# Suppose somebody murdered you right now,... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 15, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713 "2003-09-15T13:33:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/1 "2003-09-15T13:33:32Z")
Suppose that right now while read the SDMB someone offed you, or that you died of natural causes if you want to be a baby about it how long would it take for someone to find your body? For me if the killer stuffed me under my desk it may take till later tonight when the cleaning lady comes to empty my trash can. I work in an office but I don’t work _with_ the people in my office, I call other people but it is possible that I would sit around for twelve hours. So, how about you? ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/2 "2003-09-15T13:40:14Z")
About two hours until my mom woke up and found me. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/3 "2003-09-15T13:47:33Z")
In an open-plan office, my death would be noticed immediately, though my co-workers would probably conspire to conceal it from the authorities … At home, on the other hand, I could lie around for at least a month before anyone was moved to investigate. Depressing, really. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/4 "2003-09-15T13:51:00Z")
Where I am right now? I’d figure it would be when the security people make the rounds as they shut down the library at midnight. If I was at home it would depend on the day. On a Friday, people would start wondering the next day when I didn’t show for work. If it happened on a Saturday night, no one would realize until Monday at the earliest, and it would probably be Wednesday before people really started to worry and decided to check my apartment. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/5 "2003-09-15T13:59:51Z")
Here at work? Two minutes, tops. At home…a couple of days, I’d guess, before my friends started to notice my prolonged silence. Maybe another day before they started to worry and decided to check. ---
**Author:** ![frookah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@frookah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frookah)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/6 "2003-09-15T14:16:11Z")
About three or four hours, unless my man was away on business, (likely) in which case, oh, a day or two. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/7 "2003-09-15T14:25:10Z")
at work, immediately. If I was at home, it might take a couple hours. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/8 "2003-09-15T14:25:17Z")
How long it would take would depend on the method. At work, regardless of method, discovery would be pretty much immediate. At home method would change the timeframe. Strangulation or poison would probably go unnoticed for several days to as much as a week. Stabbing or other blood-letting might be noticed faster if enough blood was shed to soak through to the downstairs apartment, otherwise probably about the same timeframe. Gunshots would probably draw faster attention and if someone were to murder me through arson/explosion it would be probably about as fast as an office death. ---
**Author:** ![qwanderer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ea924/32.png) [@qwanderer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qwanderer)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/9 "2003-09-15T14:25:45Z")
I’m sitting at a row of four computers in the middle of a college lounge. Unless all my friends were in on it, or at least the three at the other computers, they would know at the speed of light, and might try to avenge my death before the guy jumped dramatically out one of the huge second story windows and ran away. If they are in on it, well, it isn’t a very big college. I can’t think where they would hide my body that one of the deans wouldn’t walk by in a few minutes and see it…unless _they’re_ in on it too…oh no…I have to go hide… ---
**Author:** ![dead0man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@dead0man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dead0man)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/10 "2003-09-15T14:27:02Z")
My 5 year old step daughter stayed home sick and is making lemonade 10 feet from me. My 20 month old son is sitting in my lap watch Blue Clues and helping daddy type. My wife is sleeping and will be up soon. The longest I could possibly go without being needed by somebody is the 8 hours I spend at work(irony?). ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/11 "2003-09-15T14:35:21Z")
Today, about three hours before my girlfriend is coming over to get something. Although, if she forgot to bring her own key she might just assume i was out and leave. In any case, i can’t imagine rotting here for more than 24 hours before she decided to investigate. ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/12 "2003-09-15T14:54:02Z")
About 5 minutes - my parents are just outside the door. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/13 "2003-09-15T15:02:01Z")
Immediately. There are more than a dozen other people in the room. ---
**Author:** ![Kithara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8491ac/32.png) [@Kithara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kithara)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/14 "2003-09-15T15:16:05Z")
My SO will be home in a few hours from his classes. He would notice me right away…unless they hid my body in the house. I leave for class before he gets home. He doesn’t expect me back until seven tonight. He wouldn’t start worrying until eight. Maybe my cats would help and sit by my body. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/15 "2003-09-15T15:54:50Z")
The cleaning lady might say something but anybody that had sex with me would probably never notice. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/16 "2003-09-15T16:19:46Z")
Three hours, tops. Possibly sooner. I’m at home for my lunch break and my sister will be home in three hours. My stepdad’ll probably get out of bed before then though. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/17 "2003-09-15T17:25:12Z")
The only people here are my husband and my year old daughter, so if someone offed me, it’d probably be my husband. :eek: My daughter might find me, but she wouldn’t be able to do anything about it, so I have no idea how long it might be before someone else found out, since my husband could easily keep people out of our apartment. Great, now I’m totally creeped out. Darnit! ---
**Author:** ![Ender\_Will](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Ender\_Will](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ender_Will)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/18 "2003-09-15T17:36:06Z")
Fastest possible\*? Less than five minutes if my parents decided they needed to talk to me, knocked on the door, decided to poke their head in to see if I was still sleeping. Longest possible\*? Since my parents and I have very different schedules, I’d most likely be found on Wednesday night, when my girlfriend shows up. \*Actually “probable,” but “possible” sounds better ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/19 "2003-09-15T17:44:25Z")
When I was working, along with three other co-workers in an open room plan, I can tell you this, it would not matter how I died, they would not report it until they scavenged my desk for the only working stapler, phone, pens that wrote and my horde of post it notes. I mean, I would do the same thing if it were them. After I finished dancing. Now that I am home with two kids, I feel they would only use my dead body as a stepping stool to reach something that they felt the need to investigate and break. So, probably when Mr. Ujest came home from work, but even then, that would be an iffy as he would figure I was in a bad mood and hibernating in my office, rather than socialize. He’d still ask me for sex, though. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713/20 "2003-09-15T17:44:54Z")
Fairly quickly, but since nobody wants my job, they would probably prop me up and fake it for awhile; at least until the smell got to be a problem. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-somebody-murdered-you-right-now/201713.md?page=2)