Unidentified Persons Research Articles

The Texas Landscape: Accounting for Migrant Mortality and the Challenges of a Justice of the Peace Medicolegal System

Executive Summary This paper details the structural and resource challenges in Texas related to identifying migrant decedents, investigating their deaths, repatriating them, and adhering to legal and ethical requirements in addressing this humanitarian tragedy. While actors working on migrant decedent investigations in Arizona can map and provide accurate counts of migrant deaths, this is not yet possible for Texas cases. Texas’ mixed Medical Examiner/Justice of the Peace medicolegal system suffers from fragmentation across county jurisdictions, lack of resources, and minimal access to investigative tools for transnational families. These challenges produce a landscape where unidentified presumed migrants may structurally disappear (e.g., buried in temporarily marked graves as unidentified persons with no investigation or case tracking). The article highlights the work of Operation Identification (OpID), a humanitarian project formed to assist border counties with recovering, identifying, and repatriating migrant decedents. OpID’s extensive community outreach and collaboration with governmental and nongovernmental partners in the United States and Latin America have improved practices in some Texas counties. However, systemic change is still needed to address this humanitarian disaster. The article proposes that presumed migrant decedents be managed using a disaster victim identification (DVI) approach, which prioritizes identification, rather than how and why someone dies. It also proposes the establishment of regional Migrant Identification Centers (MICs) to streamline identification and repatriation efforts, while ensuring compliance with Texas law by Justices of the Peace (JPs). Centralization, the article argues, can lead to more accurate counts of migrant deaths and lay the groundwork for greater resources. The article also supports increased access to national databases including the National Combined DNA Indexing System (CODIS) and the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). It argues that transnational families of missing persons be afforded expanded access to investigative tools (e.g., NamUs)

What is a migrant death? An operational definition for a more accurate enumeration of migrant mortality along the US-Mexico border

Over the last forty years an indeterminate number of persons, ranging from thousands to tens of thousands, have died along the US-Mexico border during migration, fleeing poverty, armed conflict, situations of violence, and disasters. An accurate accounting of migrant deaths along the southern US border is the first step toward an understanding of the extent and the contributing factors of these deaths. In this article, we describe a key aspect of our collaborative work aimed at developing a more representative account of migrant mortality along the southwestern US border: the determination of criteria for inclusion of specific forensic cases as “migrant.” Our intention is not to propose a definition of “what is a migrant death” applicable to all contexts and situations but rather one specific to the US-Mexico border region. Our main impetus is to build and launch a web portal to track and map migrant deaths at the US-Mexico border. The criteria we have identified are based on an examination of death data collected by various agencies in the four border states (California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas) and at the federal level by the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). They include a) context of human remains discovery; b) identification media/documentation; c) geographic setting; and d) personal effects. Taken together, these criteria will facilitate our determination, case by case, of the probability that human remains found along the United States side of the border may be from a person in the context of migration.

Identification investigations: a collaborative approach to the resolution of long-term unidentified persons cases at the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner.

The NYC OCME oversees a large caseload of unidentified persons yet achieves a high rate of case resolution by applying a systematic and holistic investigation that involves a comprehensive review of postmortem data and the collection of antemortem data specific to a forensic identification.Analyzing multiple lines of postmortem biological and contextual evidence allows practitioners to hypothesize possible socioeconomic, cultural, and religious social identities that can be used to generate identification leads and inform comparisons to missing persons.Gathering as much detailed, accurate, and comprehensive antemortem data for a missing person is equally important when performing an identification comparison to a long-term unidentified persons (UP) and can better inform archival morgue records searches.

Identity recognition from faces and bodies in schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Deficits in facial identity recognition and its association with poor social functioning are well documented in schizophrenia, but none of these studies have assessed the role of the body in these processes. Recent research in healthy populations shows that the body is also an important source of information in identity recognition, and the current study aimed to thoroughly examine identity recognition from both faces and bodies in schizophrenia. Sixty-five individuals with schizophrenia and forty-nine healthy controls completed three conditions of an identity matching task in which they attempted to match unidentified persons in unedited photos of faces and bodies, edited photos showing faces only, or edited photos showing bodies only. Results revealed global deficits in identity recognition in individuals with schizophrenia (ηp2 = 0.068), but both groups showed better recognition from bodies alone as compared to faces alone (ηp2 = 0.573), suggesting that the ability to extract useful information from bodies when identifying persons may remain partially preserved in schizophrenia. Further research is necessary to understand the relationship between face/body processing, identity recognition, and functional outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

