Tennessee's Body Farm

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 5:50 pm

http://www.deathsacre.com/

First page is safe, second page has clickable thumbnails of some of the bodies. I didn't find them that bad but if you think you might be disturbed by them then please don't click.

Anyone heard about this place? It's an acre of land used by forensic researchers to study the effects of death. They "plant" corpses in various ways that they would normally find dead people, such as in car trunks, under debris, etc and then study the act of decomposition. Thsi is done in order to aid police and forensic experts in ascertaining how long since crimes were committed/how long the victim's been dead.

They get their "victims" from medical examiners in the case of unidentified or unclaimed bodies, from loved ones who know their dead person would want to be used in research and also from people who donate their bodies themselves.

I'm not sure how I feel about the first method. I would prefer the un-ID'd people be buried since we don't know what their wishes would be but from what I've been studying, this "farm" has done worlds of good in the forensic world.

I do wonder if it fouls the air though. And I wonder about sanitation but I am guessing they must check the bodies for diseases first?

venus · Post by **venus** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:00 pm

Have to say l seriously pondered the idea of going into forensics..

and due to my not very ugghhyy nature l find this sort of thing deeply interesting, ok the smell is not pleasent but the way the human body works, the information that can be gathered and the good that has been done thanks to the research is amazing. How else are we to know for sure how long it will take a body to decompose under varying conditions..

A murderer could get away because of a wrongly guessed time line.

I still do finds the whole subject fascinating. I have a large collection of criminal who dunits and coenwell and reichs. Also true life crime stories and how they were caught.

amazing really.

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:03 pm

I do wonder if it fouls the air though. And I wonder about sanitation but I am guessing they must check the bodies for diseases first?

I dont have a picture to post so Ill just say I have kind of a blank stare thing going on.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:07 pm

You too Venus? Cool! I had considered forensics for a short time myself. I had at one point in my life wanted to be a mortician but I'm glad I opted out of that career. There's no way I could do it now.

What books in your crime collection might you recommend as a good read?? I'm always open for recommendations.

I read a lot of Ann Rule because the way she writes and that her stuff is true keeps me on the edge of my seat. I too find it fascinating how that stuff works but after a while I have to get away from it and go to a sunny place because I can't fathom how people can do such horrid things to other people.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:08 pm

Nomad;484312 wrote: I do wonder if it fouls the air though. And I wonder about sanitation but I am guessing they must check the bodies for diseases first?

I dont have a picture to post so Ill just say I have kind of a blank stare thing going on.

Nomad? Have I disturbed you with this? I'm sorry.

guppy · Post by **guppy** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:11 pm

i find this kind of stuff fascinating too. i took a tour through a funeral home one time and watched the whole process of getting a body ready for the funeral. .............

the man that owned the funeral home offered but i dont think he had a clue i would take him up on it...........:-2

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:15 pm

Interesting - I didn't know such a place existed - and I wasn't bothered/offended .

I didn't read all catagories listed - I assume these bodies were not embalmed or treated in any way.? I guess Red, you & I are assuming there is no danger/threat to the grounds - environment ?

Guppy - I've done the make-up / hair on a deceased to prepare for a funeral, doesn't bother me.

Patsy

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:15 pm

How was that Gup? Were you bothered at all? Were they respectful in their handling? I always wonder about that.

IWhen I was a hairdresser, I was asked to come to the local mortuary and fix a woman's hair. I was considering it but chickened out at the last minute as she was a gunshot/head victim and I didn't think I could handle it. So my boss went instead.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:18 pm

Patsy Warnick;484325 wrote: Interesting - I didn't know such a place existed - and I wasn't bothered/offended .

I didn't read all catagories listed - I assume these bodies were not embalmed or treated in any way.? I guess Red, you & I are assuming there is no danger/threat to the grounds - environment ?

Patsy

Glad you weren't bothered, Patsy. I was hesitant to post this but forged ahead.

I didn't read anything about embalming unless I missed it somewhere. But I would think if they embalmed the body that it would mess up the natural decomposition process and that might change the results? Good question though. I think you and I are thinking along the same lines about the environment and stuff.

guppy · Post by **guppy** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:21 pm

yes , they were very respectful. i had to get permission from the family to be present and i got it....like any other profession that deals with death ,gore , and or sadness. they make up for it with a outrageous sense of humor........

for a long time after that though i told my family if i get killed just put me in the ground with in twenty four hours. i see no sense in all this dressing the body up for a viewing. eeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwww.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:24 pm

I'm glad to know they were cool about their job.

I agree with you. I want to be buried as is. No processing.

weeder · Post by **weeder** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 6:35 pm

There was a documentary on TV about this place a couple of years ago. A book was also written abot it. The bodies are left exposed to study decomposition, and the rate at which blow flies and maggotts do their work.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:03 pm

If this is set to a natural process - at a scene homicide etc. - then the bodies wouldn't be embalmed ? It was stated bodies were the unidentified or bodies given to science - so I'm thinking no embalmment., I don't know??

Patsy

kumininexile · Post by **kumininexile** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 1:54 am

Grotesque

pantsonfire321@aol.com · Wed Dec 13, 2006 3:59 am

It may be unpleasant but it serves a purpose . I find the work they do fasinating .