Examining the accumulated degree-day hypothesis for decomposition on exposed carrion in the California Central Valley using Sus scrofa

The mix of open fields and forested areas present in California's Central Valley presents challenges for medico-legal investigators. Human remains are often found in advanced stages of decomposition, so an important component of forensic investigations is estimating the post mortem interval (PMI) of the deceased. The goal of this preliminary study was to test the usability of the techniques used by Megyesi et al (2005) in which Total Body Score (TBS) and Accumulated Degree Days may be used retroactively to determine the PMI on a given set of remains in a Mediterranean climate where animal scavenging was not a variable.