For the past few days, the news has been dotted with revelations about the high profile deaths of Joan Rivers and Misty Upham, and time and cause of death are important elements of these cases. How are authorities able to determine these factors?

Greg McDonald, director of forensic medicine, says several factors come into play during an investigation such as this. “There are a lot of things at the scene that can give us clues; levels of rigor mortis (stiffness), and also algor mortis (cooling of the body) and livor mortis (pooling of the blood). Also, stomach contents, and the presence of insects at the scene can all give us a picture of when and how a person died.”

McDonald is board certified in Anatomic and Forensic Pathology; he currently serves as chief consultant for the Montgomery County Coroner's Office in Pennsylvania, an formerly served in the Philadelphia Coroner's Office.