Forensic Sciences Research最新文献

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

With various calls in the forensic scientific literature for pattern-matching disciplines to adopt evaluative reporting, which is also known as the likelihood ratio or logical approach, practitioners used to reporting evidence under a more traditional paradigm may have a level of apprehension and face a steep learning curve. There may be doubts about the benefits of evaluative reporting, when it applies and when it does not, what it actually entails, its validity, and how to explain it in court. These questions and more are answered in this comprehensive collection of frequently asked questions on evaluative reporting. While the focus is on providing context for forensic handwriting examiners, many of the questions and answers are general in nature and the concepts can be applied to other disciplines.

Like other pattern recognition disciplines, forensic handwriting examination relies on various human factors. Expert opinions in the field are based on visual analysis and comparison, and the evaluation of findings is generally conducted without reference to tabulated data. This high level of subjectivity may contribute to bias and error in the examination process. In this paper, we draw on our research and practical experience to discuss error mitigation on several levels, addressing both aspects of quality management and the individual responsibility of examiners. Because a good understanding of the concept of error is needed to communicate appropriately about this subject, definitions of error-related concepts are provided. We consider contextual information management essential to reduce the potential for cognitive bias in casework. To ensure completeness of findings and avoid omission errors, the use of checklists during a forensic handwriting examination is encouraged, and an exemplary checklist incorporating all the examination steps is provided. We consider the use of a logical reasoning approach to evaluate findings an important step towards robustness and transparency in the examiner's report. An independent, blinded peer review of the examination is recommended as a further key step in error mitigation. Regular participation in testing programmes and continuous training and education are essential to maintaining and improving competency at both individual and organizational levels. Finally, developments in the form of tabulated data and the use of algorithms are considered useful ways of increasing objectivity in the field and minimizing human error.

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.

The estimation of the postmortem interval for skeletal remains is a crucial aspect of forensic anthropology. This paper illustrates the importance of radiocarbon analysis for establishing medico-legal significance and supporting forensic identification, through the analysis of three case studies for which the years of both birth and death were investigated. In Audresselles, Northern France, a partial skull was discovered with no contextual information or identity. Radiocarbon dating yielded an average calibrated calendar age of 4232 BCE (92.5% probability), indicating significant archaeological value but no forensic relevance. In the second case, skeletal remains were found in the flooded underground of a historical fort at Wimereux, Northern France, also with no identity. Radiocarbon dating based on the bomb-pulse curve indicated a calibrated date of death in 1962 CE (37.3% probability) or 1974-1975 CE (58.1% probability), both surpassing the French statute of limitations. Lastly, a skeleton with a suspected identity was discovered near Valenciennes, Northern France, and various biological tissues underwent radiocarbon dating. A bone sample suggested a calibrated date of death of 1998-2002 CE (84.6% probability), differing from a hair sample (2013-2018 CE, 83.3% probability) because of the slower bone tissue remodeling process. DNA analysis confirmed the person's identity, reported missing a decade prior to the discovery of the remains, following the alignment of the radiocarbon results with the individual's year of birth based on dental tissues and year of death. These case studies reveal that traditional radiocarbon dating and bomb-pulse dating are essential tools for estimating the postmortem interval, providing mutual benefits for archaeologists, forensic anthropologists, and the criminal justice system.

Key points: Traditional radiocarbon dating and bomb-pulse dating are essential tools to establish the archaeological relevance or medico-legal significance of human skeletal remains.Bomb-pulse dating enables assessment of an individual's years of birth and death.Bomb-pulse dating helps to narrow down the pool of candidates for identification.Radiocarbon analysis provides mutual benefits for archaeologists, forensic anthropologists, and the criminal justice system.

Mummification of corpses with partial skeletonization is not an uncommon occurrence in daily forensic work. Cooperation between different forensic fields is important in these cases in terms of obtaining the most accurate and forensically relevant results, especially when child abuse and neglect is suspected. In Central Europe, up to 21% of children are exposed to physical and psychological harm, which is mostly perpetrated by family members. This report describes a case of subadult female mummified remains in which interdisciplinary forensic pathology, forensic anthropology, and entomology input was needed to obtain legally relevant results. Entomological analysis of the fly and beetle species present served primarily to estimate the postmortem interval. External examination confirmed advanced postmortem decomposition of the body. The anthropological findings based on radiographs and analysis of selected bones confirmed various antemortem fractures and post-traumatic changes involving the ribs, the distal portion of the humerus, the nasal bones, and the anterior portions of the maxilla and mandible. Furthermore, non-specific findings of growth arrest (Harris) lines in the distal metaphysis of the right tibia indicated growth retardation and, overall, child neglect. The autopsy findings confirmed subdural blood coagulum, part of which formed a clearly moulded plaster mass that had originally been attached to the cranial vault up to the internal lamina. The findings indicated a post-traumatic condition as the underlying cause of death in this child. Interdisciplinary forensic analyses confirmed that the child had been repeatedly exposed to violent assaults throughout her lifetime.

Key points: If mummified remains with partial skeletonization of a subadult are found, collaboration among forensic experts is requiredIn this case, dried subdural blood coagulum indicated post-traumatic, non-spontaneous subdural haemorrhagePeriosteal reaction present on the facial bones and distal portion of the humerus was a suspicious findingAnalyses of female subadult remains based on an interdisciplinary approach revealed a syndrome of child abuse and neglect.