Technical note: EasyPMI, online opensource application to help determine the post-mortem interval

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Computational Biology
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• Post-mortem interval (PMI) estimation is crucial in forensic science but faces limitations like inter-operator variability.
• Current PMI estimation techniques require significant improvement for reliability in legal and investigative settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and introduce an open-source Python application to assist forensic practitioners in estimating PMI.
• To provide a standardized, user-friendly tool that combines multiple estimation methods to reduce uncertainty.

Main Methods:

• Developed a Python application using Streamlit for an intuitive interface.
• Implemented existing body cooling equations (e.g., Henssge models) with numerical root-finding.
• Integrated rectal and tympanic temperature models with thanatological signs for a multimodal approach.

Main Results:

• The application offers automated corrective factor adjustments based on body weight, minimizing manual errors.
• Provides graphical representations of body cooling curves and generates standardized PDF reports for clear documentation.
• The open-source nature promotes collaborative development and continuous improvement.

Conclusions:

• The developed application streamlines PMI determination by combining established methods with automated calculations.
• Enhances accuracy and reproducibility in forensic practice, aiding investigative and judicial documentation.
• Future work includes integrating more parameters and advanced cooling models.