Lawyers and experts are meeting in Italy to discuss whether they need to carry out a second post mortem examination on the body of murdered British exchange student Meredith Kercher.
They will appear before Perugia's prosecutor general, judge Claudia Matteini, to decide if results from the original post mortem examination are sufficient to more accurately establish the time and cause of Miss Kercher's death.
If a second examination is ruled out, it could clear the way for the 21-year-old's body to be released to her family for a funeral.
The Leeds University student, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was murdered at her home in Perugia on the night of November 1.
Three people are currently in custody in connection with the killing: Miss Kercher's American housemate Amanda Knox, 20; Italian Raffaele Sollecito, 23; and 20-year-old Rudy Hermann Guede, an Ivorian with joint Italian nationality who is awaiting extradition from Germany.
A fourth man, Congolese bar owner Diya "Patrick" Lumumba, was released from custody last week but remains a suspect in the case.
All four deny sexually assaulting and murdering Miss Kercher.
Monday's hearing was requested by lawyers acting for Lumumba who want a precise time of death because they believe they have a cast-iron alibi for his whereabouts on the night of the killing.
Lawyers and experts representing all suspects will attend. Members of Miss Kercher's family are not expected in Perugia but will be represented by their lawyer, Francesco Maresca.
Opinions differ as to when a decision will be taken about the body, with some expecting a result quickly and others warning it could be "a few days".
