Date of Award

8-2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Interdisciplinary

Program

Interdisciplinary Studies (MIS)

First Advisor/Chairperson

Jane Harris

Abstract

Determining whether an unattended death resulted from fatal hypothermia or was frozen after death presents a challenge for medical examiners and coroners (ME/Cs). Many physical findings associated with hypothermia have complex etiologies and are considered presumptive rather than diagnostic. Drawing on the meat science literature and previous studies using nonhuman proxies, this research investigated whether histological changes in skeletal muscle could serve as indicators of postmortem freezing and freezing/thawing. The primary objective was to develop a low-cost, accessible diagnostic approach that could help ME/Cs determine whether a body had been frozen postmortem and potentially estimate the duration of freezing, particularly in resource-limited jurisdictions. Skeletal muscle samples collected from the first three intercostal spaces of two human donors were subjected to controlled freezing and freezing/thawing conditions. Cross-sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), examined at 2× and 10× magnification, and analyzed using SlideViewer software. Histological variables related to myofiber structural integrity, including myofiber wall integrity, connective tissue visibility, feathering of myofiber margins, and spacing between myofibers, were evaluated using Spearman's correlation, Kruskal-Wallis, and linear and multiple regression analyses. Relationships between these variables, accumulated freezing degree-days, and the ability to distinguish samples frozen one or more times were assessed. Indicators associated with the integrity of the myofiber wall emerged as the most promising markers of postmortem freezing. Future research should examine these relationships under outdoor conditions while accounting for potential confounding effects of decomposition and tissue damage introduced during sample collection or histological preparation.

Access Type

Open Access

Additional Files
Melissa Dwello.pdf (235 kB)
Signed signature page
Download

Available for download on Wednesday, August 06, 2031

Share

COinS