Rustem was lying down, too

[Dona]

He has injuries to both sides of his head, in the same place, opposite each other. He had  to be lying down with his head turned.

[Dona]

I mean he didnt fall  and hit is head in the same place, twice..

These people didn't fall...

Why were they lying down prior to injury?

Sooo, they didn't fall and they werent crush by snow.

[marieuk]

sleeping? this would agree with Teddy's book, but wouldn't this mean they had definitely been moved? How would this fit in with Igor B's post that when Rustem was found he had tried to bury his head in the snow, which is known as burrowing and happens in the late stages of freezing to death?  So, it also seems to be possible that he really did die on that spot  and hadn't been moved?  Igor's posts are very good if you haven't already read them.

[Dona]

Well, when you  are theorizing you cant be 100% accurate as there are facts unknown..You might be 75% right etc.. Also, Rustems livor mortis  shows he died on his back.. yet he is face down..if that info is correct..he couldnt have been doing that..

  I'm looking for better autopsy reports. The ones here dont go over livor mortis etc.

[RMK]

Well, when you  are theorizing you cant be 100% accurate as there are facts unknown..You might be 75% right etc.. Also, Rustems livor mortis  shows he died on his back.. yet he is face down..if that info is correct..he couldnt have been doing that..

  I'm looking for better autopsy reports. The ones here dont go over livor mortis etc.

Dona, bear in mind that the matter of livor mortis is controversial--Vozrozhdenny may have mistaken frostbite erythema for livor mortis.  Also, Slobodin's autopsy report does indeed mention livor mortis: "Postmortem lividity is present with blue-red spots abundantly located on the rear surface of the neck, torso and limbs."

[Dona]

Ahhh, thats more like it! Thanks for the link! One of the coroners was very experienced.. I dont know which one tho..

[sarapuk]

He has injuries to both sides of his head, in the same place, opposite each other. He had  to be lying down with his head turned.

The Autopsy Report shows some speculation as to the exact cause of death. It cant be certain if death was due to the injuries or to hypothermia or a combination of both.

[Dona]

I would  assume both.. certainly weakened him..

[RMK]

Vozrozhdenny states pretty clearly that Slobodin's cause of death was hypothermia.  He acknowledges the head injury, but concludes that it was not by itself life-threatening because all of the intracranial hemmorhaging was external to the meninges.  From the Conclusion of the autopsy report:

Based on the data of the examination of the body of Slobodin Rustem Vladimirovich, 23 years old, and considering the circumstances of the case, I believe that the death of Slobodin was caused by the action of low temperature/freezing, which is evidenced by the swelling of the meninges, the blood-filled internal organs, the Wischnewsky spots on the gastric mucosa, and the third- and fourth-degree freezing of the fingers.

The fracture of the left frontal lobe bone could have occurred during a fall by Slobodin or the impact of the head on a hard object such as rocks, ice, etc. A blunt object caused the above-mentioned trauma. When this happened it would have caused Slobodin to become stunned and allowed for his rapid freezing. The absence of explicit bleeding under the meninges allows for the assumption that Slobodin’s death came as a result of his freezing.

Edited to add link to autopsy report.

[Dona]

Would you go hiking with a fractured skull? Why not?

[sarapuk]

Vozrozhdenny states pretty clearly that Slobodin's cause of death was hypothermia.  He acknowledges the head injury, but concludes that it was not by itself life-threatening because all of the intracranial hemmorhaging was external to the meninges.  From the Conclusion of the autopsy report:

Based on the data of the examination of the body of Slobodin Rustem Vladimirovich, 23 years old, and considering the circumstances of the case, I believe that the death of Slobodin was caused by the action of low temperature/freezing, which is evidenced by the swelling of the meninges, the blood-filled internal organs, the Wischnewsky spots on the gastric mucosa, and the third- and fourth-degree freezing of the fingers.

The fracture of the left frontal lobe bone could have occurred during a fall by Slobodin or the impact of the head on a hard object such as rocks, ice, etc. A blunt object caused the above-mentioned trauma. When this happened it would have caused Slobodin to become stunned and allowed for his rapid freezing. The absence of explicit bleeding under the meninges allows for the assumption that Slobodin’s death came as a result of his freezing.

Edited to add link to autopsy report.

The absence of explicit bleeding under the meninges allows for the assumption that Slobodin’s death came as a result of his freezing. Assumption.