Unidentified Human Remains Research Articles

Missing Persons and Unidentified Human Remains: The Perspective from Armed Conflict Victims Exhumed in Granada, Colombia

The prevalence of missing persons in Colombia has been analyzed from different perspectives throughout the years. The most recent official numbers given by the National Center for Historical Memory (Centro Nacional de Memoria Histórica [CNMH]) provides an approximate number of 60,630 missing persons from 1970 to 2015. During this time, participants in the armed conflict performed different types of violence to one another, including torturing, disapperances, and multiple incidents of combat between militant groups and the Colombian National Army. Formerly, the agencies tasked with investigating these crimes were focused primarily on the cause and manner of death; identification was not the main purpose, leaving hundreds of unidentified victims buried in different cemeteries around the Colombian territory. The aim of this article is to provide a broad perspective of the dimension of the missing persons in Colombia, highlighting the achievements that have been made so far, presenting an example from the unidentified victims buried and recovered from “La Resurrección” cemetery in Granada (Colombia) and analyzed by a specialized forensic team of the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses [INMLyCF]) in the Eastern Region of Colombia.

Survey of dental hygienists' and dental hygienist students' attitudes towards body identification tasks of unidentified human remains.

Dental findings are used to identify unidentified human remains. The post-mortem records, necessary for the appraisal of dental findings, are created by the dentist; however, a system for dental hygienists specializing in these tasks to utilize has not yet been considered. This study was directed at both students at a dental hygienist school and dental hygienists. We conducted an awareness survey on their willingness to participate in these tasks, as well as the need for education regarding body identification tasks. The results showed that students and dental hygienists are highly interested in body identification tasks and highly motivated to participate. Numerous participants preferred to take courses regarding basic knowledge in both lecture and practical training settings to acquire the knowledge necessary for performing these tasks. It is necessary to consider the curriculum content and timing of lectures and practices related to body identification tasks. Participation limited to the creation of post-mortem records, except for the creation of antemortem records requiring diagnosis and treatment knowledge and the matching task of antemortem records and post-mortem records, should be considered to prevent the tasks of dental hygienists from excessively expanding. If dental hygienists train properly, intraoral findings records can be drawn up by a team consisting of 1 dentist and 1 dental hygienist. Therefore, it is expected that the use of forensic dental identification, which is a relatively quick identification method, will be further improved.

A standalone humanitarian DNA identification database system to increase identification of human remains of foreign nationals.

The identification of missing persons and human remains is a worldwide problem which has been exacerbated with increased migrations and rampant human trafficking and smuggling cases. DNA typing and DNA databases are primary tools and resources used to help identify human remains and missing persons. The foundation of most, if not all, national DNA database systems, e.g., CODIS, is law enforcement identification. With such database systems, compliance with statutory and operational requirements is necessary to ensure the integrity of the databases. However, because of conditions in their homelands, relatives of missing persons at times may not trust the government and may be reluctant to contact a law enforcement agency, making it difficult to satisfy the law enforcement nexus necessary for entry into a national DNA database. A potential solution to increase the identification of unidentified human remains found within the USA, such as those that may be of foreign nationals, the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI) has created a Humanitarian DNA Identification DNA Database (HDID) that enables family reference sample DNA profiles from non-US citizens to be compared with the DNA profiles from unidentified human remains within its local database system. This short communication describes the needs, basis, policies, and practices to inform the scientific, investigative, and legal communities and the public so that various entities may become aware and consider submitting family reference sample (FRS) profiles from foreign nationals for the purpose of searching against UNTCHI's HDID. It is our hope that by creating this HDID, another vehicle is available to support identification of human remains within the USA and to bring much needed answers to the family members of missing persons. The HDID will merge high forensic quality and best practices with the broader accessibility for non-US families to voluntarily donate DNA profiles for searching for missing loved ones.

