Recovery of Human Remains PDF

Recovery of Human Remains  Types of Human Remains There are several different ways to classify human remains: Expedient Grave Shallow grave and loosely covered with soil or debris Shallow Graves Quickly dug grave with only inches of soil on top...

Recovery of Human Remains  Types of Human Remains There are several different ways to classify human remains: Expedient Grave Shallow grave and loosely covered with soil or debris Shallow Graves Quickly dug grave with only inches of soil on top Buried Remains Grave which requires significant digging to access the remains Normally, when a person dies, they are buried in a grave at a cemetery, below or above ground, in a ceremony called interment of remains If the person’s body need to be un-buried and removed (usually for more testing) in a process called exhumation Normally this requires a court order  Surface Remains Surface remains consist of bodies left on the ground, either being dumped there as a result of homicide or through aircraft accidents or other isolated accident Depending on how the body has been out there, the crime scene may be contained or spread out The longer the body has been there, the more likely it is to spread out due to skeletonization or predation from animals Search for bodies: Near paths or roads as bodies are heavy Near areas of high insect activity Use cadaver dogs to sniff out decomposition  Searching for Human Remains Locating human remains in a wilderness area can be a very time-consuming activity The area to be searched can be determined by investigation, interrogation, statements or confessions Expedient Grave Indicators: Insects, especially swarms of flies Vultures circling ahead Vegetation or branches pulled to cover grave Shallow Grave Indicators: Cadaver of Decomposition Island Disturbed vegetation and soil Depressed area of soil Buried Remain Indicators: Mounded soil over a fresh grave Inconsistent vegetation growth Depressed soil over an older grave  Probing Method The primary method to locating human remains in a grave is the probing method Procedure: Investigators should stand at least 10 feet before the suspected grave site Investigators stand shoulder-to-shoulder They will hold a T-shaped metal or fiberglass probe Investigators probe the ground three times Left shoe, center of body, right shoe As a unit, investigators will step forward Repeating the three-probe process When a grave site is located by the change in soil to bone, investigators mark the borders with marker flags Avoid damaging the grave by aggressive probing  Cadaver Dog Cadaver Dog A search-and-rescue dog specially trained to find dead people or body parts The most common breeds used are the Malinois Shepherd, German Shepherd, English Spaniel, and Labrador Retriever A cadaver dog must be trained in a certified training facility Cadaver dogs can locate: Expedient graves Shallow graves Buried graves Submerged remains  Other Methods With the right tools, there are several other methods to locating human remains: Methane Gas Detection A body produces methane gas as it decomposes Gas slowly leaches from the ground A methane detector used with probing rod can locate the gas FLIR and Thermal Tomography FLIR scans the ground for differences in temperature Maggot masses will have a temperature higher than the environment FLIR can be located on an aircraft Most effective for surface recoveries or expedient graves  More Methods With the right tools, there are several other methods to locating human remains: Magnetometry Some bodies are buried with metal objects Zippers, shoe eyelets, weapons, belt buckles A magnetometer detects objects with iron It will not detect a body itself Electrical Resistivity A body’s decomposition alters the ability of an electrical charge to pass through the ground Usually in late-stage decomposition A survey of the ground electrical resistance may reveal a grave with decomposition  Surface Documentation Once a body has been located, a thorough search of the surface is required, usually with the grid search pattern The initial search documents: All visible remains All pieces of evidence Take care to locate any impression evidence And not destroy it A secondary search is done on hands and knees marking all surface evidence A third search is done on hands and knees, removing vegetation, to reveal bare soil Botanists can estimate how long vegetation has grown  Surface Preparation Once a grave has been located and all evidence documented, the first step in exhumation is to establish a site datum in the southwest corner of the grave Site Datum A known location in 3D space established to record all measurements from taken on scene Use a piece of metal as the site datum and establish the GPS coordinates of it Then, mark the site datum with reference heights for elevation of the surface crime scene  Establishing a Grid Once the site datum is established, use a compass to establish a north-south line from the datum Use a stake to record the northernmost corner Next, use a compass to establish an east-west line from the datum Use a stake to record the easternmost corner Then, build out a square using string, with each corner being 90° The string should be at the highest elevation point of the grave Next, divide the grid into