"What does corpse gas mean?" the young woman, Felicia Jameson, asked out of sheer curiosity, echoing the Day couple's question.
Lexie explained, "People who came into contact with a corpse will naturally carry traces of corpse gas. But the concentration on you…"
She leaned in slightly to take a close whiff before straightening up with certainty. "You were in contact with the body for at least three days."
As soon as she said that, the Day couple's expressions changed drastically.
According to what the four survivors had told both the authorities and the family, they had carried Colton's body for just one day before giving up and laying him to rest in a cave. They marked the location and left.
If, as they claimed, Colton died on the seventh day of their ordeal, the maximum time his companions could've been around his body was only 24 hours.
In truth, a corpse wouldn't begin to release corpse gas the moment it died; it would take time for that kind of gas to build up and cling to the living.
Even with generous timing, the exposure should've been minimal.
Now that Lexie said Felicia had been near Colton's body for three days, it could only indicate that she and the others had lied.
Melissa similarly realized that. Instantly, her gaze toward Felicia shifted into hostility. "Did you, or did you not lie to us? Had you guys been dragging my son's body along until rescue came? Did you…"
Eat Colton, or not?
She choked on her tears, finding it impossible to finish her interrogation. Just the sheer thought of her son being eaten tore her heart apart.
The loss of their only son had already pushed the Day couple to the edge. Therefore, any thought that his remains might've been further mistreated was simply unbearable.
Faced with the furious Melissa, Felicia seemed on the verge of tears herself. "No, Mrs. Day! We didn't lie! I have no idea why she'd say that!
"We did carry Colton's body for a while. Maybe it stuck with me then, but it definitely wasn't three days! It couldn't have been!"
She spoke firmly, and her face was full of anxious frustration at being accused. Still, Lexie didn't change her stance. She stood by what she sensed.
"I'm certain it's been over three days."
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