How long until a dead human body starts to smell?

Question

Conditions: person was killed Saturday night, and their body is locked in a car inside someone's garage...how long before the smell is intolerable?

Nah, she's not in the trunk. She's in the front seat. She has the strangest expression on her face, too.

Driving the car? Why would I drive a car with a dead woman in it?

Thanks for answering guys. Just so you're not too freaked out, I needed this detail for a story I'm writing.

Answer 1

3 days it starts to deteriorate

Answer 2

Dead Human Body

Answer 3

It would depend a lot on how hot the conditions in the car and environmental temp. If its hot like 35 - 39*C and in the tight space like a car which can increase to 45*C, within two day you will smell the decomp.

Intolerable: even a bit is intolerable since the smell is so pungent, but for overwhelming, should be about 3 days maybe.

Answer 4

Good timing. I was just talking with somebody the other day about pre-paid funeral situations. You die, someone calls, they pick you up and so on. They said they would collect your bod as quickly as possible since they found people started to smell in about 4 hours. On the other hand, it the body were in a well-built German car whose doors seal well (the old VW bug was famous for this), you might not notice the smell for decades.

Answer 5

It depends on the heat conditions. You won't notice an odor until the body gets really warm and starts breaking down. If it is hot, that could be in a couple of days. However, a body could stay unnoticed in the trunk all winter in cold regions.

Answer 6

Define smell and intolerable. Froggy is right, they would void their bowels and would start to "smell". I am assuming you are talking about decomp however. I'm defining intolerable as something that would make a 'normal' person throw up upon smelling it (or at least gag).
I'm also assuming the inside of the car is room temp. (ie. 22 deg. C), and I'm assuming the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning.

Answer: You are looking at about 36 hrs.

Answer 7

Omg, it is probably too late. The neighbors probably already suspect that you killed someone because they can smell the stinch. If i were you i would take your car and the weapon you used to murder to dead person and drive it to a lake somewhere that no one ever goes! Do it now...


Just kidding...i believe it is about 3 or 4 days.

Answer 8

45 minutes it releases CO2. The flies notice it first. Dead people can't fart so that's why they swell until they pop and it's a living hell to get rid of. Dead bodies screw up the real estate market. No one wants a house where someone died inside and decomposed.

Answer 9

well given that when a person dies there functions shut down as does the bowl movements and they will **** thier pants it will smell start away. i would imnagine if the person is in the car in the garage knowone outside of that would smell... unless your driving in the car.... then you would smell of it... it takes a few weeks for it it start decomposing the tiniest bit..... would like to know hwy you ask this....

Answer 10

3 0r 4 days depending on how hot it is. If she or he was killed sat i am sure if not today it will be tomorrow before they start to decompose.