The impact of investigative genetic genealogy: perceptions of UK professional and public stakeholders

Law enforcement authorities in the United States have been increasingly employing genealogists to search genetic genealogy databases with unknown origin DNA from unidentified human remains, or from a serious crime scene, to identify the victim or a potential suspected perpetrator. There are benefits to this form of searching in terms of public safety and bringing justice to victims of crime, and such searches are legally permissible. However, ethical questions arise regarding whether database users have a reasonable expectation that their DNA information will be searched by law enforcement in this way, and so, in turn, questions about consent and privacy have emerged. While initial surveys suggest generally positive support for using genetic genealogy methods, less work has explored the underlying reasons behind this support. We were interested in exploring the perceptions of key stakeholders in the UK with relation to this, specifically for the purposes of solving serious crimes. Through a series of 45 predominantly UK public and stakeholder interviews, we show a general support for the technology, though interviewees were also able to articulate a range of social and ethical concerns. Support was associated with the extent interviewees perceived the technology as impacting the current use of genetic genealogy databases in terms of individual genealogy database users, the genealogy community, and/or genetic genealogy and law enforcement practices. We present our findings and discuss their implications.

신원불상 변사사건에 대한 경찰 수사의 문제점과 개선방안 연구 - DNA법 DB 자료 대조를 중심으로 -

2009년부터 2013년까지 전국에서 발견된 560명의 신원불상 백골화 시신에 대한 국립과학수사연구원의 법의인류학, 법치의학 감정서와 이를 토대로 경찰ㆍ해경에서 작성한 개인식별 최종 수사결과 기록을 대조하여 백골화 변사자에 대한 신원확인율을 살펴본 바 560명 중 172명(30.7%)만 신원이 확인되었고, 388명(69.3%)은 신원이 확인되지 않았으며 심지어 무연고시신으로 분류되어 사건은 내사종결되고 누군가의 가족일 수 있는 신원불상자들이 무연고묘지에 가매장된 것으로 확인되었다. 또한 2014년부터 2019년까지 경찰청 과학수사 관리관실에 의뢰된 신원불상자의 지문감정(AFIS) 결과 매년 40여명 이상이 신원이 확인되지 않고 있다. 따라서 실종자를 기다리는 가족들을 위해 신원불상자를 무연고시신으로 분류하여 내사 종결하는 잘못된 수사관행을 타파하고 실종자와의 지속적인 신원확인 대조 감정이 가능하도록 변사자 유골을 보관해야 하며, DNA법에 따라 저장되어 있는 범죄자의 DNA 신원확인정보 등을 대조하여 신원확인율을 높이는 등 경찰의 책임수사역량 강화 필요성을 시사하고자 한다.

Comparative study of the reliability of frontal and maxillary sinuses in sex identification using multidetector computed tomography among Egyptians

Abstract Background: Sex determination of unidentified human remains is a crucial part of forensic medicine, as it is not always possible to obtain whole intact skeleton for analysis. Objective: to assess the reliability of frontal and maxillary sinuses measurements for the identification of sex using Multidetector CT (MDCT) images in Egyptian sample. Subjects and methods: The study was carried out on 100 individuals (50 males and 50 females) aged 21-57 years. Eight frontal and maxillary sinuses measurements were assessed using MDCT scanning. The eight variables were subjected to statistical analysis, and sex was detected using the significant measurements in the discriminant functional analysis. Results: The findings showed significant differences between males and females regarding the right and left cephalo-caudal measurements, and the size and transverse measurements of the left maxillary sinus (p

Weight-of-evidence for DNA identification of missing persons and human remains using CODIS.

DNA Identification of unidentified human remains (UHR) is performed in Israel by comparing the UHR's short tandem repeat (STR) profiles to a national database of STR profiles taken from relatives of missing persons. Kinship analysis is performed using the CODIS 7.0 software and results are stated as a Joint Pedigree Likelihood Ratio (JPLR). The weight-of-evidence for JPLR has never been studied, making it difficult to interpret the meaning of specific values in terms of whether UHR are related to specific pedigrees. Therefore, the aim of this study was to statistically determine the practical meaning and context of the JPLR. We used 440 million pairs of simulated DNA profiles and 294 pairs of real ones from known siblings, parent/offspring and unrelated persons. A Score-Based Likelihood Ratio (SBLR) was empirically constructed, validated and compared to both JPLR and the LR produced by CODIS. Our results show that CODIS's JPLR and LR values for single-person pedigrees overestimate the level of support for both "parent/child" and "siblings" propositions relative to the "unrelated" proposition, by up to two orders of magnitude. A practical table is given for correcting this phenomenon, with statistical interpretation (i.e. SBLR) for each JPLR score, including verbal levels of propositional support ranging from "no support" (SBLR<2) to "extremely strong" (SBLR>1 Million).

