NCJ Number
201560
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 48 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2003 Pages: 842-847
Date Published
July 2003
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article reports on a case of roentgenographic identification of a deceased individual.
Abstract
The case involved the discovery of a deceased individual in a house that had been engulfed by fire in a suburb of Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. As a result of the fire, fingerprint analysis, facial, and dental identification was rendered impossible. The identity of the victim was suspected, and as such, antemortem and postmortem radiographs of the vertebral column and hip joint were compared for identification purposes. The presence of anatomical variants due to the effects of degenerative disease were noted in both antemortem and postmortem radiographs, rendering positive identification of the deceased. Roentgenographic identification in cases in which the victim’s identity is suspected is possible because of variants in vertebrae by race, sex, and developmental factors. Additionally, information about degenerative diseases, anatomical variants, and variations of skeletal elements may be utilized in the identification of deceased individuals. The authors caution, however, that when antemortem radiographs were taken several years preceding the death, osteophytes may be useful for identification, but their accumulation may lead to significant change over longer periods of time. References