Tanatologia forense na investigação criminal: métodos, limitações e avanços na estimativa do intervalo pós-morte.

Abstract

The estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI) remains one of the most challenging questions in forensic thanatology because postmortem changes are dynamic, progressive, and influencianced by multiple interacting factors. Although classical phenomena such as body cooling, rigor mortis, and livor mortis remain essential in medico-legal assessment, their ability to provide precise temporal estimates is limited by individual, environmental, circumstantial, and methodological variables. This study aimed to analyze, through a narrative literature review, the main methods used to estimate PMI, their limitations, and scientific advances proposed to improve forensic accuracy and reliability. Twenty-five indexed scientific articles were selected, prioritizing studies retrievable from major bibliographic databases and recent publications, covering physical, thanatochemical, entomological, microbiological, molecular, proteomic, metabolomic, thermal, and three-dimensional imaging approaches. Current evidence indicates that no isolated method can universally determine the exact time of death, particularly during late postmortem intervals. Vitreous humor biomarkers, especially potassium and hypoxanthine, show important potential but are affected by temperature, storage, analytical procedures, cause of death, and population characteristics. Forensic entomology and microbiology offer promising approaches for longer intervals, whereas RNA, microRNA, and multi-omics strategies expand molecular investigation. Non-contact imaging methods also demonstrate potential for individualized assessment and improved documentation. PMI estimation should therefore be understood as a probabilistic and multiparametric process in which scene information, environmental conditions, external and internal examination, autopsy findings, and laboratory results are integrated. Coordinated work among crime scene experts, forensic pathologists, and autopsy assistants contributes to the quality of the information chain required for forensic thanatological interpretation.