to the wine cellar, sometime after 11:00am - to speed up the discovery of the body.
Onset of Rigor, 3 to 4 hours after death - up to 10/13 hours after death:
Body moved from the dryer to a location in the cellar.
So a plan is in place, and the body could be either left in the dryer for eventual "discovery" or, moved to the cellar just prior to JR/FW's search in the home, that was conducted sometime after 11am. The accessories", such as the garrote, are positioned. Possibly, some slight to moderate signs of rigor were possibly present, however, the body could have been moved easily. Possibly, secondary levidity progressed.
The person or persons might have had perhaps 6 or so more hours, during which they could easily re-position the body, to some degree (if one agrees that full rigor onset occurs within about 10 to 13 hours after death). Some pathologists state that onset of rigor in the proximal joints of the elbows, knees, hips is last to occur. This somewhat contradicts the degree of rigor observed by the coroner, in the lower extremities vs. the arms, as reported by the coroner.
The body may have been left in the wine cellar location until it was discovered sometime after 11:00 am on Dec. 26) - or - as some have speculated, it was moved from one location (e.g. the dryer) to the wine cellar just prior to the ll:00 am "search around the house". This would be consistant with the speculation that JR was said to have wandered off at some point; and transcripts in which JR indicates that he shut a window in the train room at about 10:00am. FW was said to "have already seen the window in the train room earlier", when JR showed FW the broken window. This suggests that prior to the 11:00 am house search, both of these men had separately, been down in the cellar area, and there was no body to be seen. If the body was "re-located to the wine cellar", after the 911 call was made, yet prior to the 11am house search, the general position of the body might not have changed much, and the "accessories" could simply have been gathered up, and quickly moved with the body.
Advanced Rigor: 10 to 13 hours after death - In the Wine Cellar?
The body could have been moved directly to this spot (from the temporary hiding place in the dryer), prior to the 911 call - or it may have been "re-located" to this spot (as some have speculated) after no one was able to "find" the body in the initial search. This latter speculation arose from the suggestion that FW indicated he had already checked the wine cellar and found - no body. Some time after 11am, JR checked the wine cellar again, and found the child's body. Not sure if this factoid about FW actually checking the wine cellar is based on an interview with FW, or if it is conjecture.
December 26, 8PM:
The coroner arrived at the house. At 8:20PM, the coroner observed the body.
Then there are the wild cards.
Onset of rigor is delayed in asphyxial deaths, notably by hanging or carbon monoxide poisoning, and also when death has been immediately preceded by severe hemorage. (Ref: Polsesn, et al., Essentials of Forensic Medicine, 4th Ed.). If this was the case, the individual(s) would have had even more time, in which to figure out what to do, and how/where to position JBR's body - as the time for full rigor may have been delayed. This fact may explain why JBR's upper extremities are not in +4 rigor after 8:20pm on the night Dec. 26. Hell, the body could have been moved a few times, until "they" figured out what to do.
**Again, the scenario in which the body is hidden in the dryer, is a reference to the theory posted by Darlene733510, on another thread.
When I see a question about JBR's marks on her body, I always find it easier to just quote myself than to re-explain my theory. Plus, I am just plain lazy these days, lol
. Here you go:
