Can a wound tell you exactly when it occurred?
If you think an expert can look at a wound or picture of a wound and pinpoint the time it occurred, you may have been misled by forensic TV shows.
The rest of the story: No science exists to allow you to observe a wound or picture of a wound to determine the date of injury, says forensic nurse expert Daniel J. Sheridan, PhD, RN, FNE-A, FAAN, associate professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.
"You can tell by a photo or observation that a wound is relatively new versus relatively old," he adds. "But it won't tell you the exact time or shift when the wound occurred."