I’ve been thinking about this more and more so will post it here….
A few things worth noting:
1) Faith’s body was discovered around 11am, with police there soon after.
2) We know Faith and Karena arrived home from the Thrill shortly before 3am. and Karena then left again around 4:30 — IF Karena killed Faith (which I DON’T believe, but some do) she had a narrow window of opportunity to do it, basically an hour, say between 3:15 and 4:15am., 7-8 hrs. before Faith's body was found.
3) I (and I think many others) have always presumed the crime occurred after Karena departed, but still under the cover of darkness before sunrise, say between 4:45 and 6:45am, a 2-hr. window, 4-6 hrs. before discovery.
4) We have never been told an estimated-time-of-death for Faith, either from the police nor the Coroner.
The table below, I found on the Web, summarizes bodily changes that take place within 48 hours of death:
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Time since death: …. Change observed
1-2 hours: ………Early signs of lividity. [blue-gray discoloring]
2-5 hours: ………Clear signs of lividity throughout body.
5-7 hours: ………Rigor mortis begins in face.
8-12 hours: ….….Rigor mortis established throughout the body, extending to arms and legs
12 hours: ……….Body has cooled to about 25°C internally.
20-24 hours: …...Body has cooled to surrounding temperature.
24 hours: ……….Rigor mortis begins to disappear from the body in roughly the same order as it appeared.
36 hours: ……….Rigor mortis has completely disappeared.
48 hours: ……….Body discoloration shows that decomposition is beginning.
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Thus, if Karena were the killer, 7-8 hours earlier, one would expect some noticeable rigor mortis and extensive lividity.
IF the crime occurred after Karena left but before sunrise, 4-6 hrs. before the body was found, one might only expect some rigor mortis beginning in the face, if any at all.
Of course neither rigor mortis or lividity is described in Karena’s 911 call, which may be understandable under the circumstances. I’m a bit more surprised that the first officer on the scene also made no mention of rigor mortis or lividity in his brief initial report (though perhaps I’m wrong to think such an observation would be routinely recorded?).
But this all does leave yet one other possibility: that there was NO lividity or rigor mortis to note when the body was discovered! That the murder took place much closer to 11am! Perhaps this would account too for why very little suspicious was seen or heard from the apt. that morning. By say 9:30am. maybe most occupants had left for work or school and there were few renters (potential witnesses) lingering around? Perhaps the crime occurred AFTER 10 am. in the morning! Is that plausible? — I have no idea (especially since I think Faith would've left for classes well before 10?); again the police can probably either rule that possibility in or out, but haven’t allowed us to do so. Such a late time for the crime might also very much alter theories of who-done-it.
I still believe the 4:45 - 6:45 time slot is the most probable; but I'm less certain than I was previously in this confounding case.
Thanks for this new timeline possiblity. It makes sense to me that something could have occurred after people left for work or school.
ReplyDeleteSomething that always bothered me just clcked into place. I think you're on to something. This would support my "out in left field theory".
Come on, CHPD. Solve this case.
It's an interesting thought, and I think using the state of the body to determine the time of the murder is crucial, but I seriously doubt that it occurred late the following morning because I believe police --- who have cooperated with a number of TV programs on this case --- would have let the public know that this is what the evidence indicates. Why police have said little to nothing about the estimated time of death (ETOD) is a bit of a mystery to me, but if the ETOD were 10am, I think we would know this. After all, what would be the point of soliciting help from the public, what would be the point of any of shows or podcasts or articles that have covered this case, if that important piece of information were omitted? Everything everyone has been discussing for six years now would be rendered somewhat meaningless. But I agree that the ETOD is important.
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ReplyDeleteI think most assume the TOD was in the one or two hours prior to daybreak/sunrise, though it's still not pinpointed or disclosed by police.
ReplyDeleteI believe police established that the Time-out bag came from a trip FH made their the day prior, and was left around the apt. Not known with certainty when it was written on (though most assume after the crime).
Finally, the autopsy reports that there were some unspecified food particles and a small amount of alcohol in FH's stomach; nothing significant.
Thanks, :) sorry hadn't received any notification that my post had been approved or that I had received an answer.
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