Criminal Responsibility of Accomplices in Committing a Criminal Offence

Background: When a criminal offence is committed by a single person, the problem of criminal responsibility is clear, whereas when the criminal offence is committed jointly by two or more people, the problem of responsibility is discussed. In this paper, the issues related to the problems of the responsibility of accomplices participating in a criminal activity will be addressed, such as the special subject, the excess of the executor, the cooperation and complicity of the case, the use of irresponsible persons in the commission of the criminal offence, and cooperation with unidentified persons. This article will answer the question of whether the criminal offence committed in cooperation would qualify in cases of cooperation with unidentified or irresponsible persons. The conclusions deal with the fact that if the criminal offence is carried out with the will, desire, and joint contribution, it is a product of the joint criminal behaviour, so the persons will be held accountable as accomplices. Also, collaborators are not responsible for other actions of the executor during the commission of the criminal offence, or for actions that go beyond the agreement. Albanian criminal law does not accept objective responsibility in the commission of a criminal offence, it also requires the subjective element. Regarding acceptance of cooperation, there is no cooperation with irresponsible persons. It would not be enough to prove only that in the commission of the crime other persons also participated, be they all adults, but it must be proven simultaneously that the unidentified persons are criminally responsible. Methods: In this study, a comprehensive legal analysis approach was employed to delve into the intricate issues surrounding the criminal responsibility of accomplices engaged in joint criminal activities. The methodology involved a meticulous examination of Albanian criminal law, jurisprudence, and relevant legal principles. The study focused on various aspects, including the special subject, the concept of cooperation, the excess of the executor, cooperation, complicity within specific cases, the utilisation of irresponsible individuals in the commission of criminal offences, and collaboration with unidentified persons. This method allows for gaining a profound understanding of the legal framework governing joint criminal behaviour and accomplice liability. Results and conclusions: The findings of the research shed light on the complex issues surrounding the criminal responsibility of accomplices in cases of joint criminal activities. Through an in-depth analysis of Albanian criminal law and jurisprudence, answers to critical questions concerning the qualification of criminal offences committed in cooperation, especially in cases involving unidentified or irresponsible persons, are provided. The results confirm that when a criminal offence is executed with the shared intent, desire, and joint contribution of individuals, it unequivocally constitutes joint criminal behaviour, leading to accountability for all involved accomplices. Furthermore, the research elucidates that collaborators cannot be held responsible for actions by the principal offender that exceed the scope of their agreement. Additionally, emphasis is given regarding Albanian criminal law adhering to a subjective element requirement for criminal responsibility, ruling out objective responsibility in the commission of criminal offences. Regarding the acceptance of cooperation, the findings underscore that the mere participation of other individuals in the commission of a crime, even if they are adults, does not establish criminal responsibility for unidentified persons. Instead, it necessitates the concurrent demonstration of their individual criminal liability. The results provide valuable insights into the legal principles governing the responsibility of accomplices in joint criminal activities within the Albanian legal context.

The misidentification of the deceased person beyond visual recognition within the pre-trial investigation: problematic issues and legal consequences

Objective. The purpose of the article is to highlight the issues of misidentification of a person within the framework of pre-trial investigation of criminal proceedings on the facts of discovery of corpses of unidentified persons which are not subject to visual identification. The author focuses on the stages and procedure for identification of a deceased person, as well as on some legal consequences of misidentification and ways to eliminate them. Methodology. The methodological basis of the study is the results of the practical experience of one of the authors of the article during his practical work in the pre-trial investigation unit of the National Police of Ukraine during 2015-2021. Results. The author concludes that it is inadmissible for investigators and experts to make mistakes in the identification of the dead in situations where identification of the body is impossible due to various factors, including force majeure, because incorrect identification of a person within the pre-trial investigation may lead to confusion in the transfer of the deceased's body to the family, incorrect execution of title documents, and other consequences that will seriously affect the fate of the deceased's family in terms of moral and material (social) security. This situation is typical for the discovery of bodies of deceased persons (military and civilian) in places of spontaneous burials, including mass graves, as a result of hostilities, temporary occupation of certain regions, which were recorded after de-occupation and stabilization measures in certain regions of Ukraine. Scientific novelty. The work of legal experts has hardly been devoted to the study of the identification of the bodies of the dead during the pre-trial investigation, partly limited to the analysis of certain rules on the legal grounds and tactics of conducting a crime scene inspection or exhumation, while forensic scientists have been more concerned with this issue. Therefore, the scientific novelty of the authors' work is based on practical developments and supported by knowledge in the field of criminal procedure and forensics, which is timely and extraordinary. Practical significance. The conducted research and analysis of the problem, supported by practical experience, will contribute to a deeper understanding of the problem of misidentification of the deceased person beyond visual recognition and acquires a recommendation content for synergy in the work of pre-trial investigation and forensic medicine specialists.

