1,856. Identifying the Deceased

Hilchos Geirushin 13:21

Let’s say that a man was found killed or dead of natural causes. If his forehead, nose and face are intact enough that he can be identified, one may testify regarding his death. If any of these features is missing, one may not testify regarding his death. This is so even if there are other identifiable signs on his body and possessions, including a birthmark. The ability to identify a body applies within three days of death; after three days, one may not offer such testimony because the deceased’s features have distorted.

Hilchos Geirushin 13:22

Let’s say that a man drowned at sea and washed up on the shore. Even if several days have passed, if his face and nose can be identified, one may testify regarding his death. This is because it takes a long time for a corpse’s features to distort in water. If the body laid on dry land for 12 hours after washing up on the shore so that it became bloated, then one may not testify because it has already distorted. When we look at a body in order to identify the deceased for purposes of testifying about his death, we may do so even by candlelight or moonlight.