Post-mortem Timeline

Scrub the slider to see which postmortem changes are active at each hour after death, or switch to the comparison view to see the four mortises side by side.

Time since death 6 h

What's happening

    Core temperature
    at ~20 °C (68 °F) ambient
    Body state
    overall rigidity
    Timing windows describe a typical adult body at moderate ambient temperature (~20 °C / 68 °F). Real cases vary with body mass, clothing, temperature, cause of death, and pre-death muscular activity. This is an educational explainer of forensic pathology, not a substitute for an examiner's assessment.
    Sources