The Iceman Murder: One of a Series of Contract Murders

Abstract

A body with a gunshot wound to the head was discovered in a wooded area in mid September 1983 wrapped with about 20 consecutive layers of plastic garbage bags and rope. Examination of the body revealed a bullet hole in the occipital-parietal region and a peculiar decomposition of the body. Following a forensic reconstruction of our autopsy findings, microscopic studies and other ancillary factors, we concluded that the body had been frozen for about 2 and one-quarter years prior to its being dumped along a mountain road here in Rockland County. The means by which we concluded that the victim had been frozen for about 2 and one-quarter years and other important aspects of this case are fully discussed.

Coleopterofauna found on fresh and frozen rabbit carcasses in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

“…The low temperatures effect to carrion beetles is unknown. Gunn (2006) mentioned that murderers sometimes store their victim's body in a freezer before disposing of it, which was also reported by Zugibe and Costello (1993) in the USA, where a human body was stored in a freezer prior to disposal. The freezing/thawing process can also be due to a cold environment or to a deliberate preservation prior to burial or experimental procedures (Stokes et al, 2009).…”

“…Another effect is that the external parts of the body would be the first to thaw being then directly exposed to microorganisms from outside (Zugibe, 1993). Therefore, the body decomposition process occurs "outside-in", while normally it happens "inside-out" (Micozzi, 1986).…”

Freezing skeletal muscle tissue does not affect its decomposition in soil: Evidence from temporal changes in tissue mass, microbial activity and soil chemistry based on excised samples

“…However in both situations the cadavers were on a soil surface rather than buried in a soil environment, while the current study is conducted in a burial environment. Hence, caution must be applied to comparison of these studies [5,15] with this study. There was also no enteric microbiota in this study due to the use of skeletal muscle portions, but internal organs are not the only source of microbes within a body.…”

“…This experimental finding was supported by a criminal murder case where the victim was frozen for over 2 years before his body was dumped. The pattern of decomposition appeared to progress from the outside in with relatively good preservation of internal organs [15]. It seems likely that freezing has at least a partial biocidal effect on the enteric flora [6,7] and may have caused some enzymes to lose their functional conformation.…”

Homicide followed by freezing and burning: Usefulness of measuring SCHAD (short-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase) activity

“…Several authors have taken an interest in it since a lack of knowledge on the subject it has led to an under-estimation of the time since death. 1 Some studies have shown that it was associated with an acceleration of the phenomena of dislocation and a modification of the putrefactive process. 2 Recently, we have shown that it was possible to produce evidence of the freezing of a human corpse thanks to a technique used by the food industry.…”