How long after death can a body be autopsied?

Question

My father died 3 years ago. I believe that he was murdered, but the local district attorney won't investigate. I want to have him exumed and an autopsy performmed. I do not know what the laws in Alabama are concerning this. My father was admitted to the hospital to keep him away from my step mom who had pneumonia . He was stable and due to his dementia he was wondering the halls. I shaved him the last morning he was alive and almost cut him because his skin was so loose.
A day later he was dead. When he arrived at the funeral home, his face was swollen and his nose was broken. No one had an explanition for how it happened. His nurse said he was suprised to find he had died. He had an allergy to asprin, Iodine, and shellfish. His skin was so thin due to steroids that it would tear like tissue paper. There were no dermal tears, abrasions, or bruises. I believe he was poisoned then suffocated. Any advice?

Answer 1

An autopsy can be performed decades after death. It depends what you are looking for. Most poisons do leave tell-tail signs within the damaged cells. The method of suffocation can also be determined by minute objects found in the mouth, nose and air passages. Damage from a hand over the the mouth would escape because the tissue would have deteriorated long ago.

Does anyone else in your family feel the same way? The more support and evidence you have the easier it will be to exhume the body.

Answer 2

THe expense of having this done would probably be yours to handle. I do not know about the state of Alabama specifically but I believe you would have to take your request for exhumation to a judge. Then they would rule whether or not the body would be allowed to be exhumed. The problem also is that if she/the stepmom was responsible for causing his death and used a chemical that chemical may be long gone and it maybe impossible to determine the cause of death. What did his death certificate say as to the cause of death? The only advise I can really give you is to contact an attorney at your own cost and see what they will tell you.

Answer 3

Sorry about your dad. Call a local medical examiners office. They will be able to answer those questions