Localized in vivo 31P NMR spectroscopy was applied to evaluate the postmortem catabolism of high energy phosphates in rabbit skeletal muscle tissue. In the premortem processes all of the important high energy phosphate metabolites were characterized, and particularly phosphocreatine (PCr) resonance signal was the strongest. In the immediate phases of the postmortem processes the signal intensities of PCr, phosphomonoesters (PME), phosphodiesters(PDE), $alpha$-, $eta$- and ${gamma}$-adenosine triphosphate (ATP) resonance began to decrease while the signal intensity of inorganic phosphorus (Pi) resonance began to increase. The present study suggests that localized in vivo 31P NMR spectroscopy may provide more precise biochemical information of the early postmortem period based on the metabolic alterations of phosphate. The unique ability of localized in vivo 31P NMR spectroscopy to offer noninvasive information about tissue biochemistry in animals as well as human may have an impact on thanatochronology and medicolegal science.