Identification method for dental alloy type using a cosine similarity program: A preliminary investigation.

Although dental evidence is frequently used for the identification of unidentified persons, information about the many types of alloys used in prosthetics is not utilized. If the type of alloy can be identified from a small amount of material, the scope of the search could be narrowed. In this experiment, a method was investigated for identifying the alloy type using 3 kinds of cutting points (a white point and 2 types of silicone points). Wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDS) was used for elemental analysis. The elements were translated into multidimensional vectors, and the cosine similarity was calculated to compare vectors of the WDS results and vectors of the official data of alloys. According to the results, cosine similarity showed a concordance of more than 0.8. The developed program is expected to be useful as a method for identifying alloy types using only a small amount of grinding dust.

The Missing and the Marginalized: A Biocultural Approach to Forensic Anthropology at the US/Mexico Border

Violence and trauma are nestled in human rights violations worldwide. Since the 1980s, several international and domestic organizations have formed to conduct investigations following instances of political unrest and sociocultural violence. These inhumane events are evidenced by structural violence, an invisible trauma that exacerbates societal discrepancies within a population and can manifest harm to marginalized groups. Structural violence can be observed in both living individuals and through the treatment of human remains. Individuals who are missing or remain unidentified from violent outbreaks are often from marginalized groups. Therefore, a biocultural approach is necessary as it emphasizes the interplay between biology, environment, and culture. Recent work on human rights violations in the Americas has focused on fatalities due to increased migration at the US/Mexico border. Multiple organizations from the United States and other countries have developed strategies to assist in the recovery, identification, and repatriation of migrants. We aim to highlight the biocultural approach in these humanitarian actions, especially the practice of forensic anthropology, with structural violence and humanitarian identification efforts related to the missing and unidentified persons found along the US/Mexico border.

What Frontline Professionals Need to Combat Child Maltreatment Online

Rapid technological advances in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have changed the landscape of child maltreatment worldwide. Whereas historically a child was most likely to be maltreated within the family or community systems, now children can be abused by thousands of unknown and unidentified persons from anywhere on the planet. Trafficking in child sexual abuse material (CSAM), luring, grooming, and other predatory behaviors existed before the Internet. However, modern technologies have changed abusers’ points of access to children and the number of abusers who can participate in the maltreatment of a victim. New types of child maltreatment are also being invented with new technologies, such as livestreamed child sexual exploitation. In addition, the volume of certain types of child abuse has exploded exponentially such as has been documented with the trafficking in CSAM, as well as the severity of the abuse being recorded on younger and younger victims, including infants and toddlers. These changes have created challenges at all points along the child maltreatment continuum—from prevention to effective treatment leading to the full physical and psychological recovery and social reintegration of victims and survivors as are mandated by international law for many survivors. Recent research into the experiences and perspectives of frontline professionals combatting technology-facilitated child maltreatment makes clear that more training and supports are needed, such as technological resources, research into effective therapeutic treatments for survivors, consistent and accurate terminology and concepts, a modernization of the legal framework in which these crimes are investigated and prosecuted, and robust mental health supports for frontline providers. As the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect provides education and training to thousands of frontline providers worldwide each year, Kempe is uniquely situated to provide leadership in preparing frontline providers to combat child abuse effectively in these new environments.

Recognizability of Demographically Altered Computerized Facial Approximations in an Automated Facial Recognition Context for Potential Application in Unidentified Persons Data Repositories.

This study examined the recognizability of demographically altered facial approximations for potential utility in unidentified persons tracking systems. Five computer-generated approximations were generated for each of 26 African male participants using the following demographic parameters: (i) African male (true demographics), (ii) African female, (iii) Caucasian male, (iv) Asian male, and (v) Hispanic male. Overall, 62% of the true demographic facial approximations for the 26 African male participants examined were matched to a corresponding life photo within the top 50 images of a candidate list generated from an automated blind search of an optimally standardized gallery of 6159 photographs. When the African male participants were processed as African females, the identification rate was 50%. In contrast, less congruent identification rates were observed when the African male participants were processed as Caucasian (42%), Asian (35%), and Hispanic (27%) males. The observed results suggest that approximations generated using the opposite sex may be operationally informative if sex is unknown. The performance of approximations generated using alternative ancestry assignments, however, was less congruent with the performance of the true demographic approximation (African male) and may not yield as operationally constructive data as sex-altered approximations.

