Challenges in Identification of Unknown

1. Challenges in Identification of Unknown
Dr. Akhilesh Pathak
Professor & Head
Forensic Medicine & Toxicology,
AIIMS, Bathinda-151001, Punjab,
India

2. • The process of identifying a deceased person begins when an
Unknown dead body is recovered.

3. • The identity of the deceased person is having a vital importance to start the
investigation in right direction and to find out the accused.
• During autopsy, I have observed the various challenges in identification of the
deceased.

4. Different Case Scenario ??

5. Common methods used by police for
identification of the deceased:
• Shift the victim to
the govt. hospital.
• Try to identify the
victim

6. • Identification of the deceased is a crucial tsk for IO in India.
• Its quite easy in case scenario-1 but it is almost impossible them to
identify a victim in other scenarios.

7. Case scenario-2 (Decomposed Body)
3-Sep-22 7

8. Case scenario-3 (Partly mummified body)

9. Case scenario-4 (Burn Case)

10. Case scenario-5

11. Case scenario-6

12. Case scenario-7 (Dismembered Body)

13. Case scenario-8 (Skull found in a box)

14. Case scenario-9 (Skeletonized body)

15. How an Autopsy surgeon may help in Identification ?
3-Sep-22 15

16. Covid-19 deaths

17. What is the common methods of
identification used by the police ?

18. • Fingerprints are taken for records and cross matching.
• Photographs are taken by the IO to published in print media.

19. Recovery of Unknown
dead body
Publishing the picture
in news papers
Try to get the reports
weather any person of
similar age and sex is
missing in that area
They ask the relatives of
mission person to identify
the dead by clothes and
features

20. • If the completed documentation shows that a remains is that of a
named individual or an individual of a group—and that all reasonable
doubts of the identity have been resolved—final disposition is made
of the remains.
• If completed documentation shows that the remains cannot be
identified, the case is continued in an active status so that further
attempts at successful resolution can be made.

21. Role of Autopsy surgeon in Identification ?

22. • Forensic Pathologist can help the IO in identifying the deceased by
examination of body during autopsy.
• Information from witnesses if available, the IO, and inquest paper is
documented by the forensic pathologist.

23. • The dead body and associated identifying features including personal
effects are examined during the autopsy and the findings are
documented.
• As an autopsy surgeon we can comment on the age, sex and stature
of the individual, which is very helpful to identify the person.

24. Identification by clothes and ornaments or
pocket contents.

25. Un Scientific methods
• Misidentification of dead body
&
Exchange of dead bodies

26. 3-Sep-22 26
Case-1 (Burning Car Murder)
Man believed to be 'charred to death' walks back home!
TNN | Sep 28, 2016, 10.07 AM IST
VADODARA: Family members of a 35-year-old farmer (Nayak-name changed), who was presumed to
be charred to death in his car, were in for a shock when he turned up at his house on Monday. The
family had even performed the last rites of the charred body, believing it to be that of Nayak!
Locals had found body of a man in a Maruti van in the early hours near road on Sunday.
The van belonged to Nayak, who had left his house saying that he was going for work. However, he
had not returned till late night. From whatever remained of his clothes, the family identified the
body as that of Nayak. After claiming the body, the family members performed its last rites and an
offence of murder was also registered by Nayak's brother. The car was found away from the highway
and there was blood on the ground near the burnt car.

27. 3-Sep-22 27
Next day, When Nayak walked into the village, he shocked many including his own family members. A group
gathered to see him. He was wearing only trunks and a vest and had burn injuries. The village sarpanch was
informed who in turn called the police. Nayak was taken in an ambulance to the Civil Hospital. The police
interrogated him on Tuesday and it came to light that Nayak suspected that his wife Kapila had an affair with a
villager Mr. X . To kill Mr. X took him along under the pretext of going on a drive. He brought Mr. X back to the
village and then smashed his head with a spanner just when he got down from the van. Nayak then put Mr. X,
who may have been unconscious or dead, in the van
and then procured 5 litre petrol. He doused
Mr. X with the fuel after taking him inside the
van and set it ablaze. In the process, Nayak
too suffered burn injuries. Interrogations are
still continue… The FSL team had collected
samples from the body for DNA testing.

28. Completely charred body
3-Sep-22 28

29. Case-2
Misidentification in a case of Drowning:
• The dead body of a well known advocate was recovered from a river
in decomposed condition and identified by the relatives by clothes
and appearance.
• The autopsy was conducted and the family performed the last rites of
the deceased.
• On third day of incidence, another dead body from same river was
recovered with similar appearance and keys in pockets.

30. • The keys were sent to home of the deceased to find out weather it
belonged to him or not and It was found that the it opened the locks at his
home.
• With the help of DNA it was confirmed that 2nd dead body belonged to the
missing advocate.

31. The cases where we are asked to preserve the DNA sample
during autopsy:
• Unknown dead bodies
• Charred dead body
• Severely decomposed
• Skeletonized remains
• Fetus
• Dismembered body
• Sexual assault cases
• Mass disasters

32. FRESH BODIES
• Best sample is to preserve the blood on
FTA card.
• An FTA card is a chemically treated filter
paper designed for the collection,
preservation and shipment of biological
samples for subsequent DNA analysis.

33. Non availability of FTA card- preserving sample of blood on a gauze
piece, dried in air and preserved in a container for DNA profile.

34. DECOMPOSED BODY
• TOOTH (MOLARS)– Single tooth with root
- Wrapped in cotton, placed in plastic container without any
preservative
-- Extracted by a tooth extractor
•

35. • STERNUM – entire along with sternabrae
--Placed in a plastic container after cleaning soft
tissues, no preservative added
-- removed using Rib cutter, as lifted during autopsy

36. DISMEMBERED BODIES
It depends upon the part of the body, brought for examination
• Muscle tissue –about 100 gms in saturated salt solution
• Tooth – single molar with root

37. SKELETONIZED REMAINS
• Portion of the remains brought for examination
• Without any preservative, wrapped in cotton & placed in a plastic jar

38. CHARRED BODY
• If whole body is sent, then molar tooth with root
• Otherwise about 100 gms of the charred structure

39. Foetus
• LONG BONE (FEMUR) – one side
-- Disarticulated and muscle/ soft tissues removed
-- Placed in plastic container without any preservative
Dried blood on gauze

40. a)Sexual assault cases : in
autopsy cases where the
history of sexual assault
was there we preserved
swabs from the vagina and
rectum.

41. • Blood in EDTA tube.

42. Shipping
• Refrigerate and ship with cold pack by overnight courier
• Sample can be stored at room temperature if it will arrive in the
lab less than 36 hours after blood drawn
• Blood samples are stable at 4 degrees Celsius for longer than a
week

43. Conclusion
• Challenges in Identification but Un scientific methods should not be
used.
• Holistic approach must be used for identification.
• DNA sampling and cross matching should be done to confirm the
identity.
• The forensic pathologist should have the knowledge of proper
sampling and transportation for DNA profiling.

44. Thank you