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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?

A. 2 hours
B. 4 hours
C. 6 hours
D. 14 hours

Answer :

Final answer:

To estimate the post mortem interval of a 50-year-old male found with a body temperature of 89°F, we use the average cooling rate of a human body after death. The estimated time since death, by calculating the temperature difference from the normal 98.6°F, is approximately 6.4 hours, making option c. 6 hours the closest answer.

Explanation:

When trying to determine the most probable post mortem interval (PMI), forensic scientists use several methods, including assessing body temperature. The average rate at which a human body cools after death is approximately 1.5°F per hour under normal indoor circumstances.

Knowing that the normal core body temperature is around 98.6°F, we can estimate the time of death by calculating the temperature difference. In the presented case, with a body temperature of 89°F, and assuming a steady cooling rate, the difference is 9.6°F. Dividing this by the average cooling rate gives us an approximate time since death.

Using the average cooling rate of 1.5°F per hour, the 9.6°F drop in body temperature would suggest a PMI of roughly 6.4 hours. Since the options do not include decimals, the closest option to 6.4 hours is c. 6 hours.

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