Blood toxicology screen is clean.

Question

A single gunshot wound to the head killed Dr. Fisher. The entrance and exit wounds show that another person fired the shot from across the room.
The body was completely stiff when found.
The back side of the body is purplish blue.
The body was at room temperature when found.
The pH of the body was normal
Question 4
The body was found at 3:00 pm on a Tuesday. Estimate the possible time of death. Provide a range and explain your answer. (one to three sentences)

Question 5
Dr. Fisher was found lying on his back. Is it likely that his body was moved after death? Why or why not? (one to two sentences)

Question 6
The white powder on the table was also tested. It turned out to be an unusually high-quality blend of an illegal drug. Was Dr. Fisher under its influence at the time of death? How can you tell? Speculate on what this evidence could mean for the case. (three to five sentences)

Answer 1

Question 4:
Based on the observations that the body was completely stiff (rigor mortis) and had a purplish-blue discoloration (lividity), this suggests that death occurred at least a few hours prior to discovery. Given that the body was at room temperature when found, we can estimate the time of death to be approximately 2 to 12 hours before 3:00 PM, making the possible time of death range from 3:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Tuesday.

Question 5:
It is unlikely that Dr. Fisher's body was moved after death, as he was found lying on his back with complete rigor mortis and lividity indicating he had been in that position for some time, suggesting a stable environment post-mortem for the development of those physical signs of death.

Question 6:
Since the blood toxicology screen was clean, it is unlikely that Dr. Fisher was under the influence of the illegal drug at the time of death, as the absence of such substances in his system would indicate he was not actively using at the time. This could suggest he may have been involved in drug-related activities or associations independent of its immediate use, which could lead investigators to consider whether he was a target due to such connections. This evidence may imply that the motive for his murder could be linked to drug interactions or conflicts rather than personal vendettas or other more straightforward reasons.