Week 3 - Tentative ID

Question 1

Who investigates deaths?

Answer 1

Coroners or Medical Examiners, depending on the province or state.

Question 2

When is the police involved in death investigations?

Answer 2

Police are involved in suspicious deaths but the investigation is still led by the Coroner or Medical Examiner.

Question 3

What are the five key questions in death investigation?

Answer 3

Who died? - The identity of the decedent.
How did they die? - The medical cause of death.
Where did they die? - Was it where they were found or elsewhere?
When did they die? - The time and date of death.
By what means did they die? - The manner of death (e.g., natural, homicide, accident).

Question 4

jurisdiction

Answer 4

Coroner or ME – body Police – scene Suspicious death
Coroner/ME assists police Non-Suspicious death
 Police assist Coroner/ME

Question 5

How were people identified in the past?

Answer 5

Criminals were identified by branding, tattoos, disfigurements, and physical descriptions.

mark someone as a criminal and deter crime.

Question 6

Early Police Identification

Answer 6

Vidocq - Vidocq was the first Chief of the Sûreté Nationale in 1811, France, and made men memorize faces of criminals.

Bertillon - Louis Bertillon developed “seriation,” a system for describing populations through measurements like height, weight, and eye color.

Question 7

Bertillonage

Answer 7

A system of identification using 14 physical characteristics, with multiple ranks for each

assumed each characteristic was inherited independently, making it unlikely for two people to have the same combination.

Some characteristics are genetically linked, making it more likely for two people to share certain traits.

Question 8

What makes fingerprints useful in identification?

Answer 8

Fingerprints are unique, formed in utero, and mostly influenced by environmental factors, even in identical twins.

Question 9

How did wars contribute to advancements in identification methods?

Answer 9

Research on identification methods increased during the American Civil War, Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War.

Question 10

When is the question “Who did it?” typically answered in a death investigation?

Answer 10

It is usually the last question to be answered.

Question 11

What must be established before identifying the killer?

Answer 11

The identity of the victim must be established first.

helps match evidence from the crime scene to known individuals and determines the victim’s associations and last known activities.

Most evidence needs to be compared to known individuals to make identifications.

Question 12

What are some challenges in distinguishing human remains from other species?

Answer 12

more challenging if they are decomposed.

Identifying whether remains are human or from another species, such as gorillas, and recognizing distinguishing features like hand and foot structures.

remains being scattered, scavenged, or burnt

Question 13

How can burnt bones be analyzed for identification?

Answer 13

Burnt bones can be examined under a microscope to determine their characteristics.

Question 14

What is a tentative identification?

Answer 14

A tentative identification provides a possible name for the person but must be confirmed; it narrows the possibility to a single person.

Question 15

What is a positive identification?

Answer 15

A positive identification definitively confirms the identity of the person.

Question 16

What are the sources of evidence for a tentative identification?

Answer 16

Evidence from the crime scene (e.g., IDs, wallet, car registration).
Evidence from features of the body itself (e.g., biological description, comparison with missing persons records).

Question 17

Why is tentative identification not definitive?

Answer 17

Tentative identification relies on indirect evidence (e.g., labeled medication, IDs) and may require biological comparison or confirmation from missing persons records.

Question 18

How is the biological description of a victim used in tentative identification?

Answer 18

The biological description (e.g., sex, age, ancestry, stature, and tattoos) is compared with missing persons records or released to the public to help narrow down the identity.

Question 19

What are the key factors needed for tentative identification?

Answer 19

biological sex, age, ancestry, stature, and distinguishing features such as tattoos. Most or all of these are required for a reliable tentative ID.

Question 20

How is biological sex determined in skeletal remains?

Answer 20

Biological sex is determined primarily through the pelvis

Biological sex is not expressed on the skeleton until puberty

Question 21

How does gender identity affect death investigations?

Answer 21

If the victim’s gender is misidentified (e.g., transgender individuals), it can hinder identification efforts, as friends or family may report the missing person by their gender identity, while bones indicate biological sex.

Question 22

What factors complicate identification in transgender victims?

Answer 22

Hormone treatments or gender reassignment may alter features like height and ancestry markers, making identification more complex.

Question 23

What is the significance of the Julie Doe case?

Answer 23

Julie Doe, discovered in 1988 in Florida, was initially identified as a female based on her skeleton, breast implants, and having given birth. In 2010, DNA testing revealed XY chromosomes, showing the complexity of identifying transgender victims.

Question 24

What components are needed to create a biological profile in forensic identification?

Answer 24

A biological profile includes biological sex, age, ancestry, stature, and any other relevant details.

Question 25

How is age determined in children using teeth?

Answer 25

Tooth formation begins in the fetus and continues until around age 6, with teeth erupting up until late teens. Tooth eruption is valuable for determining age in children but provides a broad range rather than a precise age.

Question 26

How does bone ossification and fusion help in determining age?

Answer 26

As a child ages, bones ossify (turn from cartilage to bone). Growth areas at the ends of long bones (epiphyses) fuse in teens to young adults. The pattern of ossification and fusion can indicate age.

Question 27

What problems can affect bone ossification and age estimation?

Answer 27

Differences between sexes, populations, levels of nutrition, and varying times of ossification can affect age estimation

Question 28

How is age estimated in adults?

Answer 28

Age estimation in adults involves examining bone density (e.g., osteoporosis), changes in the pubic bone, the auricular surface of the ilia, the sternal part of the 4th rib, tooth wear, and arthritis.

