3. Locating Human Remains
The Search for Buried Evidence
• Witness Statements
The Search for Buried Evidence
• Visual Clues: Basic Principles
The Search for Buried Evidence
• Surface Changes
The Search for Buried Evidence
• Remote Sensing (Aerial imagery, Light detection
and ranging and thermal imaging
The Search for Buried Evidence
• Geophysical Techniques
The Search for Buried Evidence
• Search/Cadaver Dogs
Topsoil Removal
Confirming the Presence of a Grave and/or Human
Remains (Ground Probes, Test Trenching)
Excavation and Exhumation
4. Locating Human Remains
● located by chance (people walking
their dogs , result of tidal changes
etc)
● proactive investigations for
suspicious burial
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
5. The Search for Buried Evidence
(Witness Statements)
❑ obtain statements from anyone who may
have witnessed the burial and hence aids
in narrowing down a search area
❑ Limitations:
❑ witness at the time of the clandestine burial
(e.g., stress/ fear, light, distance, etc.)
❑ Passage of time between the event and
witness interview.
❑ Consequently, witness to indicate the
general area where a grave is supposed to
be but be unable to pinpoint the exact
location of the burial
6. The Search for Buried Evidence
(Visual Clues: Basic Principles )
❑ When bodies or other evidence are
buried the act of digging rearranges
the existing strata resulting in easy
identification of changes to ground
surface contours, soil color,
and/or vegetation growth.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-
SA
7. O layer: Decaying organic matter
(Humus)
A(Topsoil) layer: Humus and Mineral
particles
E layer :Sand and Silt
B layer : Leached Clay and Mineral C
layer : Partially broken up rock
R layer: solid Rock Layer
8. ❑ vegetation modification (graphic and
microflora analysis indicates
subsurface disturbance)
❑ vegetation adjacent or near burial may
be damaged or killed
The Search for Buried Evidence
(Surface Changes )
Reference: Blau, S., & Sterenberg, J. (2016).
9. ❑ Vegetation growth Change (vegetation
growth /reduce vegetation growth)
❑ Shallow depression and surface
cracking of soil surface seen as the
process of cadaver decomposition.
❑ Body or skeleton exposed to surface
(Shallow grave with recent disturbance)
❑ Larger mass graves may also contain
imported foreign soils from secondary
graves, which contain seeds and pollen
from their primary location.
The Search for Buried Evidence
(Surface Changes )
Reference: Blau, S., & Sterenberg, J. (2016).
10. The Search for Buried Evidence
(Search/Cadaver Dogs )
❑ Cadaver or ‘air-scent’ dogs are specially trained dogs
are able to smell or sniff out decomposing material.
❑ Limitations:
• certain weather conditions, i.e., extreme cold or heat
causes discomfort to the dogs and has a tendency to
affect their ability to locate a scent.
• Factors such as humidity, wind speed, and ground
moisture also affect the dogs’ ability to locate a scent
from a distance.
11. The Search for Buried Evidence
(Remote Sensing )
❑ Aerial imagery : elevated perspective and relies
upon indications of digging activity or potential
graves standout from their general background
An example of the use of aerial imagery to identify sites of
disturbance is the detection of contemporary mass graves
created during the 1990s Balkans conflict. The detection
of these large sites relied heavily on aerial imaging
supplied by government agencies. Aerial photographs of
the greater Srebrenica area of Eastern Bosnia taken by
U2 spy planes were analyzed for signs of possible
disturbance Reference: Blau, S., & Sterenberg, J. (2016).
12. The Search for Buried Evidence
(Light detection and ranging and thermal imaging )
● Infrared/thermal imaging may be employed as a means
of locating buried remains and may be especially useful if
the victim has been recently killed and buried in a shallow
grave.
● A decaying body can generate temperature differences
between it and the surrounding soil (Time dependent/
season dependent).
How Does Thermal Imaging Work?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re_DtZrsXbs
13. The Search for Buried Evidence (Geophysical Remote sensing )
❑ relies on sensing and detecting disturbances within the various physical
properties of the earth.
❑ Geophysical prospection uses passive, for example, magnetic field mapping,
soil resistance(resistivity), conductivity, ground penetrating radar.
❑ Limitations:
• The equipment required to undertake a geophysical survey can incur an
additional cost to an investigation, requires specialist operators and can
generally be only undertaken in good, clear weather.
