Identification procedures as a part of death investigation in Turkey

Forensic identification techniques include the examination of ID cards, the decedent's private belongings, fingerprints, footprints, lip marks, dental findings, red blood cell enzymes, performing photograph matching, facial reconstruction, visual identification, and DNA "fingerprinting." As part of forensic examinations, the identification of corpses that are fresh, decomposed, fragmented, or skeletonized as well as individual body parts and human remains can be requested. Identification becomes a challenging task for forensic terms particularly in mass-disaster situations. Each identification case should be considered to its own merit and the way to do that should be based on the effectiveness and cost of each method used. In Turkey, one of the major duties of the medicolegal system on the investigation of deaths is to identify the deceased if unknown.This study is undertaken to investigate the procedures, as well as their validities, used to deal with individualization of dismembered bodies directly sent to the Council of Forensic Medicine, Ministry of Justice, for autopsy and/or visual identification, as well as those received from peripheral districts for forensic identification. According to the Turkish Penal Procedural Law, a positive identification of the deceased is mandatory before performing an autopsy. According to the law, the ID cards are not taken to be sufficient for recognition of the deceased, and the major way of identification in daily practice is visual identification by a relative or any recognizant person to approve the identification to the prosecutor. If visual identification fails, fingerprints, dental x-rays or body x-rays, and DNA "fingerprinting" can be used to establish identity when compared with known records of the individual obtained by law enforcement.This retrospective study was carried out into 421 dismembered bodies, among 3063 autopsies performed in year 2002 by the Department of Morgue at the Council of Forensic Medicine, with particular insight into the identification procedures undertaken and their results. The overall negative identification rate was 30.4%, and in 1% of the cases, the visual identification by relatives were not confirmed by DNA identification and taken as misidentified.     

Potential confusion arising from materials presenting as possible human remains.

The accurate identification of human tissues is an important part of forensic science, but may be difficult when specimens are small, fragmented, or burned. A wide variety of materials may be submitted as human, including parts of animals and nonorganic materials. Two cases involving a plastic fetal skeleton and a rubber fetus are described, which were initially considered to represent human remains, thus initiating police investigations for possible concealed stillbirth or infanticide. In one case, the remains were so deceptively real in appearance that hospital personnel initiated fibroblast cultures from an "umbilical cord". A third case of mineral concretions that resembled a human hand is also described. These cases demonstrate that protocols should be in place for the rapid assessment of all suspected human remains by pathologists, so that nonhuman material can be rapidly excluded, and police investigations terminated.     

Medical criminological personality identification by morphological signs of upper limbs segments

Studies of the morphology of segments of human upper limbs helped develop a method for medical criminological personality identification by metric parameters of the arm and hand in expert evaluation of a dismembered corpse. The sampling consisted of 270 corpses of Europeoids of both sexes (150 men and 120 women) aged 17-98 years. Ten quantitative signs of the upper limbs were analyzed. Statistical modeling of body length and weight and of head and chest circumferences was performed on the basis of the hand, arm, and forearm characteristics. The data can be used for rapid personality identification in criminal cases, war actions, terroristic acts, and calamities with multiple victims.     

Possible express identification of human remains in case of their intense destruction after exposure to physical factors

The problem of identification of human remains is still one of the most difficult and pressing problems of forensic medicine. Such identification is particularly difficult in cases of intense destruction caused by exposure to physical factors (explosion, contusion, fire, compression, etc.). Approaches to identification in such cases are less available and differ essentially from traditional approaches used, for example, in cases when the remains are exposed to natural long-acting factors. This "white spot" is attempted to be liquidated by investigating aircraft accidents with grave destructive results. The potentialities of express identification of human remains in such cases are shown and a complex of characteristic signs which can serve as the landmarks are distinguished. The authors emphasize the strict adherence to certain regulations when working at the site of technogenic disasters and the hazards of disordering the process of identification in case these regulations are neglected.     

Soft Tissue Decomposition of Submerged,Dismembered Pig Limbs Enclosed in Plastic Bags*

Abstract: This study examines underwater soft tissue decomposition of dismembered pig limbs deposited in polyethylene plastic bags. The research evaluates the level of influence that disposal method has on underwater decomposition processes and details observations specific to this scenario. To our knowledge, no other study has yet investigated decomposing, dismembered, and enclosed remains in water environments. The total sample size consisted of 120 dismembered pig limbs, divided into a subsample of 30 pig limbs per recovery period (34 and 71 days) for each treatment. The two treatments simulated non‐enclosed and plastic enclosed disposal methods in a water context. The remains were completely submerged in Lake Ontario for 34 and 71 days. In both recovery periods, the non‐enclosed samples lost soft tissue to a significantly greater extent than their plastic enclosed counterparts. Disposal of remains in plastic bags therefore results in preservation, most likely caused by bacterial inhibition and reduced oxygen levels.     

