A body is found with rigor mortis present in the face, neck, and upper torso. The young crime-scene investigator claims that the time of death must be at least 15 hours previous to the discovery of the body. The first-responding officer still at the crime scene asks what led her to that conclusion. The crime-scene investigator states that rigor mortis peaks at 12 hours and then gradually fades. Because there was no rigor in the legs, rigor mortis must be disappearing and is now only evident in the face, neck, and upper torso. Do you agree with this time estimation? Provide reasons for your answer.

Yes I agree with the The young crime-scene investigator that claim the time of death must be at least 15 hours previous to the discovery of the body.

Explanation :

All muscles in the body are affected. Starting between two and six hours following death, Rigor mortis begins with the eyelids, neck, and jaw. ... Rigor mortis generally peaks at 12 hours, and dissipates after 48 hours

No, I don't agree with the time estimation.

Explanation:

Rigor mortis occurs is the stiffening a body's muscles after death.

The young crime scene investigator's time estimation is wrong because rigor mortis affects the upper parts of the body before going down the lower part of the body. Since the rigor is still present in the face, neck and upper torso, which are all upper parts and there was no rigor on the leg which is a lower part of the body, it can be said that the person just died few hours ago because the rigor hasn't gotten to the lower part of the body. Rigor in the face will face go off if a body has been dead for 15 hours or more, then the rigors in the neck, upper torso and abdomen goes off after that.

Since rigor mortis begins between 2-6 hours after death and completes at 12 hours and rigor is not yet present in the leg, it can be deduced time of death cannot be more than 15hours.