A few hours after midnight, netizens who may still be awake by 3 in the morning might have already seen the devastating news of one of the local media outlets in the province that remains–neither any remaining flesh nor hair–was found in the middle of a forest somewhere along the vicinity of the residence of Jovelyn Galleno. To recall, Galleno has not been seen by her family, friends, or co-workers right after her shift in the boutique shop that she was working for on August 5, 2022.
Just 19 days after her mysterious disappearance, not only I, as a journalist, was baffled and nearly had the urge to vomit from the news that merely skeletal remains were what was left off of her. Again, only completely skeletal remains–no more flesh, as if fully eaten by organisms or exhumed by the span of almost three [3] weeks of the search for her. However, if we were to look into much of the details using the physiological or biological approach to the cadaver, it is within the common knowledge that had the remains were truly Galleno’s, by now, the police would have seen at least some of her rotting flesh, or even clothing at that, but then based on the report given by the first local media outlet who have gone out with the news report, neither the clothing nor the flesh of the victim was nowhere to be seen.
1: Initial Decay of the Corpse – from 0 to 3 days after the body’s death
To completely analyze the decaying of the human body, its initial invitation to the botflies and maggots would be from 0-3 days after their death. This will mean that the body, shortly after death, would have its inward bacteria feeding on the contents of the intestines, FIRST, before it begins to digest the outward physique of the dead body.
2: Putrefaction or the state of the breaking down of decomposition – from 4 to 10 days after the body’s death
Afterward, the bacteria, in the form of worms and other microorganisms, will break out of the intestine and start to digest the surrounding of the internal organs, spilling the digestive enzymes inside of it, spreading it throughout the body, contributing to the whole process of the decomposition. However, looking into the other activities that may happen outside of the decaying body, the reeking smell of the corpse would also then invite the insects or other cadaver-eating creatures to look into the decaying body–the mass movement of the maggots will then invite flies or beetles to feed onto the maggots, joined by the other parasites to lay their eggs inside it.
3: Black putrefaction – from 10 to 20 days after the body’s death
After being eaten by the organisms, the bloated body of the corpse will eventually begin to collapse–leaving a flattened body with a creamy consistency, having its exposed body parts become black in color, still with a rotten smell. By then, the corpse should already have a liquid pattern underneath its ground of exposure, coming from the large volume of body fluids drained from it, seeping into the surrounding soil or place where it is positioned. This will mean that the body will still be there, visibly there, and still no trace of the total appearance of bones.
4: Butyric fermentation – from 20 to 50 days after the body’s death
Now running on the 18th or 19th day after Jovelyn Galleno’s disappearance, the police report contained a fully skeletal remain of her, assumed that it was her, but then connecting to science, on the 20th day of the body, that is the only time the remaining flesh of the corpse would be removed as the body will dry out, caused by butyric acid, attracting more suite of corpse organisms. However, as seen on the police report and some of the videos from the actual “scene” coming from the local media outlet, if the body was still in the phase of its decomposition, the inspectors and police would have seen maggots or flies along the area, or the place itself would have had a very foul or putrid smell upon walking into it.
5: Dry decay – 50 to 365 days after the body’s death
The body is now dry and decays very slowly, eventually, all the hair disappears, leaving the bones to only show. This can no longer be explained, but if one were to look at Galleno’s “remains”, bakit wala nang natirang kahit ano? Bakit kahit yung mismong buhok, wala na? If it will take an approximate 50 to 365 days until the body is fully skeletal, with no other remains, how come a girl who had been missing for 18-19 days can no longer be recognized, as if, in an instant?
To also look into Galleno’s things found beside her skeletal remains–IDs and other important stuff–let us also consider the rain that has been pouring in the province for the past few days because of the timely typhoon that has entered the country. Had the body been there for almost three weeks, with the presence of the intermittent rainfall in the city, it would surely be soaked in the rain, possibly, its letters in the cards to flush down or have it blurred, but looking clearly into detail to the cards, it remained intact, no sign of much exposure under sunlight or rain.
This leaves the whole province, if not the whole country, to ponder all the lapses that this investigation has been having since day 1.