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Problematic Body Recovery Flashcards

1
Q

What are the aims of problematic body recovery?

A 
Find it 
Total recovery
Max trace evidence
Understand taphonomy
ID method of concealment
ID duration
Interpret events
Determine criminality
Clear representation in court
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2
Q

What is taphonomy?

A

Combination of extrinsic (environmental ie sand vs. water) and intrinsic (internal body i.e. old vs. young) factors as to why body looks the way it does

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3
Q

What specialists are used in Problematic body recovery?

A 
Anthropologist
Archaeologist
Biologist/Chemist
Botanist
Entomologist
Pathologist
Soil scientist
Vomitologist
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4
Q

What does an Anthropologist do?

A

Bone ID, body reconstruction

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5
Q

What does an Archaeologist do?

A

Body & trace evidence recovery, search, criminality

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6
Q

What does a Biologist/Chemist do?

A

Trace evidence

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7
Q

What does a Botanist do?

A

Enviro profiling, trace evidence, duration, search advice

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8
Q

Wha does an Entomologist do?

A

Insects to ID duration

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9
Q

What does a Pathologist do?

A

Cause of death

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10
Q

What does a soil scientist do?

A

Trace evidence (layers of soil, links)

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11
Q

What does a Vomitologist do?

A

Timing of death (stomach contents)

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12
Q

Where are specialists recruited from?

A

SCA (Serious Crime Authority) recommendation,
SPA (Scottish Police Authority), biologists and chemists
Charities
Private companies- expensive
Individuals- not always forensically aware
Universities- Strathclyde, Glasgow, Dundee
Museums

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13
Q

What are the separate elements of body recovery?

A

Search
Evacuation
Body recovery
ID duration
Trace evidence gathering and recording
ID CMOD & events over post-mortem interval
Specialist trace evidence analysis & interpretation

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14
Q

What is involved in finding a missing person (MISPER)?

A

Preserve evidence (uncompromised)
Haste, not speed
Keep costs down
Discretion

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15
Q

What is involved for wide scale search?

A

Aerial photos

Maps

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16
Q

What is involved with small searches i.e. several acres or less?

A

Field walking

Environmental profiling

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17
Q

What happens when nothing is visible on the group?

A

Geophysics
Topsoil strip
Trial excavation

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18
Q

What is aerial photography?

A

Standard archaeology skill
Good for wide area search (hidden graves etc)
ID disturbances in topography & vegetation (e.g. grave, tyre tracks)
Natural or man made
Compare images: Royal Commission archive & helicopter flyover pics

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19
Q

What is used for maps and DBA?

A

OS maps and PastMap (online archaeology database)

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20
Q

What do maps and DBA eliminate?

A

Archaeological sites
Service tranches
Natural features

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21
Q

What is environmental profiling?

A

Work with dog handlers & Police Search Advisors (POLSA)
Archaeology, botany, soils
Rules out areas
Costs and search time reduced
Duration of deposition human remains/objects
Trace evidence recovery

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22
Q

What is the theory used to identify a body?

A

Remains alter natural topography
Change soil profile & stratigraphy (layers of soil- mixtures of layers if dug up, burrials)
Increase water holding capacity- body in burial, organic material, soil is softer and moister, last for hundreds of years
Affect overlying vegetation- height, colour, type, and health
ID these changes gives info on duration & sequence of event at the locus

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23
Q

What is differences are looked for in topography?

A 
Abnormal hollows or bumps
Initially soil burial is raised 
Ground sinks as body decays
Grave edges may be defined
Cracks on surface/
Differential cracking- X marks the spot above body
Cracks on surface/ edges of grave
“Spoil” may be scattered around
24
Q

What timing effects do ID duration due to vegetation have?

