What is Forensic Science?
•Application of science to criminal
investigation.
• Forensic science has an ancient
history
First recorded application of medical knowledge to the
solution of a crime (forensic medicine): 1248 CE,
Chinese book Hsi DuanYu (The Washing Away of Wrongs)
•Primer on the investigation of suspicious deaths
•Discussed how to tell if a strangulation was masked as a
suicide by hanging in a corpse
•Still in practice today.
The Medical Forensic Team
CORONER (legal authority to investigate deaths; may not have an MD)
MEDICAL EXAMINER (ME) usually a Forensic Pathologist (MD)
OTHERS: Forensic Odontologist, Forensic Botanist, Forensic
Entomologist, Forensic Anthropologist, Forensic Archaeologist,
Forensic Palynologist etc.
What is Forensic Anthropology?
Anthropology has 4 subdisciplines:
•PHYSICAL(or BIOLOGICAL) Anthropology,
• Archaeology,
• Cultural Anthropology,
• Linguistics
•FA: a subfield of Physical Anthropology only
in last 35 yrs (FArch only within the last decade!)
•FA: use of techniques from physical anthropology in medicolegal
death investigation (i.e., deaths within the last 50 years) WHY?
•BECAUSE it would be difficult to prosecute otherwise (murderer ,
family of victim, witnesses would likely be deceased)
History of Forensic Anthropology
•Began in the US with the murder of Dr. George Parkman at Harvard
Medical School in 1849. Solved by 2 Harvard anatomists using
skeletal evidence to identify the victim.
•Thomas Dwight, 1883 Harvard anatomist: Founder of Forensic
Anthropology- established an osteology section in anatomy dept
10 Question Protocol
DEVELOPED BY EMINENT FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGIST Dr. Clyde Snow 1982
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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?
Are there any identifying characteristics, such as old
injuries, disease or unusual features?
9. What was cause of death?
10. What was the manner of death?
• Homicide
• Suicide
• Accidental
• Natural
• Unknown
HUMAN OSTEOLOGY
Skeletal System: Frontal View
LANDMARKS AND FEATURES OF THE BONES
Where does this bone fragment come from?
From the frontal (forehead)bone of the skull
First question of the Ten
Question Protocol:
Q1:Are the bones human?
Q1: Are the bones human?
Q3: How long ago did death occur?
Remember, medicolegal interest is within
the last 50 years!
Teeth from prehistoric burial site
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE:
Q4: What was the person’s age at death?
Q5: What was the person’s sex?
Q6: What was the person’s race(ancestry)?
Q7: What was the person’s height?
IDENTIFICATION AND CAUSE OF DEATH:
Q8: Are there any identifying characteristics, such as old injuries,
disease or unusual features? ANTEMORTEM, PERIMORTEM;
POSTMORTEM CHANGES TO BONE
IDENTIFICATION AND CAUSE OF DEATH (continued):
Q9. What was cause of death? PERIMORTEM vs POSTMORTEM
TRAUMA TO BONE
IDENTIFICATION AND CAUSE OF DEATH (cont.):
Q10:What was the manner of death? HOMICIDE? SUICIDE?
THE CASE OF THE MISSING BARBIE:
A classroom exercise in Forensic
Archaeology
The scene of the crime
Gridding off the scene to map in evidence
Flagging, photographing, mapping and removal of evidence
Burial (bone) is visible
Burial
outline
from the
top
Clean and exposed “in situ”
Always excavate to “sterile” ground
If possible, do detailed recovery in the laboratory or
morgue
Cleaning the bones and looking for trauma
AFTER
BEFORE