Stature determination from different body dimensions: a systematic review appraisal

Forensic anthropology is a special sub-field of biological anthropology (the study of human remains) that involves applying skeletal analysis and techniques in archaeology and forensic sciences to solving identity cases. Generally speaking forensic anthropology is the examination of human skeletal remains for law enforcement agencies to help with the recovery of human remains, determine the identity of unidentified human remains, interpret trauma, and estimate time since death. Through the established methods, a forensic anthropologist can aid law enforcement in establishing a profile of the unidentified remains. The profile includes sex, age, ancestry, height, length of time since death, and sometimes the evaluation of trauma observed on bones. In many cases after identity of an individual is made, the forensic anthropologist is called to testify in court regarding the identity of the remains and/or the trauma or wounds present on the remains. In the era of uncertainty of life and uplifment of criminal activities, there should be an enriched stock of scientific weapons for investigation and identification. In this context, the present review analysis initiated for the prediction of stature of an individual from different body parts that could enhance the procedures of identification as well as investigation.

Using already-solved cases of a mass disaster event for prioritizing the search among remaining victims: a Bayesian approach

This work presents a new method for assisting in the identification process of missing persons in several contexts, such as enforced disappearances. We apply a Bayesian technique to incorporate non-genetic variables in the construction of prior information. In that way, we can learn from the already-solved cases of a particular mass event of death, and use that information to guide the search among remaining victims. This paper describes a particular application to the proposed method to the identification of human remains of the so-called disappeared during the last dictatorship in Argentina, which lasted from 1976 until 1983. Potential applications of the techniques presented hereby, however, are much wider. The central idea of our work is to take advantage of the already-solved cases within a certain event to use the gathered knowledge to assist in the investigation process, enabling the construction of prioritized rankings of victims that could correspond to each certain unidentified human remains.

An empirical investigation into the effectiveness of genetic genealogy to identify individuals in the UK

The use of genetic genealogy techniques to identify Joseph James DeAngelo as the prime suspect in the Golden State Killer case in 2018 has opened up a new approach to investigation of cold cases. Since that breakthrough, genetic genealogy methods have been reported to be applied to around 100 cases. To date, all of these reports relate to investigations in the US, where the high uptake of “direct-to-consumer” (DTC) genetic testing by individuals conducting private ancestral research has provided the necessary publicly available data for successful forensic investigations. We have conducted a study to assess the likely effectiveness of genetic genealogy techniques if applied to investigations in the UK. Ten volunteers provided their own SNP array data, downloaded from a DTC provider of their choice. These data sets were anonymised and uploaded to the GEDmatch Genesis genealogy website, mimicking data sets from unsourced crime samples or unidentified human remains. A team of experienced genealogists then attempted to identify the donors of the anonymised data sets by working with matches on the database and identifying points where the matches’ trees intersect to determine their shared family lineages which were further investigated using traditional resources (such as birth, marriage, death and census records, social media and online family trees). Through these methods, four of the ten donors were identified, at least to the level of one of a set of siblings. This confirms that, despite the over-representation of US citizens on publicly accessible genealogy databases, there is still potential for effective use in investigations outside the US where legislation permits. One of our four identified individuals was of Indian heritage (via St Vincent and the Grenadines) highlighting that in the right circumstances individuals of non-European origin can be identified.

