Assessment of temperature changes in carcasses in the early post-mortem period using the spectrum of a thermal imaging camera

Abstract

Precise determination of the time of death of a human being or animal is extremely important for investigations by law enforcement agencies. The aim of the study was to use a thermal imaging camera for imaging of the cooling of dog carcasses in controlled conditions, as a practical application of thermal imaging in veterinary forensics for the purpose of establishing the time of death of an animal, as well as to compare the usefulness of this method with that of the currently used Henssge nomogram. A thermographic technique exploiting infrared radiation was used in the study. The research material was 10 dog carcasses (5 female and 5 male) aged 6 to 16 years, with body weight from 23 to 36 kg. Thermal imaging of a carcass in combination with other methods, such as measurement of internal body temperature and analysis of post-mortem changes, enables reliable determination of the time of death of an animal, which is often of fundamental importance in veterinary forensic practice.