A Case of Contested Cremains Analyzed Through Metric and Chemical Comparison |
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| Authors: | Eric J Bartelink PhD Sabrina B Sholts PhD Colleen F Milligan PhD Traci L Van Deest PhD Sebastian KTS Wärmländer PhD |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Human Identification Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, California State University‐Chico, Chico, CA;2. Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC;3. Department of Anthropology, C.A. Pound Human Identification Lab, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL |
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| Abstract: | Since the 1980s, cremation has become the fastest growing area of the U.S. funeral industry. At the same time, the number of litigations against funeral homes and cremation facilities has increased. Forensic anthropologists are often asked to determine whether the contents of an urn are actually cremated bone, and to address questions regarding the identity of the remains. This study uses both metric and chemical analyses for resolving a case of contested cremains. A cremains weight of 2021.8 g was predicted based on the decedent's reported stature and weight. However, the urn contents weighed 4173.5 g. The urn contents also contained material inconsistent with cremains (e.g., moist sediment, stones, ferrous metal). Analysis using XRD and SEM demonstrated that the urn contained thermally altered bone as well as inorganic material consistent with glass fiber cement. Although forensically challenging, cremains cases such as this one can be resolved using a multidisciplinary approach. |
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| Keywords: | forensic science forensic anthropology cremains burned bone X‐ray diffraction scanning electron microscopy |
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