Weak 4 (Days 39-40) -- A Quiz and some Jello?

So there was this man in his twenties that was found dead on the Thompson Creek Trail the other day. He had been shot (which is not likely due to California's strict gun regulations) in on the left lateral side 1 cm above the third rib (seen in red). The bullet exited 5 cm above the belly button.

This is a sketchy case, mostly due to the angle of attack by which the victim was killed. The cause of death could have been an assassination from a long-range marksman positioned in the hills behind the man's path on the trail, due to the lack of additional bullet holes. In addition, the angle at which the victim was shot is incredibly steep, suggesting that the shooter was positioned perfectly for the bullet to enter at a 45 degree angle from behind him. However, this theory does not take into consideration the supine position in which the victim was found. This could be explained by the use of a high-caliber round. The force from a powerful round (possibly from a .50 caliber or 7mm Magnum) may have twisted the victim's body clockwise to a supine position in a spinning motion.

The path of the bullet shows the greatest effect to the LIVER, which was directly in the path of the bullet as it exited the body. As the eighth rib was fractured, which is closest to the liver, it is possible that the bullet itself punctured the liver directly or the fragments of the bullet broke the eighth rib, which in turn punctured the liver. Regardless of any other diagnosis, the most likely cause of death was internal bleeding, albeit from the liver, heart, or lungs.

Another possible cause of death, as the path of the bullet passes through the area containing the lungs and heart, is direct penetration of either of those internal organs, which would result in internal bleeding or inability to breathe. However, harm to the liver seems more likely, as it is the closest organ of the three to the exit location of the bullet and the extra punctured rib.

Also, the shock of a high-caliber bullet may have missed the internal organs and exited cleanly, leaving the victim to pass due to shock and external blood loss. However, as fragmentation spread around the body enough to break the eighth rib, this is not very likely.