MurriFlower
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Dr. Spitz put the time of death at around 12:30 AM.
While searching for information about rigor mortis and time of death, I came across this:
Rigor Mortis
Rigor mortis occurs because metabolism continues in muscles for a short while after death. As part of the metabolic activity, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is produced from the metabolism of a sugar compound called glycogen. ATP is a principal energy source for muscular activity. As long as ATP is present, muscles continue to maintain their tone. As the store of glycogen is exhausted, ATP can no longer be made and its concentration decreases.
One of the consequences of ATP depletion is the formation of abnormal links between two components of muscle tissue, actin and myosin. The leakage of calcium into the muscle cells also contributes to the formation of abnormal actin-myosin links. The abnormality produces the stiffening of the muscle, which persists until the links are decomposed.
This reminded me of something I read in regards to the action of stun guns:
How Stun Guns Work
When the electrical energy is 'dumped' into the muscles of the attacker, a number of effects are given. These are mixed, including the following:
· communication between the brain and muscles is momentarily 'scrambled.' Electrical signals from the brain are mixed with the 'noise' of the electrical charge. It's roughly the same effect some electrical signals have on some TV screens. The regular neurological impulses are compromised significantly.
· the stress on muscles converts their regular source of energy, blood sugar, into lactic acid. Without any source of energy, the muscles are instantly disabled.
· muscles are forced to do an enormous amount of work in a very short time. They are exhausted virtually instantaneously.
The net effect of this is essentially harmless. After the electricity leaves the body, muscle and neurological activity return to normal. This is why Tasers release intermittent blasts of electricity to keep the assailant incapacitated. After repeated shocks, the assailant may be exhausted but not permanently harmed.
If a stun gun of some kind was used it appears this may have affected the onset of rigor mortis and confused the time of death.
I've never been completely convinced that there was no stun gun used, even by people who say they have used them on themselves, to test if marks would be left.
My reasons are that: JBR was a small child and would have be more susceptible; you would not hold a stun gun on yourself for any length of time (at least not till you were disabled); stun guns are simple to build so there is no need to match the marks on JBR to any product on the market; home built stun guns could use excessive 'power'; cattle prodders are easily obtainable and one of these could have been used.