The scent of death: A case study for volatile markers of decomposition on a concrete floor

Abstract

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released during human decomposition are chemically diverse and can provide forensic evidence indicating the prior presence of a corpse. In July 2023, the Michigan City Police Department received a report from an individual claiming to have murdered his roommate and stored the body in a basement cellar for 57 days before dismemberment and disposal. Concrete core samples from the basement were analyzed using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME GC-MS). Three concrete samples contained six VOCs that are known to originate from the decomposition process. This leads to the conclusion that the decomposing body of someone or something was present in the room for enough time for the decomposition VOCs to collect on, in, and under the floor. This case represents the first successful legal introduction of VOC analysis evidence from concrete substrates within the State of Indiana.