• To date no geophysical techniques has the ability to locate individual bodies,
however, the general size, shape and depth of a disturbance can be
accurately mapped, the effectiveness of each technique depending on the
search environment(i.e., soil type, moisture, topography, etc.)
• As an example, electrical resistance meters (resistivity) work better in
relatively damp environments while magnotometry may be affected if there
is metal debris (e.g., nails, wire fences, etc.) on or near the survey area.
14. Principles of skeletal processing and preparation
❑ forensic anthropological (direct
observation and analysis of the outer
surfaces and sometimes internal
properties) of bones and teeth.
❑ human remains with soft tissue
(D/M/F) or other adhering material
(such as soil) obscuring the skeletal
remains.
❑ Bones damaged due to taphonomic
processes or trauma before recovery
❑ single person or more than one
individual.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
16. Processing methods
❑ Documented (notes and photography)
❑ Radiography (locating additional material
evidence )
❑ If clothing, personal effects, or evidence
(e.g., a ligature around the neck or a
projectile within the cranium) carefully
documented prior to removal, and retained
(by other forensic specialists)
❑ decomposed and mummified skin may
retain evidence of tattoos or prior
surgery
Source: Christensen, A. M., Passalacqua, N. V., & Bartelink, E. J. (2019
17. Maceration
(cold/Hot water
maceration)
Carrion insects
(mealworms
Mealworms (larvae
of Tenebrio
molitor) and
dermestid beetles)
Chemical approaches
bleaching agents ,hydrogen
peroxide, antiform, sodium
hypochlorite, and papain,
water & ammonia, bleach and
acetone
Source: Christensen, A. M., Passalacqua,
N. V., & Bartelink, E. J. (2019
18. Skeletal reconstruction
❑ restoring to their original dimensions allow
metric analyses and help to visualize and
clarify fractures and trauma patterns (their
cause).
❑ not necessary to physically affix or adhere
fragments together / only for completely dry
bone/ physical match
❑ Temporary methods (tape, wax, or clay)
❑ Permanent methods/ reversible (e.g.,
adhesives such as Paraloid B-72®, an
acrylic resin)
Source: Christensen, A. M., Passalacqua, N. V., & Bartelink, E. J. (2019
19. Commingling
❑ Detection (no. of bones, biological
parameters, size, sex, visual pair
matching, articulation, osteometric sorting,
taphonomy (color and condition), and
DNA (mitochondrial or nuclear DNA
sequences)
❑ Minimum number of individuals (Bones
and fragmentary remains)
❑ Most Likely Number of Individuals
MLNI = [(L + 1) (R + 1) / (P + 1)] − 1
R=Right, L=left, P= Pairs
Source: Christensen, A. M., Passalacqua, N. V., & Bartelink, E. J. (2019
20. Skeletal sampling
❑ If soft tissue such as muscle,
brain, etc (prior skeletal
processing).
❑ removal of a small window of
bone bones or bone portions
(lack useful for identification
features, trauma, or disease)
Source: Christensen, A. M., Passalacqua, N. V., & Bartelink, E. J. (2019
21. Skeletal preservation
● returned directly to investigators or funeral homes in
paper bags or cardboard boxes
● Skeletons awaiting identification , donated for teaching
or research purposes or bone specimens retained as
evidence (retained for longer periods of time)
● Precautions:
● acid free storage boxes
● padding of storage containers
● prevent access by insects or other animals such as
rodents
● avoiding excessive temperature and humidity of the
storage area.
Source: Christensen, A. M., Passalacqua, N. V., & Bartelink, E. J. (2019
22. Preservation of the features of skeletal
remains
❑ Chemical preservatives (consolidant)
❑ Casting methods i.e. plasters, plastics, and
epoxies (Latex and silicon impressions)
❑ Laser scanning and three-dimensional
printing, although more expensive
produces high-quality replica.
Source: Christensen, A. M., Passalacqua, N. V., & Bartelink, E. J. (2019
23. REFERENCE
❑ Christensen, A. M., Passalacqua, N. V., & Bartelink, E. J. (2019). Forensic anthropology: current methods and
practice. Academic Press.
❑ Burns, K. R. (2015). Forensic anthropology training manual. Routledge.
24. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
