Livor mortis is characterized by lividity and occurs within hours after death. Lividity occurs because the heart is no longer pumping blood throughout the body and, consequently, gravity pulls the blood down, resulting in the pooling of blood at the lowest point in the body.
The early post-mortem phase is most frequently estimated using the classical triad of post-mortem changes – rigor mortis, livor mortis, and algor mortis.
Of these, with obvious mortal damage to the body, the textbook conclusive signs of death clear to a lay person are: algor mortis, rigor mortis, livor mortis, and putrefaction.
Open eyes at death may be interpreted as an indication that the deceased is fearful of the future, presumably because of past behaviors. Such an interpretation is invited in the newspaper headline 'Bomber McVeigh dies, eyes wide open,' referring to the execution of the Oklahoma City bomber.
Fully developed rigor mortis is an easily identifiable and reliable indicator that death has occurred. The time of onset is variable but it is usually considered to appear between 1 and 6 hours (average 2–4 hours) after death. Depending on the circumstances, rigor mortis may last for a few hours to several days.
The stages of dying include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
Purge fluid is foul smelling, red-brown fluid that may exude from the oral and nasal passages as decomposition progresses, as depicted in the image below.
The protrusion of the tongue is considered as a sort of lingual rigor due to the heat that causes a shortening of the genioglossus which, in a condition similar to a physiological activation, produce the thrust of the tongue out of the mouth.
Putrefaction (4-10 days after death) – Autolysis occurs and gases (odor) and discoloration starts.
In time, the heart stops and they stop breathing. Within a few minutes, their brain stops functioning entirely and their skin starts to cool. At this point, they have died.
Relaxation of the muscles occurs right before someone passes away, which is then followed by rigor mortis, or the stiffening of the body. This relaxation impacts the muscles in the eyes and can cause some to open their eyes right before passing, and remain open after passing.
To prevent rapid decay, funeral homes drain out the blood and other fluids since they facilitate faster decomposition. They then replace it with anti-decay chemicals. Having the dead body preserved in this way may serve various purposes.
Livor, rigor, and algor mortis
This is due to the loss of blood circulation as the heart stops beating. Goff explains, “[T]he blood begins to settle, by gravity, to the lowest portions of the body,” causing the skin to become discolored.
The first organ system to “close down” is the digestive system. Digestion is a lot of work! In the last few weeks, there is really no need to process food to build new cells.
Terminal respiratory secretions, commonly known as a “death rattle,” occur when mucous and saliva build up in the patient's throat. As the patient becomes weaker and/or loses consciousness, they can lose the ability to clear their throat or swallow.
In the last days of a person's life, secretions (fluid) might build up in the airways as they become too weak to cough and clear them. This causes a gurgling or rattling sound when the person breathes in and out and is sometimes called 'the death rattle'.
Pulse and heartbeat are irregular or hard to feel or hear. Body temperature drops. Skin on their knees, feet, and hands turns a mottled bluish-purple (often in the last 24 hours) Breathing is interrupted by gasping and slows until it stops entirely.
In the final hours of life, your loved one's body will begin to shut down. Their circulatory and pulmonary systems will slowly begin to fail. This may lead to falling body temperatures, but may also cause sudden outbursts. Your loved one will also experience greater difficulty interacting with the outside world.
As the blood pools, patches appear on the skin within 30 minutes of death. About two to four hours postmortem, these patches join up, creating large dark purplish areas towards the bottom of the body and lightening the skin elsewhere. This may be less apparent on darker skin. This process is called livor mortis.
An accurate time of death also can help rule out possible suspects who may have been somewhere else when the death occurred and a more general time range could create a larger window for someone's alibi. This information can be used in court to establish a case.
The immediate seconds and minutes after death
Muscles including sphincters relax which means dying people may defecate or urinate.