Height estimation from head dimensions in South-South Nigeria

BackgroundHeight estimation is an important stage of forensic investigation to identify an unknown person. The problem of unidentified human remains in the study area, due to local militia activities, kidnapping, and murder, necessitated this study to assess the correlation between the body height and head dimensions and to formulate regression models for estimation of height that are population and gender-specific.Materials and methodsThe study involved 952 subjects (464 males and 488 females), aged 18–30 years, from five ethnic groups and sampled from six universities in South-South Nigeria. Stature, head circumference, head length, and head width were measured using a standard anthropometric method. The data collected were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 20. Statistical significance was pegged at p < 0.05.ResultsThere was a significantly greater head dimension in males compared to females. There was a significant relationship between height and head dimensions in the majority of data. The relationship of the head circumference with stature was strongest in male data among the Bekwara and combined data among the Esan and Urhobo. Regarding the head length, the strongest relationship was in females and combined data among Bekwara, and males and combined data among the Ogbia had the strongest relationship. The relationship of stature with the head width was strongest in males and combined data among the Bekwara, and female data among the Ogbia.ConclusionThis study showed that head dimensions can be used as tools in the height reconstruction of an individual using simple and multiple regression models, and this has medico-legal implication.

A Review of Bomb Pulse Dating and its Use in the Investigation of Unidentified Human Remains.

In cases where there is limited antemortem information, the examination of unidentified human remains as part of the investigation of long-term missing person's cases is a complex endeavor and consequently requires a multidisciplinary approach. Bomb pulse dating, which involves the analysis and interpretation of 14C concentration, is one technique that may assist in these investigations by providing an estimate of year of birth and year of death. This review examines the technique of bomb pulse dating and its use in the identification of differentially preserved unknown human remains. Research and case studies implementing bomb pulse dating have predominantly been undertaken in the Northern Hemisphere and have demonstrated reliable and accurate results. Limitations were, however, identified throughout the literature. These included the small sample sizes used in previous research/case studies which impacted on the statistical significance of the findings, as well as technique-specific issues. Such limitations highlight the need for future research.

Enhanced interrogation of degraded DNA from human skeletal remains: Increased genetic data recovery using the expanded CODIS loci, multiple sex determination markers, and consensus testing.

Skeletal remains are among the most difficult types of samples encountered in forensic DNA casework and historical investigations due to prolonged exposure to environmental insults. DNA extracted from bone often is degraded, in low quantities, and contains co-purified inhibitors from the surrounding soil and/or burial vault material. When sexually dimorphic skeletal elements are not recovered, determining the sex of a decedent can be challenging. With unidentified human skeletal remains, genetic data often are evaluated in concert with anthropological analyses, as well as other types of metadata, to improve confidence in making associations or for positive identifications. This study evaluated a multi-faceted molecular genetic approach to increasing the amount of data that can be recovered from degraded skeletal remains. Results demonstrate that using a newer-generation multiplex (GlobalFiler™) with an expanded set of highly discriminatory DNA markers - combined with co-amplification of three different sex-determining loci, one additional PCR cycle, and testing multiple cuttings from the same bone or multiple regions within a skeleton - can improve reliability and accuracy in skeletal remains identifications by providing data concordance.

Assessing the efficacy of isotopic provenancing of human remains in Colombia

We report isotopic ratios for δ18O and 87Sr/86Sr from 71 individual human permanent teeth, obtained from 61 individuals with known regions of origins from eight of the 32 departments in Colombia. This survey of the applicability of isotopic provenancing is a vital addition to the ongoing identification efforts within Colombia concerning unidentified decedents recovered from clandestine and cemetery burials. At this time, only median isotopic values are reported due to heterogeneity of inter- and intra-departmental variance among the obtained isotopic values. The use of department of origin as a regional assignment schema is inadequate to effectively georeference unidentified human remains, given the wide-ranging topography and climatic diversity within Colombia. Therefore, a critical need for additional isotopic sampling of individual reference material exists, in order to improve the accuracy of potential region of origin estimates of unknown decedents originating from forensic contexts within Colombia.

Using PMCT of Individuals of Known Age to Test the Suchey-Brooks Method of Aging in Victoria, Australia.

