The processing of skeletonized human remains found in Berlin, Germany

Identification process of skeletal remains from mass graves: Our experience and proposal guidelines

“…This particularly relates to the identification based on bone or teeth samples taken from the people killed in mass disasters or from the exhumed bodies, which cannot be performed by any other standard method [3][4][5][6][7][8]. The DNA analysis is a very useful and certainly the most precise current method of identification in such cases.…”

“…There is a number of published researches dealing with the problems of identification of victims found in mass graves after the Homeland War, World War II and even after World War I [3][4][5][6][7][8]10]. Due to the difficulties of isolating DNA from such samples, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.legalmed.2014.…”

Gunshot wound in skeletonised human remains with partial adipocere formation

“…The process of documentation and handling of multiple fragmented human bones have been positively identified in death cases in Germany especially during world war II. 11 Besides having morphologic means of identification, mtDNA of skeletal remains may be useful even in human remains, buried centuries ago. 12 It has been documented that postmortem radiographic examination is useful in determining gunshot injuries and bullet locations both in human and in animals.…”

Inductively coupled plasma – atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) as a method of species differentiation of bone fragments

“…Forensic osteological casework involving the identification of human remains can include fragmented human skeletal elements interspersed with animal bones [1][2][3] . Further examples of this type of casework can include burned or fragmented remains from fires, natural disasters or mass disasters [1][2][3][4] .…”

“…Further examples of this type of casework can include burned or fragmented remains from fires, natural disasters or mass disasters [1][2][3][4] . The first steps in this type of forensic investigations, after locating and collecting the bone fragments, is to identify whether the fragments are human or animal 2 .…”