Question 29

What are the three main ancestral categories used in forensic identification?

Answer 29

The three main ancestries are Mongoloid (Asian descent), Caucasoid (European descent), and Negroid (African descent).

Question 30

What are some challenges in determining ancestry?

Answer 30

Problems include mixed ancestry, individuals being unaware of their ancestry, and discrepancies between reported race and skeletal features.

Question 31

How can shovel-shaped incisors be relevant in determining ancestry?

Answer 31

Shovel-shaped incisors are a trait associated with certain ancestral groups and can aid in ancestry determination.

Question 32

How is stature determined from skeletal remains?

Answer 32

Stature is estimated by measuring the length of long bones and comparing them with normative standards. The length of the femur, for example, can be used to estimate the individual’s height.

Question 33

What problems can arise with normative standards?

Answer 33

Standards must be applicable to the population being studied. Variability among different groups and the applicability of standards across regions (e.g., North America vs. Africa) can complicate their use.

stature changes over the day and the life

Question 34

How is trauma used by anthropologists in forensic cases?

Answer 34

Anthropologists describe trauma by examining broken bones, healed fractures, and evidence of torture.

Question 35

How does a biological profile differ from a tentative identification?

Answer 35

A biological profile is a general description that fits many people and serves as a starting point. In contrast, a tentative identification puts a possible name to the person.

Question 36

What is the role of the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) in identifying unknown remains?

Answer 36

The CPIC includes records of all people reported missing in Canada. The biological profile of unknown remains can be matched against these records to find potential matches.

may be multiple individuals fitting the description

person may not have been reported missing - details then released to public, police sketch

Question 37

What methods are used to handle decomposed or severely disfigured remains?

Answer 37

Techniques include drawing the face as it might have appeared in life, injecting wax to stabilize the remains, and using mortician’s techniques. In cases of severe disfigurement, collaboration between pathologists and artists may be necessary.

Question 38

What is a common technique used in public releases of facial reconstructions?

Answer 38

A drawing or computer-generated image of the face is often released, which may be based on the assumption that half of the face is a mirror image of the other half.

Question 39

What are the two main methods for achieving a tentative identification?

Answer 39

Evidence from the death site - This may provide a possible name but could involve items that are stolen, borrowed, or planted.

Description of the body released to CPIC/Public - This may give a possible name but could also match multiple individuals, necessitating further investigation.

Question 40

What is forensic anthropology?

Answer 40

using anthropological knowledge of human skeletal structure to examine and identify human skeletal remains. It helps determine characteristics like sex, age, ancestry, height, and nature of injury based on bones.

Question 41

How are remains treated at a crime scene?

Answer 41

treated as a crime scene, using tools such as aerial photography, metal detectors, ground-penetrating radar, infrared photography, gas detection, and cadaver dogs. Items are tagged, photographed, sketched, and noted.

spatial relationships noted

Question 42

How is sex determined from skeletal remains?

Answer 42

Sex can be determined by examining the size and shape of bones. For females, the pelvis opening is wider, the sacrum is wider and shorter, the pelvis has a 90-degree angle, craniums are smaller with a less pronounced brow bone.

Question 43

How is age estimated in adults over 21?

Answer 43

Age is estimated by examining the level of changes in the surfaces of bones, such as bone density and wear

Question 44

How is ancestry determined from skeletal remains?

Answer 44

Ancestry is determined by cranial feature variations, such as the shape of eye orbits, the plane of the frontal cranium, and the shape of the nasal cavity. Shovel-shaped teeth may indicate Asian or Native American ancestry.

Question 45

What is facial reconstruction in forensic anthropology?

Answer 45

Facial reconstruction involves applying clay over a cranium to create a facial composition based on the victim’s age, ancestry, and sex.

Question 46

How is forensic anthropology used in mass disaster victim identification?

Answer 46

Forensic anthropology relies on bone fragments and dental records to identify victims in mass disasters. Positive identification is usually confirmed through DNA, fingerprints, or medical records.

Question 47

What are some methods used to obtain DNA and fingerprints from remains?

Answer 47

DNA can be obtained from soft tissue remains, and dried tissue can be rehydrated to obtain fingerprints.

Question 48

What does a forensic entomologist study?

Answer 48

A forensic entomologist studies insect matter, growth patterns, and the succession of insects at a crime scene to determine the time since death.

Question 49

How do necrophilous insects help in determining the time of death?

Answer 49

Necrophilous insects, such as blowflies, feed on dead tissue and appear within 24 hours of death. The life cycle of blowflies, including egg laying and maggot development, helps estimate the postmortem interval.

Question 50

What factors can affect the timeline of insect development at a crime scene?

Answer 50

Location, climate, and the presence of drugs can affect the timeline. Cold temperatures can slow down insect development.

Question 51

What types of insects are found at a crime scene and what are their roles?

Answer 51

Necrophilous insects (e.g., blowflies) feed on decomposing tissue.

Predator insects (e.g., beetles) feed on necrophilous insects.

Omnivore insects (e.g., ants and wasps) feed on various substances.

Indigenous insects (e.g., spiders) are found by coincidence.

Cheese skippers appear in later stages of decomposition after blowflies have left

Question 52

How can colonization patterns of insects provide information in forensic cases?

Answer 52

Colonization patterns can indicate the location of wounds if insects are found away from natural orifices.

Question 53

How can feeding insects help in drug analysis?

Answer 53

Feeding insects may accumulate drugs present in the body, providing additional information for forensic analysis.