Use of social networking sites and applications in identification of missing and unidentified persons: A robust forensic tool

Social media is an invaluable tool when seeking information or evidence in criminal cases or in finding missing persons. Social media encompasses vast amount of information such as videos, photos, texts posted by criminals, witnesses and/or victims itself. Social media forensics helps recuperation of electronic evidence from social networking sites which often plays a crucial role in the conviction of a suspect. However, there barely exist any applications which can aid in identifying a deceased person.For identification of deceased, forensic odontologists search for antemortem data such as dental casts, X-ray images, portrait pictures showing the anterior teeth etc., for comparison with the post-mortem data. Archetypal features such as tooth rotations, diastemas, missing teeth, supernumerary teeth, crowded teeth, recognizable removable/fixed prostheses and other attributes could be present in the missing person’s profile and can be crosschecked during the autopsy of the unidentified corpse. For this reason, smile photos represent one of the most common sources of dental information, especially when no technical antemortem dental data is available. To date, there is only one forensic application for smartphones which helps in storage of antemortem smile photo of individuals. Storing the antemortem data that is easily accessible from the social media network aids as an important forensic tool especially in natural disasters or terrorist attacks where human identification process can be arduous.

Sr-Pb isotope differences in pre- and post-burial human bone, teeth, and hair keratin: implications for isotope forensics.

The isotopic signatures of human tissues can provide valuable information on geographic origin for medicolegal investigations involving unidentified persons. It is important to understand the impact of diagenetic processes on isotopic signatures, as alterations could result in incorrect estimation of geographic origin. This study examines alterations in isotope signatures of different tissues of five human body donors studied throughout decomposition at the Forensic Anthropology Research Facility (FARF), San Marcos, TX. Two body donors were buried, two were placed in open pits, and one was first allowed to naturally mummify and then buried. Remains were recovered after a period of 7-34months. The preplacement and post-recovery Sr-Pb isotope data of scalp hair, bone (iliac and tibia), and tooth enamel and dentine were compared. The hair samples record significant shifts in Sr-Pb isotope compositions, with hair keratin Pb isotope composition shifting towards the Pb signature of local soil samples. Hair keratin Sr isotope compositions were altered by the burial environment and possibly also by the lab sample cleaning method. The spongy iliac bone samples show inconsistencies in the recoverability of the preplacement Sr-Pb isotope signatures. The post-placement signatures of the buried donors show slight elevation over preplacement signatures. The post-placement signatures of donors placed in open pits are significantly elevated. The tibia and dental samples record the most consistent isotopic data with the least alteration. These more densely mineralised elements show good recoverability of the preplacement isotope signatures in burials and open pits and are thus deemed better targets for forensic investigative purposes.

Photographs of the Descendants of Bedřich Smetana and Kateřina Smetanová, née Kolářová, in the Collection of the Bedřich Smetana Museum

The article summarises the results of research so far conducted and of the expert processing of photographs in the collection of iconography at the Bedřich Smetana Museum. It deals with photographs of the descendants of Bedřich Smetana (1824–1884) from his first marriage to Kateřina Kolářová (1827–1859). This involves likenesses of Kateřina Kolářová, her children, and her grandchildren. Not included are persons who married into the family, nor are likenesses of Bedřich Smetana himself covered. The survey is based on research of records in the acquisition and inventory records of the Bedřich Smetana Museum from 1931 to 2020 and on research of the original inventory of exhibits at the B. Smetana Memorial in Jabkenice. Relationships between family members are shown by simple genealogy tables. In many cases, comparisons of photographs have enable the recognition of previously unidentified persons and the specifying of dating, provenience, and locations of photographic studios. The article largely focuses on collections of photographs from the family along the line of descent from Žofie Schwarzová, Bedřich Smetana’s daughter from the most recent acquisition (2019–2020).

