Recent Case Reveals a Nineteenth Century Trauma Analysis and Presentation of a Skull as Evidence in a Homicide Trial

Abstract

Following a recent death, a human skull was found in a worn physician bag at the decedent’s residence. The bag was labeled with the name “G.B. Ward”, who was found to be a practicing physician and surgeon in the late 1800s, and contained historic medical paraphernalia and letters and receipts dated to the late 1890s. A forensic anthropological analysis of the skull concluded that it was not of modern medicolegal significance but revealed certain inconsistencies with standard professionally prepared anatomical specimens. This initiated further investigation into the history of G.B. Ward, which ultimately resulted in the circumstantial identification of the skull and revealed more than forty detailed newspaper accounts of its evidentiary use in an 1895 homicide trial in the rural United States. Ultimately, the Prosecution’s argument was likely based on the misinterpretation of a transmaxillary (Le Fort) fracture, which had yet to be defined in the medical literature. This case study emphasizes the importance of investigative and forensic anthropological efforts and cautions against cursory designations of skeletal remains as medical specimens. It also highlights the early recognition of the evidentiary value of skeletal remains in court cases and pioneering efforts in performing forensic skeletal trauma analyses.