appropriately sized squares The best size is 3ft X 3ft  Sifting After the grid has been established, the next step is sifting through the soil to find evidence Investigators need to establish a site nearby where soil can be sifted over a clean tarp Investigators should have several different types of mesh sieves: 1/2 inch 1/4 inch 1/8 inch Always start with the larger meshes and then progress through finer meshes All soil and evidence needs to be numbered with the grid square  Excavating the Grave The grave site can only be excavated after the ground search and grid have been established All surface soil should have been removed and sifted Grave excavations should be done with a trowel, carefully, removing Whiskbroom no more than an inch of soil at a time When body parts or evidence is located, digging must immediately stop and it must be photographed Tyvek Suit The soil around the body part should be swept away carefully to reveal the bone, first with a whiskbroom then a paint brush Once a body part is ready to be removed, place it on a Tyvek suit next to the excavation so which body parts have been recovered are easily seen  Case Study: Srebrenica Genocide The Bosnian War occurred from 1992-1995 in Bosnia and Herzegovina between Christians and Muslims On July 12, 1995, Serb soldiers started killing refugees from Srebrenica, who were Muslims The Serb soldiers were separating the men from the women in refugee camps The soldiers used bulldozers to push bodies into mass graves, which were thousands of men and boys The Serbian soldiers committed horrific wartime  Exhuming Graves In known graves, exhuming is sometimes necessary for more testing or further investigation Considerations: Schedule as early as possible during a weekday It limits outside interest Ensure you have permission or a court order Arrange with the medical examiner for another autopsy Obtain dental records to confirm identity Review cemetery records with the grave marker Document all exhumation- before, during and after  Case Study: Stacey Castor Stacey Castor met her first husband, Michael, in 1985 By 1991, they had two daughters but were rumored to be having affairs In 1999, Michael felt ill and died in January 2000 of a supposed heart attack In 2003, Stacey remarried to David Castor In August 2005, Stacey called 911 to report her depressed husband had locked himself in the bathroom A deputy kicked in the door to find him dead with antifreeze being drunk Detectives ordered Michael’s body exhumed and found antifreeze In September 2007, Stacey poisoned her daughter Ashley, who she had set up to take the fall with a suicide note Stacey was convicted of murder and attempted murder in 2009  Aquatic Human Remains Most bodies will remain submerged in unless snagged onto a limb or rocky feature Decomposition will release gases and the body will move towards the surface This may take days to weeks depending on water temperature The best method to locate bodies in the water is to use a helicopter and aerial view from above the water A person in a boat attempting to locate remains will need to use polarized sunglasses Scuba divers will need to be certified for underwater body recovery  Locating Aquatic Remains There are several other methods to locating human remains in water: Cadaver Dogs Cadaver dogs can also smell decomposition in water They normally stand on the bow to sniff gases coming from the water Drift If an investigator knows where a victim drowned or submersed, they can use an expert to determine where the body may have drifted Computer Simulation Modeling The US Army Corps of Engineers, Coast Guard and state agencies may have computer simulation models available to determine where a body may have drifted  More Methods to Locate Aquatic Remains With the right tools, there are several other methods to locating human remains in water: Methane Gas Detection FLIR and Thermal Tomography Magnetometry Scanning Sonar Sonar scans the bottom of the water regardless of visibility Sonar equipment is located on the bottom of the boat Works best in small areas of water, such as a pond Side Scanning Sonar Sonar towed behind a boat in large bodies of water Works best for remains on the bottom of a smooth surface Does not work well with irregular bottoms or covered by silt  Processing Aquatic Remains Once a body has been located, it should be placed in a body bag in the water At the depth and location of its discovery The reason for doing this is it prevents the loss of evidence and family members cannot see the remains in their state once surfaced Once at the surface, place the body onto a floating recovery board The body will be taken for autopsy at that point In addition, take water samples and soil samples if possible  Case Study: Laci Peterson On December 24, 2002, Laci Peterson disappeared from her home She was 8-months pregnant with a boy Her husband, Scott, stated he had gone fishing that day in the San Francisco Bay using his boat He immediately became the prime suspect On April 13, 2003, a couple walking near San Francisco Bay found the remains of a late-term male fetus The next day, a woman’s body washed ashore a mile away from the fetus- DNA results showed it was Laci and her son Scott Peterson was found guilty of their murder and sentenced to death