Any creature failing two DC 13 Con-saves vs. gorgon breath (or other such magic such as Flesh to Stone spell) is stone-petrified. Also, a dead yet animated creature (ANY corporeal undead) suffers similar stony fate once properly exposed to these magics.
Does Gorgon breath &/or petrification-spell work on 'dead' bodies not yet animated / undead? For that matter, is such a 'dead' body even targetable via the spell version of this magic?
Concern: it would be odd that a zombie ('dead') can turn to stone but a flesh body (also 'dead') be immune to petrification or possibly not even targetable.
Reason for asking: non-rotting / stone / preserved-dead bodies are useful: can be dismantled for Flesh Golem parts, vital parts for magic item manufacture, original creature Raised / Resurrected / Reincarnated at any later date - i.e. myriad-plethora-abundant uses.
In advance: this may be much ado about nothing or otherwise an unnecessarily complicated way of seeing 5e rulings. If so, corrections on such RAW, RAI &/or RAF nuances herein would be invaluable.