The estimation of an individual's age at death plays a critical role in the investigation of unidentified human remains. The Suchey-Brooks method, which involves the analysis of degenerative morphological changes in the pubic symphysis, is currently widely used to estimate age in adults. This study tested the applicability of the Suchey-Brooks method on a contemporary adult Australian (Victorian) subpopulation by observing three-dimensional volume-rendered postmortem computed tomographic (PMCT) reconstructions of the pubic symphysis of 204 individuals aged 15-100years. Results showed the method was reliable for females (85% correct allocations) but not for males (67% correct allocations). It is therefore recommended that extreme caution be used when applying the Suchey-Brooks method for estimating age at death of an individual in this subpopulation from PMCT images. The results suggest further investigation into alternate age estimation methods is required.

E.07.01 New therapies in Huntington's disease by directly targeting the brain

Establishing the identity of the deceased is the most important task for forensic anthropologists in forensic case-work involving unidentified human remains. In such cases, forensic anthropologists examine the remains to derive the biological profile of the deceased i.e. estimation of age, sex, stature, and ethnicity to narrow down the search of the missing. Dismembered remains are recovered in mass disasters such as train mishaps, airplane crashes, earthquakes, and terrorists’ attacks or in homicidal cases where perpetrator intentionally mutilates the dead body to conceal the identity of the victim. Stature estimation is considered as one of the most important tasks when a mutilated foot is recovered in process of narrowing down the pool of possible suspects/victims. Allometry is the underlying principle for estimation of stature from foot dimensions. It has been learnt from the published literature that multiple regression models including more than one factor enhances the estimation accuracies. Among the various foot dimensions, foot length is the most frequent parameter used in the estimation of stature in forensic literature. In the present study, an attempt has been made to standardize the stature estimation models from various possible combinations of foot dimensions. For this purpose, 388 Jatt Sikh males aged between 18 and 30 years were recruited from various villages of Ludhiana district of Punjab State in Northern India. Stature, five foot length measurements, and two foot breadth measurements were taken on each subject. Linear and multiple regression models were derived for the estimation of stature from various foot measurements. The highest coefficient of determination and estimation accuracy (the least standard error of estimation S.E.E) was observed from T1 (R2 = 0.397, S.E.E = 4.7109) when a single foot dimension was included in the model, (R2 = 0.416, S.E.E = 4.6425) from (T1, T3) when two-foot lengths were taken, (R2 = 0.418, S.E.E = 4.6426) from (T1, T3, T4) when three-foot lengths were included, (R2 = 0.418, S.E.E = 4.6473) from (T1, T3, T4, T5) when four-foot lengths were included, and (R2 = 0.418, S.E.E = 4.6531) when all the five foot lengths (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5) were included in the regression model. It has been concluded that multiple regression models provide more accurate results than linear regression models. However, inclusion of a factor having a weak correlation with stature in the regression model, decreases the accuracy of the model.

Stature estimation from different combinations of foot measurements using linear and multiple regression analysis in a North Indian male population

Establishing the identity of the deceased is the most important task for forensic anthropologists in forensic case-work involving unidentified human remains. In such cases, forensic anthropologists examine the remains to derive the biological profile of the deceased i.e. estimation of age, sex, stature, and ethnicity to narrow down the search of the missing. Dismembered remains are recovered in mass disasters such as train mishaps, airplane crashes, earthquakes, and terrorists’ attacks or in homicidal cases where perpetrator intentionally mutilates the dead body to conceal the identity of the victim. Stature estimation is considered as one of the most important tasks when a mutilated foot is recovered in process of narrowing down the pool of possible suspects/victims. Allometry is the underlying principle for estimation of stature from foot dimensions. It has been learnt from the published literature that multiple regression models including more than one factor enhances the estimation accuracies. Among the various foot dimensions, foot length is the most frequent parameter used in the estimation of stature in forensic literature. In the present study, an attempt has been made to standardize the stature estimation models from various possible combinations of foot dimensions. For this purpose, 388 Jatt Sikh males aged between 18 and 30 years were recruited from various villages of Ludhiana district of Punjab State in Northern India. Stature, five foot length measurements, and two foot breadth measurements were taken on each subject. Linear and multiple regression models were derived for the estimation of stature from various foot measurements. The highest coefficient of determination and estimation accuracy (the least standard error of estimation S.E.E) was observed from T1 (R2 = 0.397, S.E.E = 4.7109) when a single foot dimension was included in the model, (R2 = 0.416, S.E.E = 4.6425) from (T1, T3) when two-foot lengths were taken, (R2 = 0.418, S.E.E = 4.6426) from (T1, T3, T4) when three-foot lengths were included, (R2 = 0.418, S.E.E = 4.6473) from (T1, T3, T4, T5) when four-foot lengths were included, and (R2 = 0.418, S.E.E = 4.6531) when all the five foot lengths (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5) were included in the regression model. It has been concluded that multiple regression models provide more accurate results than linear regression models. However, inclusion of a factor having a weak correlation with stature in the regression model, decreases the accuracy of the model.

