Title
An Improved Equation for TBS and ADD: Establishing a Reliable Postmortem Interval Framework for Casework and Experimental Studies.
Document Type
Article
Source of Publication
Journal of Forensic Sciences
Publication Date
8-21-2015
Abstract
Megyesi et al.'s (J Forensic Sci, 2005, 50, 618) paper was important to forensic anthropology as it introduced a quantitative framework for estimating time since death in human cadavers, based upon physical appearance by way of scoring on a novel scale. However, errors concerning rounding, temperature scale, and incorrect use of a statistical regression model render their predictive formula unusable. Based upon only their more reliable data, a more appropriate regression model to predict accumulated degree days (ADD) from total body score (TBS) is presented. The new model is also a superior fit (r(2)  = 0.91) and produces markedly narrower confidence intervals than the original, which also allowed impossible, negative ADD values. Explanations of the shortcomings in the original analysis and calculations are presented, which it is hoped will help forensic scientists avoid making similar mistakes.
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Volume
61
First Page
201
Last Page
207
Disciplines
Computer Sciences
Recommended Citation
Moffatt, Colin; Simmons, Tal; and Lynch-Aird, Jeanne Elizabeth, "An Improved Equation for TBS and ADD: Establishing a Reliable Postmortem Interval Framework for Casework and Experimental Studies." (2015). All Works. 460.
https://zuscholars.zu.ac.ae/works/460
Indexed in Scopus
no
Open Access
no