Forensic Anth

Forensic Anthropology 

Application of biological anthropological methods and theory. Particularly those relating to the recovery and analysis of human skeletal remains to resolve legal matters

Role of FA

Help in the death investigation and find the cause/manner of death, and other information relating to the death of the individual

Objectives of a FA

Biological profile, cause and manner of death, time since death, scene recovery/mapping, expert testimony, document evidence

Formative period

Pre-1940s, no scientifically trained individuals 

Consolidation period (1939 - 1971)

Formal methods are developed

Modern period

forensic anthropology is recognized as a real science, establishment of body farms

Parkman Murder

First time a court had used scientific evidence to help prosecute someone + first time someone acting as a forensic anthropologist

Thomas Dwight

Father of forensic anthropology

Book “Identification of the Human Skeleton: a medico-legal study” 1878

Ales Hrdlicka

Anatomist at the Smithsonian

First curator of physical anthropology

Trained medical graduates in anthropometry and forensic techniques

1918, founded American Journal of Physical Anthropology

Earnest Hooton

First full-time biological anthropology professor at harvard

Studied primate evolution, criminology, racial classification (massive racist)

His students started bioanth programs across the country

Thomas W. Todd

Cleveland ohio

Hamann-Todd collection

• Documented skeleton collections

• 3,300 skeletons

Suture closures, ossification times, dental eruption, and symphysis age change

Robert J. Terry

Washington U. Saint Louis

Terry Collections

• 2,000 documented skeletons

Charles E. Snow

First director of central Identification Lab

American Board of Forensic Anthropologists Definition

Forensic Anthropologists regularly assist in the interpretation of hard tissues (osseous, dental, and cartilaginous) and assist in cases of fully fleshed, decomposed, burned, and skeletonized remains in the field, mortuary, or laboratory.

Ethics

Respect, Honesty, Confidentiality

Opinion

Not a fact, someone's thought

Subjective interpretation

Interpretations about bones: sex, stature, age, ancestry

Type of wounds: defensive vs accidental, sharp force, blunt force

Evidence

Data

Data by objective observation

Bones examined

Numbers, size, and location of wounds

Type of weapons, etc.

Speculative

A guess, based on no data or expertise

Possible

possible but unlikely, semi-certainty

Probable

Highest certainty

General tendency of data

• Females tend to have wider sub-public angles

Certainty =

• Dna

• Dental IDs

The Frye Criteria (1922)

The Frye criteria focus on the use of scientific evidence and its general acceptance

Federal Rule of Evidence 702 Criteria (1975)

Concerned with expert witness testimony and their credentials

The Daubert Criteria

The last form of 'defense', judging both scientific theories/evidence and witness testimony for biases and replicability

Cause of death

what killed a person

Manner of death

the context of death of a person

Types of manner of death

Homicide, Accident, Suicide, Natural, Undetermined

Non-natural deaths

infant/child death

In good health

Suicides

Accidents

Drug abuse

Where a threat to the public is assumed

Accidents

Suspicious deaths

Homicide / violent death, criminal activities

Decomposed remains

Deaths in custody

Medically unattended deaths

Determining the remains are significant or not

Bones or tooth?

Human or non-human?

Is the human bone/tooth contemporary (recent > 50 years old)

Not formally buried

Criteria for ML significant

Skeletal/dental

human or not

contemporary or not

Types of cases for FA

Skeletonized remains

Badly decomposed bodies

Bodies found in water

Burned remains

Questionable trauma

Postmortem interval

refers to the time elapsed since an individual's death

Antemortem

Prior to death

Perimortem

During death

Postmortem

After death

Five stages of decomposition

Fresh, Early Decomp/bloat, Active decay, Skeletonization, Extreme Decomp

Fresh

Includes algor, liver and rigor mortis

Early Decomp / Bloat

Autolysis, putrefaction, occurs 24-72 hours after death

Active decay

internal organs will rupture & liquefy.

Gas & fluids exit the body orifices.

Soft tissues collapse.

Adipocere may form

3 - 21 days

Skeletonization

Decomposing soft tissue with possible desiccation, more than half skeleton exposed, some body fluids present, greasy to dry bones.

1 week - years

Extreme decomposition

Longitudinal cracks occur, and external cortex may flake away. Bone will appear significantly weathered and will continue to show evidence of fragmentation over time.

2 weeks - years

Algor Mortis

cooling of the body to ambient temperature (1-8 hours after death

Liver mortis

where deoxygenated blood settles in the body due to the pull of gravity. This leads to discoloration which is also helpful for determining of the body has changed positions (0-3 hours after death)

Rigor mortis

muscle stiffening after death (2-36 hours after death). Peaks about 12 hours, then dissipates 24-36 hours

Death Investigation Steps

Death pronouncement, Scene investigation, Establishing ML jurisdiction, Triage, Autopsy/no autopsy, ID+Trauma assessment+Additionaly Investigation, Cause and manner of death + death certificate