Identifying migrant remains in South Texas: policy and practice

In 2012, Texas surpassed Arizona in migrant deaths. The majority of deaths occurred in the Rio Grande Valley, specifically in Brooks County, Texas. Brooks County is one of the poorest in the state and was overwhelmed with deaths, without appropriate resources to follow the state laws pertaining to the investigation of unidentified human remains. Until 2013, most remains that were not immediately identified were buried without collecting DNA samples and the location of burials was not recorded. Our paper outlines the difficulties searching for these burials, the struggles of the families of the missing, and the collaborative approaches to facilitating identifications in South Texas. Community outreach combined with geophysical surveys guide which cemeteries are in need of exhumations. Once cemeteries are surveyed, archaeological methods are employed to exhume remains and document burials. Remains are taken to the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State for processing, analysis, and identification efforts. Undergraduate and graduate students clean remains and wash clothing and personal effects.After skeletal analysis, all information regarding the remains, including photographs of personal effects, are uploaded to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and a DNA sample is submitted to the University of North Texas for inclusion in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) DNA database. However, CODIS lacks DNA family reference samples from many families of the missing due to families living outside the US or because they do not feel comfortable providing a DNA sample in the presence of law enforcement. Therefore, it is necessary to work with non-governmental organizations who specialize in collecting missing persons reports and DNA samples from the families of the missing. Working collaboratively with multiple agencies, identification of migrant remains is possible.

Investigation of Different Ways in Which the CODIS 7.0 May be Used in Mass Disaster Identification.

DNA analysis is a key method for the identification of human remains in mass disasters. Reference samples from relatives may be used to identify missing persons by kinship analysis. Different methods of applying the CODIS in disaster victim identification (DVI) were investigated. Two searches were evaluated: (i) relating family relatives to a pedigree tree (FPT) and (ii) relating unidentified human remains to a pedigree tree (UPT). A joint pedigree likelihood ratio (JPLR) and rank were calculated for each search. Both searches were similar in average JPLR and rank. In exceptional cases, namely the existence of a mutation different from the CODIS model, a nonbiological father, a mistake in STR, or incorrect profile association, the UPT search returned one true rank, whereas the FPT search returned no results. This paper suggests a novel strategy to overcome these limitations and increase efficiency in conducting identification of mass disaster victims.

The past, present and future state of missing persons investigations in Australia

The 2005 ‘Palmer Inquiry’ highlighted the urgent need for the development of a national missing persons database, however a decade later Australia still does not have a national capability dedicated to missing persons identification. With an estimated 500 cases of unidentified human remains and 2000 long-term missing persons in Australia, there is still a pressing need for the establishment of a national identification program. I believe a DNA-led approach is essential for the effective and efficient identification of Australia’s unknown and missing citizens. Despite DNA being used worldwide to identify large numbers of victims of war, genocide or mass disasters, the processing of DNA samples for routine missing persons investigations is under-addressed and under-resourced in Australia, resulting in current casework backlogs. The combination of technological advancements in DNA profiling, enhanced national databasing capabilities, publication of a national missing persons policy and international best practice guidelines, increasing community awareness of missing persons cases, and a passionate Churchill Fellow, is a recipe for successfully driving a national missing persons capability from concept to reality. However, success will be dependent on the provision of adequate government, policing and forensic resources, at a time when Australian law enforcement is challenged with competing operational priorities.