A Pilot Study Comparing Postmortem and Antemortem CT for the Identification of Unknowns: Could a Forensic Pathologist Do It?

Forensic pathologists are commonly tasked with identifying human remains. Although DNA analysis remains the gold standard in identification, time and cost make it particularly prohibitive. Radiological examination, more specifically analog imaging, is more cost-effective and has been widely used in the medical examiner setting as a means of identification. In the United States, CT imaging is a fairly new imaging modality in the forensic setting, but in more recent years, offices are acquiring CT scans or collaborating with local hospitals to utilize the technology. To broaden the spectrum of potential identifying characteristics, we collected 20 cases with antemortem and postmortem CT images. The results were qualitatively assessed by a forensic pathologist and a nonmedically trained intern, and all cases were correctly identified. This study demonstrates that identification of human remains using visual comparison could be performed with ease by a forensic pathologist with limited CT experience.     

An analysis of data curated from 5 years of identifying human remains

An archive of 5 years of cases involving the identification of human remains was curated, collecting information on: The sample type submitted, the number of STR loci yielding interpretable results, the kinship challenge posed, and the outcome for the case. A total of 129 cases of remains ID were investigated using manual DNA extraction and recovery methods with amplification of STR markers using the Power Plex 21 multiplex STR kit from Promega Corp. In 52 cases, blood spots collected by the ME were provided as sample and in 100% of those cases, probabilities of relatedness to the reference samples was ≥99%. In 77 cases, tissue other than blood was provided as a source of DNA. These other samples were grouped categorically into long bones (femur and tibia; 40 cases), skull bones/teeth (11 cases), other bones (16 cases), and tissue (normally adherent to bone) (10 cases). Reference samples provided for cases included alleged parents or child(ren) of the victim (86 cases), alleged full siblings of the victim (38 cases), or alleged second-order relatives (five cases). The overall success rate in confirming the identity of the source of the remains in these cases was 89.2%. Our results demonstrate that a laboratory can be often successful identifying human remains using methods easily implemented in any DNA typing laboratory.     

Limbs found in water: investigation using anthropological analysis and the diatom test

We report the investigation, using a multi-disciplinary approach, of five cases of dismembered limbs which were recovered from Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and the Niagara River, and examined at the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario. In all cases, postmortem examination revealed that the limbs had been disarticulated in the postmortem period, by non-human taphonomic processes. In addition to routine gross examination, the femur and/or tibia were assessed using anthropological methods to give estimates of the sex, age, race and stature of the individual. The anthropologic data facilitated the identification of one of the cases. In all cases, nitric acid extracts of the femoral bone marrow were prepared and examined for the presence of diatoms. In all instances, diatom frustules were recovered from marrow extracts, indicating that drowning was the cause of death or at least a significant contributing factor in the cause of death. The use of the diatom test was helpful in excluding the possibility that the limbs were dismembered from individuals who had died by means other than drowning, and had been subsequently 'dumped' into water. The application of anthropological methods and the diatom test for drowning may significantly enhance the medico-legal investigation of body parts recovered from water, and we present an overview of useful techniques here. Anthropological data may facilitate identification, and the diatom test may establish a cause of death.     

Analysis of human remains recovered from a shark

Trauma caused by marine scavengers and predators, especially sharks, is not well known. This paper describes the effect of shark attack on human remains. They were found in the stomach of a tiger shark caught by fishermen near Hollywood Beach, Florida. The remains belonged to a white male in his late twenties or early thirties with a stature of 175 cm. The damages to the skeleton and the association of these damages with the behaviours of tiger sharks is also analyzed. The trauma affecting long bones are circular punctures around the epiphyseal ends. Other changes include unique crescent shape grooves horizontal to the shaft of the bone. Although all of the bones are affected, none of them is fractured or crushed, suggesting that the body parts are first dismembered and then swallowed and digested.     

