NCJ Number
65557
Journal
Identification News Volume: 30 Issue: 2 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1980) Pages: 5-8
Date Published
1980
Length
4 pages
Annotation
BASIC GUIDELINES WHICH A FORENSIC ANTHROPOLIGIST'S REPORT SHOULD FOLLOW ARE SUGGESTED, AND INFORMATION WHICH AN INVESTIGATOR MIGHT EXPECT FROM SUCH A REPORT IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
ONCE SKELETAL MATERIAL HAS BEEN FOUND AND REPORTED TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES, A PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGIST IS USUALLY CONTACTED. IN PREPARING THE REPORT OF FINDINGS, CERTAIN INFORMATION SHOULD BE PROVIDED. TYPICALLY, THE REPORT INCLUDES AN INTRODUCTION IN WHICH THE DATE, SITE, FIND, AND PEOPLE INVOLVED ARE MENTIONED. BONE MATERIAL AND OTHER EXTRANEOUS MATERIAL PRESENT ARE IDENTIFIED. THE CONDITION OF THE MATERIAL IS THEN DISCUSSED WITH REFERENCE TO WHICH JOINTS ARE ARTICULATED AND HOW MUCH TISSUE REMAINS. THIS INFORMATION IS USED TO ASCERTAIN THE LENGTH OF TIME SINCE DEATH. SIGNS OF DISEASE AND OTHER PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE BONES ARE ALSO NOTED. GROSS ANOMALIES SUCH AS GENETIC ABNORMALITIES ARE SPECIFIED TO HELP IN IDENTIFYING THE INDIVIDUAL. INDICATIONS OF TRAUMA ARE SHOWN, AND POSSIBLE IMPLEMENTS WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED THE DESTRUCTION ARE NOTED. THE AGE AT THE TIME OF DEATH IS ALWAYS GIVEN AS SKELETAL AGE IN TERMS OF A RANGE OF YEARS (I.E., 25 YEARS OLD PLUS OR MINUS 3 TO 5 YEARS). SEX SHOULD ALSO BE WELL DOCUMENTED. RACE CAN BE DETERMINED PRIMARILY FROM THE SKULL, WITH SECONDARY INDICATORS BEING THE FEMORA AND PELVIC STRUCTURES. STATURE IS TYPICALLY ESTIMATED FROM ONE OR MORE OF THE LONG BONES. TIME OF DEATH AND POSSIBLE CAUSES OF DEATH SHOULD BE CLEARLY INDICATED IN SEPARATE SECTIONS. IF THE INDIVIDUAL CAN BE IDENTIFIED AT THAT TIME, A TRAIT LIST OR ALL OF THE MATCHES BETWEEN THE SKELETON AND THE MISSING PERSON SHOULD BE GIVEN POINT-BY-POINT FOR POSSIBLE USE IN LATER COURTROOM TESTIMONY. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (LWM)