Отсутствие возражений как условие отказа в возбуждении уголовного дела в связи с истечением сроков давности

The study poses two questions: (1) whether it is possible to refuse to initiate a criminal case due to the expiration of the statute of limitations if the person who committed the crime has not been identified; (2) whether it is necessary to obtain the consent of the person to refuse to initiate a criminal case on this basis, if it is established. The authors gave a negative answer to the first question, referring to Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Art. 24 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, which declares the ineffectiveness of initiating a criminal case from the point of view of the appointment of a criminal process, and supporting it by the fact that the presumption of innocence does not apply to unidentified persons. When answering the second question, the authors indicated that the problem of classifying the statute of limitations as rehabilitating or non-rehabilitating grounds would not have arisen if this released person were not reflected in the pre-investigation statistics as a person who committed a crime. Therefore, by changing the statistical indicators, it would be possible to solve this problem. First, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation considers such a person to have committed a crime for the first time. Second, Art. 78 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation does not provide for such a condition for exemption from criminal liability as obtaining the consent of a person. Third, the meaning of the statute of limitations is that beyond their limits the state loses the right to prosecute, since the person ceases to be socially dangerous. Fourth, since guilt is not established at the stage of initiating a criminal case, it is impossible to say that the basis for refusing to initiate a criminal case is non-rehabilitating. Fifth, extending the rule established by Part 2 of Art. 27 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation to the stage of initiating a criminal case would mean the use of a procedural analogy, which is not provided for by the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation. Sixth, the position set forth by the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation in Resolution No. 20-P dated May 19, 2022, allows equating consent with the absence of objections of a person against a refusal to initiate a criminal case; therefore, if such objections are not received from a person, it is presumed that the person agrees and the statute of limitations can apply. Thus, if the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution has expired, a criminal case should not be initiated, both in the case when the person has not been identified (the absence of this person is regarded as the absence of his/her objections to the refusal to initiate a criminal case), and if the person who committed the crime is established without clarifying his/her opinion on this issue.

An innovative procedure for cranial reconstruction as an aid for human identification

Human remains are frequently recovered fragmented from forensic contexts. Taphonomic factors and peri-mortem trauma can damage human remains recovered from clandestine graves. Therefore, an incomplete or broken skull can represent a challengeto identifying an individual, osteometric analysis, and trauma interpretation. A reconstructive approach is proposed to aid forensic experts in achieving all the information from human remains. This study proposes an innovative method that involves the use of reversible glue to connect the fragments. Non-permanent wax is used to reconstruct the missing parts and stabilize the skull. The reconstruction procedure is divided into three phases: cleaning, reassembling and remodelling. The reassembling is carried out with non-permanent reversible glue. Consequently, if the reconstructed remains do not have enough solidity to undergo a forensic examination, some of the missing anatomical parts can be replaced with reversible wax modelled on the missing bone’s shape. The method allows a more comprehensive examination of the whole skull structure for biological profiling of unknown individuals and a better analysis of trauma and injuries. Moreover, Computed Tomography (CT) and radiographic analysis can be better performed on areconstructed skull; the data obtained can also be a more appropriate background for unidentified persons’ facial approximations.

FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY SUSTAINABLE GOALS

The Importance of promoting Human Rights in the Recovery and Identification of Missing and Unidentified persons was presented at 9th International Dental Ethics and Law Society (IDEALS) congress in 2012 and was first introduced in May 2013 at the annual meeting of the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) conference organized by Interpol in Lyon. Dr. Emilio Nuzzolese, participating odontologist of the Interpol Forensic Odontology working group, highlighted the need to apply the highest identification standards and Interpol guidelines to all unidentified human remains, equally in a DVI scenario as well as in a single missing and unidentified person. In 2015 these concepts also inspired the creation of an international group of odontologists from twelve Countries called ‘Forensic Odontology for Human Rights’. The group began promoting the need to protect the human rights of the dead to have a name and an identity by participating in conferences and meetings, and through publications and training at most international forensic events. The mentoring of colleagues with the goal of promoting an authentic involvement of forensic odontology in the identification process was also instigated. The continuous growth of the group, along with the need to involve forensic experts from other disciplines, led to the constitution of the Association Forensic Odontology for Human Rights (AFOHR) and the inauguration of humanitarian forensic odontology. Having become a recognized voluntary organization in the context of humanitarian forensics, in 2019 AFOHR board members discussed the steps needed to achieve the rights of having a date of birth and an identity for every deceased individual. Eight forensic odontology sustainable goals were approved: human rights of the dead; human identification action; international partnership; human forensic odontology; strong forensic odontology; human identification kit; quality age determination; dental evidence in crimes against vulnerable persons. Under the auspices of AFOHR that aim is to inspire colleagues and forensic associations to the best administration of Justice for best practices in human identification and age estimation.

