Moment of Death:
- Heart stops
- Skin gets tight & ashen
- Muscles relax
- Bladder & bowels empty
- Body temp begins to drop (by 1.5 deg per hr)
After 30 Minutes:
- Skin gets purple & waxy
- Lips, fingernails and toenails fade to a pale color
- Blood pools at the bottom of the body
- Eyes sink into the skull
After 4 Hours:
- Rigor mortis has set in (extreme rigidity in the body)
- Purplish coloring of skin and pooling of blood continues
- Rigor continues to tighten another 24 hrs or so
After 12 Hours:
- Body in full Rigor mortis
After 24 Hours:
- Body now same temperature as the surrounding environment
- Body turns greenish blue
- Smell of rotting meat
After 3 Days:
- Gas in the body forms large blisters on the skin
- Body begins to bloat and swell
- Fluids leak from every orifice
After 3 Weeks:
- Skin hair and nails so loose they can be easily pulled off
- Skin bursts open in various places
Decomposition continues until only the skeleton remains. This only takes a month or so in hot climates. 2 months in cold climates.
