IMO there is no circumstance where they would not be to record and estimated TOD after finding the bodies within the next 24-48 hours. It is one of the most important parts of the pathology report in a homicide case. There are numerous changes the body makes postmortem and these changes can be measured/observed and recorded to determine that estimation. Fire could potentially influence TOD estimation, but if there was a fire arson investigators would also be involved.
I have read a new coroner was the one who conducted the initial autopsies, and that the transportation of the bodies to the forensic pathologist was delayed and/or there wasn’t proper storage of the bodies due to lack of proper equipment? I have been wondering this entire time what is true and what is not true. If a coroner first did an autopsy before the forensic pathologist, that would be very odd in a double homicide of this magnitude. If, theoretically, the storage and/or transfer of the bodies wasn’t properly conducted in a timely manner, this could also influence the TOD estimation by the pathologist. For example, the Iceman, got his nickname by LE because he put some of his victims in a freezer and waited months to dump them, which confused pathologists because they had been preserved-this is why following proper protocol is so important.
Can anyone explain these discrepancies to me? I have seen names of a forensic pathologist and a local coroner online, but I wasn’t around in the beginning so I am still confused about what order all of this happened? Did a local coroner (who signed off on the state death certificates) conduct an autopsy before the forensic pathologist? How far were they transported to the pathologist/where was the pathologist located? TIA!
MOO
For anyone who’s interested in reading what all is analyzed to determine TOD:
Methods of Estimation of Time Since Death (2023)