Journal of Clinical Case Reports

Precocious Mummification of a Corpse- A Rare Forensic Case from the City of Plovdiv, Republic of Bulgaria

Abstract

Ivan Tsranchev, Milena Gulinac and Detelina Stoyanova

Mummification is a postmortem process consisting in the loss of water from the soft tissues of the body and the body’s diminishing in size as a result of drying. The term “precocious mummification” is the process of rapid mummification usually observed in extreme weather conditions, with high temperature and low humidity. We present a case of precociously mummified corpse found in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, sixteen days after the individual’s disappearance. The case is interesting because of the atypical precocious mummification that occurred in a very short period of time, in climate conditions that are not typical for the process of mummification-high humidity, medium temperature amplitudes and low ventilation. Such conditions are not typical for Bulgaria, especially in the fall.