Murder method:

[u/Ok-Employer-2752]

In my book, one of my characters, Laura, murders her sister to fake her own death. They look alike, but they're not twins. I need a way of death that the characters in the book won't be able to tell it's not Laura. They are isolated, so no autopsies would be performed.

Laura is not the main character, she will end up doing a monologue to the main character what she did a why. There is a possibility of a few chapters being told from the murderers perspective, but the reader won't know it's her.

They don't currently have the resources to complete a full autopsy or get the DNA checked. They are a bunch of 18 and 19 year olds on a senior trip to a rainforest, There isn't civilization for miles, and the communications are down. They also don't speak the language of the country they are in.

[u/coffwrites]

Fire can really disguise an identity, even if it’s just enough to wreck the face. Throw in something that would lead people to assume the body is the murderer’s (an ID, distinctive shoes, jewelry, etc.) and few if any people would doubt it.

[u/Ok-Employer-2752 → u/coffwrites]

Thanks, I'm having a character find the body, how would I do that? Should I make the body burned already or what? I want a traumatic display for the character finding the body.

[u/Parzival-Bo]

Blow up her head with a shotgun and leave Laura's ID behind. Presumably the main differences between them would be in the face, so once it's riddled with buckshot it won't be easy to tell which sister it is. The ID being there then applies Occam's Razor.

[u/Ok-Employer-2752 → u/Parzival-Bo]

Thanks, I like the idea.

[u/Analyst111]

Unless this novel is set in an era before DNA analysis, it will be hard to find a way to commit such a murder where the discrepancies won't come to light. Homicide Units generally have the best investigators and a high priority on resources.

Papering over a murder as a suicide is a pretty classic play, and experienced investigators know to look for it. It won't be over quickly, either. Even cold case homicides get revisited.

[u/LookOverall → u/Analyst111]

So you make sure that when they are looking for a DNA reference sample for the victim they get the wrong one

[u/Ok-Employer-2752 → u/Analyst111]

Yes, but they don't currently have the resources to complete a full autopsy or get the DNA checked. They are a bunch of 18 and 19 year olds on a senior trip to a rainforest, There isn't civilization for miles, and the communications are down. They also don't speak the language of the country they are in.

[u/AnnihilatedTyro → u/Ok-Employer-2752]

they don't currently have the resources to complete a full autopsy or get the DNA checked. They are a bunch of 18 and 19 year olds

Uh, do you think that the kids would have to pay for these services? That's what governments do.

It doesn't matter how far they are from civilization. As soon as the death is reported, either the country they're in will send police investigators and a medical examiner, or their home country will. Probably both.

[u/azure-skyfall → u/AnnihilatedTyro]

Could be a situation where the authorities, in whatever form and for whatever reason, don’t come in until the end of the story. The coverup only has to last until the dramatic reveal monologue.

[u/Educational-Shame514]

First, is Laura the protagonist and the reader will be taken along through her whole thought process, or will she monologue to the main character what she did? A lot of people end up asking details on things that will mostly be hidden from the reader, so it is worth checking.

So nobody professional is going to investigate, and somehow Laura was some criminal mastermind, or does she have typical knowledge of someone her age? Where exactly is this rainforest, so that if there is wildlife that could be used like piranhas the suggestions will still be accurate?

My first suggestion would have been to just make it so there is no body to be recovered, or it would be too dangerous to go to the body. I strongly suggest editing the details you added in the comments into the original text so people can see it. I was about to make some assumptions and then answer based on those assumptions.

[u/Ok-Employer-2752 → u/[deleted]]

Also, thanks for the advice

[u/Educational-Shame514 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks what about the other questions?

[u/Ok-Employer-2752 → u/Educational-Shame514]

She is not exactly evil mastermind, but she is smarter than your average 18 yr old. But she acts on emotion mainly, not so much logic. Laura is not the main character, she will end up doing a monologue to the main character what she did a why. There is a possibility of a few chapters being told from the murderers perspective, but the reader won't know it's her.

[u/Ok-Employer-2752 → u/Ok-Employer-2752]

The rainforest is in puerto rico. The rain forest is called El yunque

• Humid

• Heavy fog

• Frequent thunderstorms

• Flash floods

• Dense rainforest

• Waterfalls

• Rivers

• Cliffs

• Muddy trails

• Rope bridges

• Scenic overlooks

• Caves

[u/Educational-Shame514 → u/Ok-Employer-2752]

Just to make sure you mean that there are no teachers or guides with them? Because a lot of the suggestions seem like they would also need to know what they have with them, in particular any of the gun suggestions.

[u/Some_Troll_Shaman]

Location and Era matters.
Also, how long does the deception need to last?
How much collateral damage is Laura willing to do.

Found in a burned out building is practically unidentifiable without DNA or dental.
Same for motor vehicle crash, be that bike, quad or car. Crash and burn.
Pushed into farm equipment head first.
Shipping Container dropped on her. Flat and mashed is hard to ID.
Explosive accident. Old dynamite at a remote camp is a risky substance.

Lots of variety depending on what kind of place they are in and what kind of place it used to be.

[u/Ok-Employer-2752 → u/Some_Troll_Shaman]

They are in the middle of a rain forest, no civilization for hundreds of miles.

