Forensic
Anthropology
Forensic
Anthropology
• Barely 40 years old as a legitimate branch of
forensic science.
• Years ago, anthropologists who studied the
corpses and bone fragments of crime scene
victims were looked down upon by the peers.
• The people of yester year who shaped today’s
Forensic Anthropology consist of scientists,
detectives, murders and their victims.
The Sausage Maker
Adolph Luetgert
The Sausage Maker
Adolph Luetgert
• Was a well known sausage maker
• On May 1st, 1897 his wife Louisa disappeared.
• Adolph claimed that his wife ran off to
relatives after an argument.
• Neighbors became suspicious when Luetgert’s
two young sons began to ask door-to-door if
anyone had seen their mother.
The Sausage Maker
Adolph Luetgert
• Six days later, in order to stop the rumors,
Luetgert reported his wife’s disappearance to the
police.
• Police Captain Herman Schuettler and his team of
investigators interviewed people in the
neighborhood.
• The neighbors described Luetgert as an
adulterous wife beater. Luetgert did not live in
the family home, but in the office of the sausage
factory.
The Sausage Maker
Adolph Luetgert
• Business associates of Luetgert said that he
wanted to expand his sausage-making
business but his wife, Louisa, disagreed.
• Police questioned workers of the factory who
said that weeks before Louisa’s disappearance,
Luetgert ordered 375 pounds of potash and
50 pounds of arsenic which was unusual.
The Sausage Maker
Adolph Luetgert
• The factory’s night guard said that on the
night of the disappearance, Luetgert sent him
on an errand then gave him the entire night
off.
• The guard left Luetgert stirring a large vat of
boiling liquid. He had never seen him do this
before.
The Sausage Maker
Adolph Luetgert
• Luetgert fired up the furnace under the vat
and kept vigil all night.
• The next morning, the employees found
Luetgert asleep in the back office and a greasy
substance all over the floor.
• Other witnesses claim they saw Luetgert and
his wife enter the factory the night before.
Some witnesses even heard screams coming
from inside the factory.
The Sausage Maker
Adolph Luetgert
• Captain Schuettler and his men found several
small bone fragments, a steel corset stay, a
false tooth and a wedding ring inscribed with
the initials L.L..
• Experts from the University of Chicago told
the police that boiling potash and arsenic
would dissolve a human body within two
hours. The potash would leach the calcium
out of Louisa’s bones, reducing them to a jelly.
The Sausage Maker
Adolph Luetgert
• Charles Deneen was the Illinois State’s
attorney assigned to the case. He had to
prove that the bone fragments were human.
• Several “experts” he contacted could not
distinguish between animal or human bone.
• Deneen contacted a specialist in the study of
ancient human remains, George Dorsey, a
curator of physical anthropology at the Field
Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
The Sausage Maker
Adolph Luetgert
• There were four bone fragments and they could
fit on tablespoon.
• Dorsey testified that the bone fragments could
only come from a human.
• While Dorsey’s testimony helped cement the case
against Luetgert, his reputation suffered.
• His colleagues couldn’t believe that he “lowered”
himself by “performing” at a trial.
• George Dorsey opened the door for other
anthropologists.
The Webster Case
• On the Friday before Thanksgiving, 1849, Dr.
John Webster had a meeting with Dr. George
Parkman.
• Dr. Parkman had loaned Dr. Webster some
money.
• On the night in question, Dr. Webster had
(according to him) an agreeable conversation
with Dr. Parkman and the two parted
amicably.
The Webster Case
• After the Parkman/Webster meeting, no one
ever saw Dr. Parkman again.
• The janitor, thinking Webster was guilty,
searched every inch of the medical building.
• In the basement he found a hacked-up body.
• Upon further police investigation, parts of Dr.
Parkman were found all over the medical
building.
The Webster Case
• 150-odd bones were collected from the medical
building.
• A team of doctors from Harvard Medical College
were called to piece Dr. Parkman back together
again.
• Webster was convicted and sentenced to hang
• 100 years later – some experts questioned
Webster’s guilt.
• Out of the trial came a set of 10 questions that
are used by forensic anthropologists today.
10 Questions Used Today
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Are the bones human?
How many individuals are represented?
How long ago did death occur?
What was the person’s age at death?
What was the person’s sex?
What was the person’s race?
What was the person’s height?
10 Questions Used Today
8. Are there any identifying characteristics, such
as old injuries, disease, or unusual features?
9. What was the cause of death?
10. What was the manner of death? (homicide,
suicide, accidental, natural, or unknown)
Characteristics of Bones
• Living tissue!
• Inside contains marrow where the blood cells
are made
• Regulated by hormones
• Capable of growth and repair
• Adult has 206 bones – after all of the bones
have fully developed
• Infants have about 300 bones
Is it Human?
Differential Skeletal Anatomy of
Humans and Animals:Cranium
Human
Animal
Large bulbous vault, small face
Small vault, large face
Vault relatively smooth
Pronounced muscle markings, sagittal
crest Inferior
Inferior Foramen Magnum
Posterior Foramen Magnum
Chin present
Chin absent
Orbits at front, above nasal aperture
Orbits at sides, posterior to nasal aperture
Minimal nasal and midface projection
Significant nasal and midface projection
"U"-shaped mandible (no midline
separation)
"V"-shaped mandible (separates at
midline)
Osteology
Human bone –vs- Animal bone
Macroscopic differences
Microscopic differences
Macroscopic differences
Greater Trocanter
Head
Lesser Trocanter
Medail and Lateral
epicondyles (patellar
side)
Baboon femur
Human femur
Microscopic differences
Human bone thin section
Dinosaur bone thin section
Osteology
Parts of bone important to know
Ridges
Projections
Grooves
Openings (foramina)