A 71-year-old man was found dead in his locked apartment in a prone position on the floor of the hallway. The putrefied body was lying with the right side of his face on the floor. The upper limbs were both flexed at the elbows: the right one was underneath the chest, the left one was lying on the ground. The decedent was wearing underwear and socks. Medical records revealed that the man had suffered from hypertension, diabetes, and stomach problems. The deceased had not been seen for some weeks by other persons.
Fig.1 Putrefactive body fluid stain.
When the body was removed for examination, a wide reddish-brown stain that corresponded to putrefactive body fluid and depicted the exact shape and position of the body, in particular defining the position of the flexed upper limbs clearly, with the right arm close to the neck, was noticed on the carpeted floor. The cause of death remained unclear after autopsy but toxicological investigations indicated the possibility of diabetic coma.
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