ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on summarizing research from a number of authors specific to the use of cross-sectional imaging and the estimation of the PMI. It does not consider the wider subjects the differences between antemortem and post-mortem cross-sectional imaging. For this, the reader could turn to review articles such as, but not limited to, those written by Andrews, Ishida et al. and Klein et al. The first documented use of X-rays in relation to the investigation of death was in 1896 when X-rays were used by Professor Schuster to assist in the investigation of a gunshot homicide in Manchester, England. Although a number of post-mortem changes can be observed with time after death using PMCT, there is as yet no established method whereby these changes can be used to estimate a PMI. According to Levy, Harke and Mallak [9] PMCT shows no specific finding for rigor mortis assessment.
