I could trace her through you. Rachel and I have done it before. It's more difficult than if I knew her mind myself, but it can be done.
And yes, there is a great difference. Brain waves and signals collapse slowly on death. Things shut down earlier, even if it's a sudden death. I've witnessed someone disappearing in front of me and deciphered the difference. It's that it poof everything vanishes without a trace. There is no leftover remnants, it was as if they were never here. Death... lingers.