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Investigating ways to improve the reliability of methods to assess the post-mortem interval (PMI).
Background: The post-mortem interval (PMI) is an important piece of information used by forensic and criminal investigators to help investigate crimes and other unattended deaths. Medico-legal authorities seek opinion from various forensic experts to determine the time since death, or the post-mortem interval (PMI).
Methods for detecting PMI: Methods developed in imaging, such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy have been investigated for the identification of metabolites emerging during decomposition in cadavers. This is a step towards quantitative determination of post-mortem intervals in autolysis and putrefaction stages. Imaging technology offers a non-invasive chemical analysis in situ that can be performed with specialist equipment, offering both qualitative and quantitative analysis. NMR and FFC MRI also provide valuable insights into local environmental influence in decomposition rate.
Practical application: Although many methods have been investigated and published, they have not become used in the mainstream, due to their lack of precision and reliability. This research will examine the effects of environmental factors in temperate climate on the post-mortem decomposition rate. It will assess the feasibility of NMR and FFC MRI in real situations, such as Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) and Crime Scene Investigation (CSI).
Aims of this research: The aim of the research is to investigate the decomposition rate quantitatively by looking at the structural changes that occur in musculoskeletal using non-invasive methods. Environmental factors play a major role in the decomposition process, which influence the decomposition dynamics and the rate. What role do the environmental factors play in mediating that decomposition process, and what are the potential parameters (temporal/ longitudinal) that can be obtained by using NMR and FFC MRI technique? This study will help the forensic community to be better informed on the availability of new method and equipment so that they can design effective procedures for the purpose of medico-legal death investigation.