My thoughts also, just imagine if Sheila being the last to be shot and only receiving two shots at that. somehow survived,how would they know if no sign of life was looked for.
Edit to add,the chap yesterday who its thought was in some kind of altercation with youths using catapults was pronounced dead at the scene,some one has do do it.
'Officers and South East Coast Ambulance Service attended and a man in his 60s was pronounced dead at the scene.
Yes, of course a doctor has to pronounce someone dead, and like poor man you mention I’m sure the doctor did indeed check for usual signs that life was extinct as he’d not been dead that long. Likewise, is fine dies in hospital the doctor will check for vital signs (pulse, pupil reaction etc) but that’s when they’ve just died.
In the case of murders, suicides, fatal accidents, unexplained deaths etc where the deceased haven been found for many hours, they develop hypothesis, rigor mortis, non-reactive pupils, plus various other biological features. When someone has rigor mortis there’s no need to check for a pulse.
I’ve taken this excerpt from a site for medical doctors which explains what features design death.
You’ll see rigor mortis and hypostasis are signs not just that they’re dead, but have been for several hours.
“Particularly if the death is unexpected, an external examination of the deceased and their surroundings should be made, to look for any apparent factors which may be relevant to their death (bleeding, vomit, wounds, weapons, alcohol, pills, notes, etc).
Other signs include:
No response to painful stimuli.
Absence of corneal reflexes.
Cloudiness of the cornea.
Examination of the trunk may show evidence of post-mortem staining as a result of hypostasis.
Rigor mortis may have set in (begins approximately three hours after death).
Decreased temperature - will depend on ambient temperature but may not occur for up to eight hours.”
