Forensic Sciences Research最新文献

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/fsr/owae015.].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/fsr/owad058.].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/fsr/owad052.].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/fsr/owad046.].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/fsr/owae004.].

Establishing a positive identification of human remains found in a forensic setting is often accomplished through DNA, fingerprints, or odontology. However, when these primary identifiers cannot be applied, practitioners can rely on combining points of concordance derived from other identification modalities such as antemortem trauma, pathology, or unique skeletal morphologies to build up a case for identification. In order to conduct these comparisons, forensic anthropologists must be well trained and experienced in human skeletal variation and antemortem trauma to properly evaluate a particular skeletal trait and understand its value with respect to personal identification. In addition to macroscopic analysis of skeletal features and standard radiographic images, recent forensic anthropological efforts of establishing personal identity from the skeleton have employed high-quality clinical imaging technologies. This article presents three forensic anthropological cases in which positive identification was established on the basis of multiple antemortem to postmortem comparison modalities that included skeletal variation, antemortem fracture morphologies, trabecular patterns, dental traits, and implanted surgical devices. These cases use a variety of imaging techniques, such as cranial radiographic images, dental radiographs, computed tomography, photography, and 3D surface scans of the skeletal remains, to achieve personal identification.

Key points: The identification of the remains becomes a top priority in forensic investigations.Dental treatment, implanted surgical devices, anatomical variation, and healed skeletal trauma can provide useful features for the antemortem vs. postmortem records comparison.This article discusses three cases in which multiple forms of antemortem and postmortem imaging were used to compare skeletal areas of interest.All cases were carried out by the Mercyhurst University Forensic Anthropology Team.

"I still don't realize that he's dead.... I cried over it. It makes me sad to know that he was buried unaccompanied on his last trip. We were all shocked." This testimony corresponds to a family whose relative was buried in an anonymous grave 6 months after his disappearance was reported to the police. It is estimated that between 1 000 and 3 000 unidentified bodies are buried in anonymous graves in France each year. Most of these decedents have passed through the medico-legal system. However the identification of these bodies, outside the context of mass disasters, remains a complex problem. Several national and international publications have highlighted the prevalent problem of unidentified burials and the consequences for families who do not know the fate of their loved ones, specifically, whether they are alive or deceased. This 6-year retrospective study (2018-2023), covering a total of 2 324 unidentified decedents admitted to the Institute of Medical-Legal Paris (IMLP), aimed to assess the impact of the identification protocol implemented in 2017 on the number of bodies that remain unidentified (n = 164). In addition, this study aimed to establish profiles for individuals who remained unidentified with the objective of identifying the factors that hinder their identification and developing correlated methods to address these issues. The results of this study were compared with other published studies to highlight the global problem and the ongoing need for collaboration between forensic practitioners and relevant authorities.

Key points: Despite great advances in human identification, unidentified decedents remain a global problem.This 6-year overview study covering a total of 2 324 unidentified bodies admitted to the IMLP provided relevant information about the unidentified decedent population and assessed the impact of a protocol established in 2017 on the rate of deceased buried without identity in Paris.The need to establish a national database in France to properly document and disseminate information on missing persons and to centralize the biological profile of unidentified bodies is key, as without antemortem information or a biometric database there can be no matching.

This article presents a series of three complex forensic cases that posed significant challenges for identifying human remains. These include a mass dam disaster, burnt human remains, and extensively decomposed human remains. Positive identification was achieved using a shadow positioning technique with imaging comparisons of medical findings. After establishing the biological profile, medical data were evaluated with digital radiography and computed tomography examinations the human remains. These aimed to replicate the original (intravitam) traits in the same angulation to examine postsurgical characteristics, as well as the anatomical, pathological, and morphological features, which were sufficient to establish a positive scientific identification. Technological advancements tend to reveal additional skeletal details, making medical data comparisons significantly more effective in the context of anthropological identification. These cases demonstrate that the possibility of identification should never be ignored, even in situations with advanced decomposition.

Key points: Conventional identification methods may not always be applicable in forensic anthropology cases.The presented cases include a mass dam disaster, burnt human remains, and extensively decomposed human remains.These three cases involved successful human identification with medical findings comparisons using the shadow position technique.Identification could be established in these cases, despite challenges, such as fire damage, an incomplete body, and extensive decomposition.These cases suggest medical findings should be considered as biological identifiers rather than secondary identifiers.

Identification of unidentified remains involves a comparison of ante- and postmortem features using biological identifiers. Anthropological identifiers, referred to by International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) as secondary identifiers, have often been judged less reliable than DNA, fingerprints and dental records (referred to as primary identifiers). However, anthropological identifiers have been proven as discriminatory as the primary sources in many instances, and play a decisive role in positive identification. To guarantee better use of anthropological identifiers, it is not only essential to develop standard protocols and statistical frameworks, but also to test different identification approaches in cases from daily practice. Evidence of skeletal antemortem trauma can be a valuable aid in the identification process, especially if the exact type of traumatic event causing the injury is identified. Here, we present a case in which the combination of anthropological analysis and imaging confirmed an interesting and unique sequence of antemortem traumatic events in incomplete skeletal remains. The remains were assumed to pertain to an individual who went missing several years earlier, and whose medical records revealed a unique history of trauma to the right femur. The individual had sustained a fracture due to a fall from a high height followed, 10 years after the primary trauma, by a gunshot wound to the same bone; both treated by intramedullary nail fixation. While the anthropological analysis matched the biological profile of the missing individual and identified a healed defect to the right femur compatible with a gunshot wound, the radiological examination indicated that the bone underwent three surgical procedures on different occasions. Radiological examination also identified a pre-existing healed fracture adjacent to the gunshot defect. In addition to presenting the identification process in this specific case, this article discusses the difficulties in antemortem trauma interpretation, importance of combining macroscopic and radiological analysis to aid the reconstruction of previous traumatic events and mechanisms of injury from healed fractures that can play important roles in forensic human identification.