A forensic pathologist is lecturing about how to determine the approximate time of death of a cadaver. Among many factors such as body temperature, skin color, ambient temperature, and other environmental factors, rigor mortis is also considered in the process. Rigor mortis though is critical and must be observed during the first 10-12 hours after the actual time of death. Otherwise, this state recedes after another 6-12 hours. Given that environmental factors allow the process to occur within the classic textbook timeline, what event causes the state of rigor mortis to recede?

Rigor Mortis is one of the stages of death and it starts around 4 to 6 hours and may be present up until 13 hours after death, when the peak is reached. This process happens because due to lack of ATP formation, the myofilaments in muscles lock together and this process will continue for several hours, with the muscles in a rigid position, until enzymes from the body, and exogenous bacteria that invade it start to degrade and decompose the muscle fibers and all other body components. Rigor Mortis is a scaffolded process and there are environmental factors that will promote the onset, extend it, or help resolve it much faster than anticipated. While cold and dryness slows down the process and thus maintains Rigor mortis, warmth and humidity encourage both the decomposition of muscle fibers by enzimatic activity and more importantly, by enhancing the presence of exogenous bacteria.