Not so simple: Understanding the complexities of establishing identity for cases of unidentified human remains in an Australian medico-legal system

Blau, Soren; Rowbotham, Samantha K.

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.111107

Cited by 11 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Blau and Rowbotham's [32] review of UHR cases recovered between 1960 and 2020 in Victoria, Australia confirmed the State Coroner, and thus the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM), were responsible for 132 UHRs. Of the 132 cases, 62 (47%) were skeletonized and in varying stages of preservation, ranging from complete skeletons through to single bone fragments.…”

Section: Applying Radiocarbon Dating To the Investigation Of Uhr Case...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiocarbon dating as tool to assist in triaging cases of unidentified human remains in Victoria, Australia: A case series

Blau

Johnstone-Belford

Rowbotham

2023

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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In cases where human remains are unidentified because there is no initial identification hypothesis, limited contextual information, and/or poor preservation, radiocarbon (14C) dating may be a useful tool to further assist with identification. Through measuring the amount of 14C remaining in organic material, such as bone, teeth, nail, or hair, radiocarbon dating may provide an estimated year of birth and year of death for a deceased person. This information, may assist in, establishing whether a case of unidentified human remains (UHR) is actually of medicolegal significance and therefore, requires forensic investigation and identification. This case series highlights the application of 14C dating to seven of the 132 UHR cases in Victoria, Australia. Cortical bone was sampled from each case and the level of 14C was measured to provide an estimated year of death. Four of the seven cases analyzed contained the levels of 14C consistent with an archeological timeframe, one contained a level of 14C consistent with a modern (i.e., of medicolegal significance) timeframe, and the results for the remaining two samples were inconclusive. Applying this technique not only reduced the number of UHR cases in Victoria but also has investigative, cultural, and practical implications for medicolegal casework in general.

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Section: Applying Radiocarbon Dating To the Investigation Of Uhr Case...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiocarbon dating as tool to assist in triaging cases of unidentified human remains in Victoria, Australia: A case series

Blau

Johnstone-Belford

Rowbotham

2023

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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“…Consequently, the former study was excluded from the figures above to provide a more accurate representation of the current situation. Five articles were excluded from these figures as only the number of unidentified bodies was provided and not the proportion of total caseload experienced (Table 2) (Minas Gerias, Brazil: 568 bodies [18]; Jalisco, Mexico: 4060 bodies over 14 years, and estimated 37 433 bodies nationwide [19]; Australia: 500 bodies [20]; Victoria State, Australia: 132 bodies [21]; eight countries in the European Union (EU): 807 bodies [22] and Austria 739 bodies [22]).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Bodies were commonly retrieved from railways and roads [11,16,24,26,28] or from indoor settings (e.g. religious place, household) [21,29,31].…”

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confidence: 99%

Understanding the burden of unidentified bodies: a systematic review

2023

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While human identification is a crucial aspect of medico-legal investigations, many individuals remain unidentified each year across the world. The burden of unidentified bodies is often referred to when motivating for improved methods of identification, and anatomical teaching, yet the actual burden is somewhat unclear. A systematic literature review was undertaken to identify articles that empirically investigate the number of unidentified bodies experienced. Despite the large number of articles returned, an alarmingly low number (24 articles) provided specific and empirical details on the number of unidentified bodies, demographics and trends thereof. It is possible that this lack of data is due to the variable definition of ‘unidentified’ bodies and the use of alternative terminology such as ‘homelessness’ or ‘unclaimed’ bodies. Nevertheless, the 24 articles provided data for 15 forensic facilities across ten countries of both developed and developing statuses. On average, developing countries experienced more than double (9.56%) the number of unidentified bodies when compared to developed nations (4.40%). While facilities were mandated under different legislations and infrastructures available varied greatly, the most common issue faced is the lack of standardised procedures for forensic human identification. Further to this, the need for investigative databases was highlighted. Through addressing the standardisation of identification procedures and terminology, alongside the appropriate utilisation of existing infrastructure and database creation, the number of unidentified bodies could be significantly reduced globally.

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Validity of postmortem computed tomography for use in forensic odontology identification casework

Maley

Higgins

2023

Forensic Sci Med Pathol

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Forensic Odontology (FO) identification compares antemortem (AM) and postmortem (PM) dental datasets and is widely accepted as a primary identifier. Traditionally, a PM dental examination is undertaken in the same manner as a dental examination conducted for a living patient. Recently, the increased forensic application of computed tomography (CT) offers an alternative source of PM data. While charting from PMCT is widely accepted as less accurate, the impact on reconciliation is unknown. This study aims to determine if reconciliation outcome differs when PM dental data is collected from PMCT, compared with conventional PM examination. PMCT data was reviewed for 21 cases previously completed using conventional PM dental examination. Operators blinded to original identification outcomes charted from CT images before comparing to AM data to form an opinion regarding identity. Opinions formed were compared with original identification outcomes. Differences in PM dental charting between the two methods and the evidentiary value of AM and PM datasets were assessed to determine driving factors of differences in identification outcome. Compared to conventional PM dental examination, PMCT examination resulted in similar or less certain identification outcomes. Discrepancies in outcome were driven by the quality of AM and PM datasets rather than inaccuracies in charting from PMCT. Based on the results of this study, both conventional and PMCT methods of PM dental examination can reach similar identification outcomes. However, operators remained more certain in establishing identity when conducting conventional PM dental examinations especially when AM data was lacking.

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Not so simple: Understanding the complexities of establishing identity for cases of unidentified human remains in an Australian medico-legal system

Cited by 11 publications

References 43 publications

Radiocarbon dating as tool to assist in triaging cases of unidentified human remains in Victoria, Australia: A case series

Radiocarbon dating as tool to assist in triaging cases of unidentified human remains in Victoria, Australia: A case series

Understanding the burden of unidentified bodies: a systematic review

Validity of postmortem computed tomography for use in forensic odontology identification casework

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