View Full Version : Rigor mortis
sunflowerp50
Mar 5, 2008, 10:18 PM
When someone dies and is found within 15 minutes when does rigor mortis set in and when do the eyes start to sink in
Why does the face, neck shoulders, arms and sides of the body have redness
When viewing body why is there redness tint on the face neck, shoulders arms sides of body and back after the person dies.
ISneezeFunny
Mar 5, 2008, 10:35 PM
Rigot mortis begins to set in at 3 hours... and goes away roughly 3 days later.
mcb7
Mar 18, 2008, 12:50 AM
I don't know about the redness, but I know when my dad died he died at my oldest sisters & my middle sister went in around 8 a.m. to check on him & then around 9 a.m. & in that hour he passed away. Anyway, when we tried to get him from the bed to the livingroom floor he was already cold & a little stiff.
svatnsdal
Mar 31, 2008, 02:32 PM
when someone dies and is found within 15 minutes when does rigor mortis set in and when do the eyes start to sink in
why does the face, neck shoulders, arms and sides of the body have redness
when viewing body why is there redness tint on the face neck, shoulders arms sides of body and back after the person dies.
Now I can't say my answer is 100% correct, but here is what I have been taught. First, the body takes up to 2 hours to begin Rigor Mortis. That is from a chemical job of the muscles, they harden and the body becomes very stiff. What I have been told in the past is that it hits it's peak of Rigor mortis at approximately 12 hours, then reverses and is done around 24-48 hours. However, the class I'm in now states it can last a few days.
Discolouration of the skin comes from Livor mortis. That is from a dead body lying down and the part of the body that is lowest turns colour due to gravity. The blood and weight of organs causes this, the skin can turn red, purple, and maybe green and blue.
I hope this helps, but like I said, I'm not exactly 100% correct on it.