A

Site specific
Depends on habital & season
Roots on body growing through rib cage, roots have growth tells you how long bodys been there

25
What are the short term effects of plant vegetation on remains?
Nutrients & gases toxic Plants stunted/dead Annual weds only Soil bare
26
What are the long term effects of plant vegetation on remains?
Nutrients beneficial Plants teller/ lush Nettles, brambles high (conceal body) Tall weeds present
27
What does burial chronology show?
Not deep Not big enough Soil shoved back in, panic Takes a few years for deep routed plants to return
28
What does burial duration indicate?
Skull near graveyard Mistaken for a boulder Criminal/ archaeological Mosses suggest exposed for at least several years Lichens (symbiotic relationship between fungus and alga) growing inside bone: exposed less 100 years
29
When is geophysics used?
When no disturbance is visible
30
What is geophysics?
Archaeological skill Provides target areas to investigate by trial trenching Different techniques for varying situations Specialists advice and interpretation is required
31
What is resistivity?
Resistance to current between 2 electrodes Soil moisture conducts current Water/ loose soil less resistant than compacted- gives peak Good for features retaining some water (e.g. ditches, old graves) Not good if waterlogged or very dry
32
What is magnetometry?
ID changes to magnetic field by burning, buried metal or refilled holes Fast- 20 mins to cover 20m2 Works in waterlogged soil Works in very dry soi
33
What is magnetometry affected by?
Affected by overhead power cables & ferrous metal on site
34
What is Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)?
Radar frequencies bounce off sub-surface features ID pits, ditches & graves ID voids in walls & concrete Works to 3m down
35
What conditions does GPR work well in?
Good for urban sites & rough terrain, unaffected by metal/cables
36
What conditions does GPR not work well in?
NOT good in wet, standing water, or clay rich soils
37
What is monitored top-soil strip?
If search are is very large & no disturbance visible Removal of the topsoil can reveal a grave cut Cut shows as differences in soil colour & compaction Analysis of cut helps tell how the grave was dug
38
How can the top of suspicious holes be identified as suspicious or unsuspicious?
Indicated by search dog stratigraphy & roots indicate undisturbed
39
How can the bottom of suspicious holes be identified as suspicious or unsuspicious?
Body depo site- soil compaction, colour & root growth
40
What is the 3 stages of burial of human remains?
Digging the hole Deposition of the body Backfilling the grave
41
What environmental factors can ID remains?
Grave profile Soil layers Position of remains
42
What is looked for in problematic body recovery?
``` Duraton of deposition Method of digging/ backfill Method of deposition Multiples contemporary/serial Post-deposition activity Tool marks & footprints ```
43
What is the use in recording burial remains?
Stratigraphy can be interpreted Detailed plan drawing helps interpret events & jury to understand Used with mapping techniques to provide detailed account of events Takes time & skill to do
44
What specialists are used in grave/ open air body recovery?
Archaeology, botany, osteology, entomology, biology skills
45
What do ostologists do?
``` Record and reconstruct events ID bones present Determine duration from soil layers, vegetation and insects Sample for trace evidence Sieve & search soil for evidence Giver further search advice ```
46
What is the base and profile of a grave useful for?
May retain tool marks, footprints etc.
47
What must happen to grave fill and surrounding soil?
Sieves and retained
48
What is the process in open air body recovery?
Scavengers scatter remains- search advice vital Standard archaeology techniques used Decomposition site is mapped, soil researched Botanist can ID duration of scattered items Enviro & insect sampling done Detailed archaeological recording will ID events and timings
49
What can recording evidence help with?
Recording: •Cause and manner of death •Deposition and duration •Post depositional activity (human/ animal) Help assign body parts to correct individual if more than one present
50
What are tapes and grids used for?
``` Locus divided into squares Each square is searched, sieved, evidence recorded & mapped Ensures rigorous search Helps interpret events Visual representation for jury Enables spatial patterning analysis Maximises trace evidence recovery ```
51
How relevant is a grid search?
ALWAYS relevant
52
What does grid search ensure?
Max recovery- small bones, trace evidence
53
What causes variation in Grid search?
Terrain/remit
54
What does grid search show?
Links people to places Possible months/ years after the crime WORKS
55
What is microscopic level of search used for?
``` Floted soil can be dried & searched microscopically for small trace evidence (hairs, fibres, seeds etc) Larger items (bindings, weapons etc) can be dissected out of soil uncompromised using low magn microscopy ```
56
What can 3D plotting of remains through GPS show?
Measures heights, distances & angles Quick & accurate Gives 3D plan of locus & record of evidence Eg: plane crash or body decomposed & scattered by scavengers Area taped & gridded Parts recorded using GPS

Forensic BioScience (19 decks)

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