Forensic data management and database systems in forensic investigations for cases of missing and unidentified persons in Brazil

Forensic investigations, especially those related to missing persons and unidentified remains, produce different types of data that must be managed and understood. The data collected and produced are extensive and originate from various sources: the police, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), medical examiner offices, specialised forensic teams, family members, and others. Some examples of information include, but are not limited to, the investigative background information, excavation data of burial sites, antemortem data on missing persons, and postmortem data on the remains of unidentified individuals. These complex data must be stored in a secured place, analysed, compared, shared, and then reported to the investigative actors and the public, especially the families of missing persons, who should be kept informed of the investigation. Therefore, a data management system with the capability of performing the tasks relevant to the goals of the investigation and the identification of an individual, while respecting the deceased and their families, is critical for standardising investigations. Data management is crucial to assure the quality of investigative processes, and it must be recognised as a holistic integrated system. The aim of this article is to discuss some of the most important components of an effective forensic data management system. The discussion is enriched by examples, challenges, and lessons learned from the erratic development and launching of databases for missing and unidentified persons in Brazil. The main objective of this article is to bring attention to the urgent need for an effective and integrated system in Brazil.

An initial overview of the National Policy on the Search for Missing Persons in Brazil

The missing and unidentified persons problem affects every country in the world differently. In Brazil, aspects of the investigation and identification of persons are deficient and, among other things, need better policies and integrated procedures. This article focus on the initial steps taken starting in 2019, with the Law n° 13.812, that established de National Policy on the Search for Missing Persons and created the National Registry for Missing Persons, and the first efforts made by the experts involved in understanding the issue in a holistic manner and developing the basis for a multidisciplinary response.

Challenges Facing Agribusiness Sector in Lower Shawele Region, Somalia

Agribusiness is a big industry in Somalia country in rural and urban towns. It has been a challenge to manage this profitable business and the risks surrounding this field made it inefficient and non-profitable. This study focuses on agribusiness challenges including infrastructure gaps, financial constraints, humanitarian gabs, security patterns and the absence of government roles. The study employed and interviewed agricultural experts and small farmers and conducted observations in agricultural lands in the Lower Shebelle region. Agricultural experts who were interviewed addressed the problems faced by agro-business persons, including infrastructure gaps such as rough roads, non-functional irrigation systems, insecurity, floods, and labour force migrations that were specific negative impacts on the local communities. The harvested crops especially cash crops, perish during the wet seasons on the farm because of the inaccessibility of roads, which causes a delay in lead time and high transportation costs that result in exit farming to the urban lifestyle. The labour supply from rural households had decreased due to unemployment, insecurity, and land disputes between the domain clans and the local people resulting in clan conflicts in the region. These difficulties have been experienced for the last two decades, which impacted the decline of agri-businesses and agricultural productions, and escalated labour force migrations to the major cities also fuelled the displacements to urban towns. In addition to that, the Al-Shabaab, clan militias, and other unidentified persons imposed illegal double taxations levied on products that increased costs of production and finally caused high price margins and a decline in production capacity.

Childhood and Adulthood Residency Prediction Using Strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and Oxygen (δ18O) Isotopes for Unidentified Deceased Migrants Recovered in Southern Texas

Strontium and oxygen isotope values are used in conjunction with a maximum likelihood assignment model to predict the childhood and adulthood geographic residences of 20 deceased migrants recovered along the México-U.S. border in south Texas. The objectives of this research are to determine (1) if the childhood and adulthood residency assignments predict the same geographic region, (2) if using the predicted residential history/nationality as a filter on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) reduces the number of potential matching missing person reports, and (3) if we should target teeth or bone as the optimal hard tissue to sample. We found that 12 of the 20 cases (60%) predict similar regions of residency using isotopes derived from bone bioapatite (adulthood residency) and tooth bioapatite (childhood residency). When predicted residential history/nationality data were used as a filter in NamUs, there was a significant reduction in the mean number of case searches (mean = 1568.5 ± 505.3 [1 SD] vs. 107.9 ± 142.6 [1 SD]; t = 12.441, df = 22, p < 0.001, unequal variances assumed). These results demonstrate the utility of isotope data for narrowing down the region of origin and in turn the number of missing persons records to review. Finally, we recommend that death investigators at minimum collect dental samples (premolars or molars) for future unidentified migrant cases to aid in identification efforts utilizing isotope analytical methods. Bone bioapatite samples can provide more recent residential history information but should be used in conjunction with tooth enamel data.