DNA profiling of disaster victim identification in Trenggalek shipwreck case

DNA analysis is one of the primary methods of identification in DVI practices. The external environment of a mass disaster often results in severe fragmentation, decomposition and intermixing of the remains. However, DNA profiling still can be achieved even on cases involving partial, severely decomposed remains. This report shows the DNA profile of shipwreck victims using identifiler plus marker from tissue sample exposed to environmental conditions.     

Sex Determination from Hand Dimensions of North and South Indians

Abstract:  When dismembered human remains are encountered, the decedent's sex may not be obvious. For these scenarios, techniques for sex determination may play a vital part of the medicolegal investigation. Five hundred hands (230 males, 270 females) from North and South Indian region were studied to investigate sexual dimorphism in hand dimensions (hand length, hand breadth, and palm length). The hand index (hand breadth/hand length × 100) and the palm index (hand breadth/palm length × 100) were derived. The hand dimensions show a higher accuracy in sex determination when compared to indices. Of all hand dimensions, hand breadth has the highest accuracy of sex determination in the study group. The sex differences were found to be statistically significant only for the hand index on the left side. The morphometric parameters of the hand show considerable sexual dimorphism in the Indian population while the hand and palm index remain poor sex indicators. The study thus has medicolegal implications when a dismembered hand is brought for examination.     

A qualitative study of compact bone microstructure and nuclear short tandem repeat obtained from femur of human remains found on the ground and exhumed 3 years after death

Forensic identification of human remains is composed of anthropological study of race, sex, age, etc. By using these traditional methods, inconclusive or nonidentified cases could be subjected to DNA analysis. However, in spite of advances in human identification techniques, especially by PCR-amplified DNA, some limitations that affect the ability of obtaining DNA from human remains still persist. Light microscope sections of postmortem compact bones from human remains are presented here for the purpose of increasing a forensic examiner's prediction of successful nuclear DNA typing. Femoral compact bones were obtained from 7 human remains found on the ground, in different degrees of decomposition, and were cleaned by boiling to remove soft tissues, 8 collections of bones having undergone natural decomposition, not boiled (as no soft tissue was adhered), and 5 cadavers 12 to 16 hours postmortem. The histologic sections were stained by hematoxylin and eosin, the loci CSF1PO, TPOX, TH01, F13A01, FESFPS, vWA, D16S539, D7S820, D13S317, and amelogenin were amplified by PCR, and the polyacrylamide gel was stained with silver. The results presented here clarify questions concerning the viability of DNA for identification analysis, and they also may help to establish better strategies for optimization of DNA extraction and analysis in compact bones of human remains.     

Practical use of the molecular-genetic technologies in solving the tasks of forensic medical identification of remains in emergencies with huge human death toll

Previously, we have developed different variants, for the expert use, of information technologies, i.e. of computer automated analytical systems, to ensure an effective analysis of huge bulwarks of molecular-genetic expert findings. The results obtained in the above research significantly advanced the possibilities of expert evaluation related with personality identification under the conditions of a big death toll; they also cleaned the ground for the introduction of such methodological approaches in the practice of investigations of emergency accidents involving huge death tolls. Described within the present case study is a practical experience of forensic medical identification of unrecognized remains in air crashes with huge human death tolls implemented through computer-assisted complex molecular-genetic tests on the basis of indirect DNA identification involving the establishment of blood relationship.     

A Preliminary Assessment of the Identification of Saw Marks on Burned Bone*

Abstract: This study assesses the degree of modification to the saw mark characteristics of dismembered skeletal remains when exposed to a controlled outdoor fire of limited duration. The sample consists of 36 adult pig hind limbs which were dismembered fleshed. Six handsaws and six power saws were used, with three limbs dismembered and burned for each of the saw types. Results indicate that fire exposure affects the visibility and identifiability of saw mark striae. With the handsaws, the bow saw, hacksaw, and keyhole saw were consistently recognizable. In the power saw group, the saw marks of the jigsaw, reciprocating saw, and chainsaw remained identifiable. Although the bone ends exhibited thermal alterations, the false starts were well preserved with minimal damage. Given the parameters of this study, it is possible to identify the class of saw based on the diagnostic characteristics present on the cremated bones.     

