Rigor mortis in body in heated pool for 12 hours

When I was writing a murder mystery, I called my local funeral home director who had gone through mortuary science school. (I now know how to easily open a casket.) Try that? In 1990, I took a course called Death and Dying, but we didn't get specific with lividity and bloating. I have a friend on FB (who is also a member here) who volunteers in morgues and who is a med student -- will ask him.

Here's your answer (from ISneezeFunny) --

12 hours in a heated pool.

Rigor would be fully set around 12 hours, but at the same time, the "heating" would probably change it a bit.

Lividity would be set at in whichever way the body would be positioned. The blood would pool at the bottom. At 12 hours, the body would have full lividity.

One important factor is to check the eyes. If the person had drowned, then their eyes would almost have this life-like glistening, whereas if the person had been killed outside the water and then left in the pool, then the eyes would look..."dead."

Another important factor to check is the position of the body. If the person was killed and thrown in the water, the person is either straight face down or straight face up. Drowning victims, as strange as it is, are usually found in a fetal position.

At around 12 hours in the water, you'd see heavy pruning on the skin, the skin would be very whitish, prunish, but not too much bloating involved. At around 12 hours of heated water, the skin would start shedding away.

Decomposition is usually slowed in water, but the heating also increases the speed of decomp, but not enough to make up for the water-delay.

Overall, a person left in a heated pool for 12 hours would simply look very pruny, shedding skin, but not much bloating (if any), full rigor, and full lividity.

Your question failed to note cause or place of death. If death occurred in the water or out. For instance, rigor mortis is accelerated by drowning as well as to degree of physical exertion antemortem. The water temperature is a factor. Warmer water also accelerates rigor mortis and the body will not cool below the water temperature. Another factor is the size and weight of the individual. More particularly body mass in relation to fat. The time period you quote negates some of these considerations because rigor would probably be fully developed at 12 hrs even if not accelerated yet would not have time to dissipate.

Livor mortis (lividity) will be present but differs somewhat in a body that has been in water for more than a couple of hours. The lividity would have a red-pinkish tone (as opposed to dark red). The body would have “goose bumps” (cutis anserina) and the hands and feet would have a wrinkled appearance at this time interval.

As noted above rigor mortis would be fully developed. However, at 12 hr. There should be no bloating. The eyes should be clear and glistening, almost life-like. The appearance of the eyes could be influenced by the time period between death and and placement in water, however.

Afternote: I see WG beat me to the punch. Not much different. Now you have 2 opinions.