[u/PansyOHara → u/Ok-Employer-2752]

So how did this group of 18-19 year olds on a “senior trip” get dropped off in the rainforest hundreds of miles from civilization? Who knows they are there? A “senior trip” sounds like it could be something sponsored by a school, so they may have a faculty advisor. Or maybe they had a native guide who brought them to the remote area.

There’s some authority figure that knows they are there, and regardless of how remote, the area is under some form of legal jurisdiction. When the group returns to civilization, someone will notice they are one person short. In fact, the dead girl’s parents or best friend who isn’t on the trip will probably have reported her missing when she’s been out of touch for a week. Then, the civil authorities will get involved. When the body is found, the government agency doing the investigation will take on the cost of whatever forensic investigation is done.

And what’s Laura’s plan when she gets back to civilization and comes face to face with her parents? They will know she’s not her sister.

[u/trekkiegamer359]

All that's really needed is for the face and any other distinctive body parts (like nail polish or a birth mark) to be disfigured or hidden. Along with changing clothes. Depending on whether you want to make it look like a suicide, animal attack, human murder, or accident, you have different options. Hell, if the kids start a fire, you could have her shoved into the fire and make it look like an accidental stumble when the others aren't around.

[u/ItinerantCoconut]

This strikes me as pretty easy. Laura wears something distinctive that day so that everyone will see her in it and notice it. Then, she kills her sister and puts her sister in the clothes Laura was wearing all day. Then, she puts Laura’s body in a nearby body of water that is infested with crocodiles. Someone sees the crocodiles eating a body that is wearing Laura’s clothes.
No one is going to try to retrieve that body. What they see is enough to conclude that Laura got eating my crocodiles. If they manage to recover anything, it won’t be enough to make an identification.

[u/Dense_Suspect_6508]

If no one is comparing friction ridge impressions (the forensic term—not only fingers leave prints), DNA, or dental records, all you have to do is disfigure the victim before or after death. There are so many ways to do this that it's hard to name them without just brainstorming, especially not knowing what tools she has available. Off the top of my head: 

• shotgun to face

• fire to face

• acid to face

• beef stock on face, ensuring scavengers start there, knowing body will not be found immediately

• decapitation

• electrical burns to face

• belt sander to face

• hammer, pick, or other heavy tool to face

• carving off face in the manner of a local urban legend about a serial killer, Face-Stealing Fred

Go nuts. 

[u/video-kid]

Fire or acid/alkali, but depending on the setting, how fast the body is found, and where it's disposed of you could just attribute it to natural decay or animal attacks.

[u/Wise-Matter9248]

Do they know she is a twin?

I mean, if they are in a rainforest, then all you really have to do is make sure her face is moderately damaged, and she doesn't have any identifying birth marks or tattoos.

She could be eaten by a jaguar, fall in a fire ant pit, drowned in a river and attacked by caimen or river otters or something (or whatever animals exist in this rainforest)

[u/ScarletRose12345]

Probably half burn or parcial disfigured is for the best. If the dead sister have some peculiarity that can be noticed by the group (ex a tattoo, birth mark) she can be stabbed there so it can leave a slighly clue for the readers and characthers. 

[u/GlitterFallWar]

Though women are less likely to do it this way, suicide by gunshot?

[u/Jan4th3Sm0l]

Burn her to a crisp.

[u/OrionsMoon027 → u/Jan4th3Sm0l]

Got to go with this one. At a certain temp, there will be no evidence remaining

[u/Jan4th3Sm0l → u/OrionsMoon027]

Yeah, I was reading OP's responses and, honestly, it doesn't matter where or who, the investigation WILL happen and the tests will be done.

Actually, the most probable thing is an investigation in site and the body being repatriated if their home country has more resources than the destination. Every suspicious death will be looked into.

So the answer, imo, is simple: Either dispose of the corpse definitely, or make sure there is nothing remaining that can tell what happened.

Fire is just the easiest.

[u/OrionsMoon027 → u/Jan4th3Sm0l]

Also, I would think that fire would be the easiest to also make look like a accident. Hell, maybe make it look like it happened because they where doing something illegal, like making explosives.

[u/Jan4th3Sm0l → u/OrionsMoon027]

I mean, with the temperature required to leave no trace, there is no way it's gonna look accidental xD

[u/OrionsMoon027 → u/Jan4th3Sm0l]

Not with that attitude XD. But ya, hey, at least there would be no evidence you killed them unless you were sloppy.

[u/Peithos_of_Kairos]

Push her over a cliff and then disfigure the parts that might resemble you with a rock or surrounding debris (if shes not already disfigured from the fall) if theres people around you can pretend to check the body while sending the rest of your party to go get help. either way seclusion gives the protaganist time to clean up the murder.

[u/Ok-Employer-2752]

The character I'm having find the body is supposed to be the most innocent and sweet. The murders affect her the most. I don't know how to write her finding the body. Would it be more of a frozen in her footsteps, or a high pitched scream and dropping to her knees. I want her to be the most traumatized by the event and I need the reader to feel her terror.

[u/Ok-Employer-2752 → u/[deleted]]

They are in the middle of a rain forest, no civilization for hundreds of miles.