Percentage of body recovered and its effect on identification rates and cause and manner of death determination

Anthropologists frequently encounter cases in which only partial human remains are recovered. This study reports how the percentage of the body recovered affects identification (ID) rates and cause and manner of death determination. A total of 773 cases involving anthropology consults were drawn from the New Mexico medical examiner's office (1974-2006). Results indicate a significant correlation between body percent recovered and ID rates, which ranged from 89% for complete bodies to 56% when less than half the body was present. Similar patterns were evident in cause/manner determination, which were the highest (83% and 79%, respectively) in complete bodies but declined to 40% when less than half the body was found. The absence of a skull also negatively impacted ID and ruling rates. Findings are compared with general autopsy ID rates (94-96%) and cause/manner determination rates (96-99%) as well as prior published rates for individual casework and mass death events.     

Guidelines for the recognition of cemetery remains in Greece

Forensic pathologists frequently consult anthropologists for the identification of skeletonized human remains. These remains may be the result of criminal activity or remains that were unearthed because of erosion, or during construction projects. In some cases, human remains that had been previously buried in a cemetery may be the subject of a forensic investigation. Early recognition of cemetery remains prevents unnecessary efforts and conserves precious resources. One of the key characteristics of cemetery remains is the presence of embalmed tissue. However, there are countries where embalming is not a common practice, and other clues must be sought for identifying previously buried remains. Current funerary customs in Greece and, in particular, the tradition of exhumations result in a large number of misplaced human remains. The present study presents examples of cemetery remains from Greece and offers guidelines for recognizing changes on skeletal remains that may be indicative of a cemetery origin. Location of discovery, condition of the remains, and the types of associated artifacts are all factors that aid forensic anthropologists in identifying cemetery remains.     

Fluvial transport of human remains in the lower Mississippi River

The Mississippi River has claimed many lives over the last several decades. A better understanding of the universal dynamics of its fluvial system can help direct the production of a predictive model regarding the transportation of human remains in the river. The model may then be applied to situations where the location and the identification of water victims are necessarily part of the recovery process. Results from the preliminary phase of a longitudinal project involving the transport of human remains in the Mississippi River are presented and represent the analyses of 233 case files of river victims. A provisional model for fluvial transport of human remains in the Mississippi River is proposed and examined. This model indicates that time in the river and distance a body travels are related. Such a model may assist in pinpointing entry location for unidentified human remains found in the river or on its banks. Further, it has the potential to provide local and regional law enforcement agencies, the United States Coast Guard, and other search and rescue organizations with primary search areas when someone is missing in the river. Other results from this study indicate that a relationship exists between the side of the river where victims enter the water and the side of the river where the remains are recovered. Finally, relationships are established between the length of time before recovery of the remains and state of preservation exhibited by those remains. A secondary benefit from this study is a database of river victims that can be used by a variety of different agencies.     

A fast and safe non-bleaching method for forensic skeletal preparation

Over the last three decades, forensic anthropologists increasingly have consulted on fleshed human remains cases in which the examination of skeletal elements is critical in answering questions of identification and the circumstances of death. This was certainly the case at the Human Identification Laboratory in Tucson, Arizona. As the caseload increased, it became clear that a method for defleshing human remains was needed in order to expeditiously expose the osseous surfaces for analysis, yet at the same time, preserving the evidentiary nature of the material. As a result, a fast, safe and economical method for defleshing human remains and producing high quality, degreased skeletal elements was developed. This non-bleaching cooking method utilizes chemicals that are easily obtained and inexpensive standard household ingredients that can be purchased at most grocery stores.     

Public and family support and concerns for providing DNA to law enforcement in long-term missing person cases

The identification of long-term missing persons and unidentified human remains is a global challenge. Many people stay on missing persons registers, with unidentified human remains stored for extended periods in mortuaries around the world. Research exploring public and/or family support for providing DNA in long-term missing persons cases is scarce. The aims of this study were to examine whether trust in police predicted the level of support for providing DNA and explore public/family support and concerns for providing DNA in such cases. Trust in police was measured through two widely used empirical attitude scales; “The Measures of Police Legitimacy and Procedural Justice”. Support and concerns for giving DNA were measured through four hypothetical missing persons case scenarios. The results showed more positive attitudes towards police legitimacy and procedural justice significantly predicted support, with the percentage level of positive support across the four case types as follows: cases involving a long-term missing child (89%), elderly adult with dementia (83%), young adult with a history of runaway (76%), with the lowest level of support for an adult with an estranged family (73%). Participants also reported more concerns about providing DNA when the missing person circumstances involved family estrangement. Understanding levels of public/family support and concerns around providing DNA to police in missing persons cases is vital to ensure that DNA collection practices reflect what the public/family support and, wherever possible, alleviate public concerns.