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Franceschetti L, Galante N, Ciprandi B, Benini B, Mazzarelli D, Cattaneo C. Identification issues in bodies maimed by train fatalities: The role of the forensic pathologist. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2023; 19:517-524. [PMID: 36662408 DOI: 10.1007/s12024-022-00571-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Traffic accident injuries are relevant causes of mortality in industrialized countries. Among traffic accidents, the most destructive effect on the victim's body is produced by trains, which in a very short time provoke a complete distortion of the normal anatomical profiles and extensive amputations of the body. Deaths by severe body mutilation and/or decapitation require complex forensic investigation, as the victims' identification and the recognition of their body are not often feasible. In this study, a retrospective analysis of a series of cases of railway accidents is presented, with the aim of showing potential identification strategies, including a systematic physical re-assembling of the body. Among the railway fatalities assessed at the University Institute of Legal Medicine of Milan from 2016 until 2020, 61 cases were analyzed, focusing on the collection of postmortem data to improve accuracy for the identification of the victims. The results showed that the identification could be based on elements traditionally called "secondary identifiers" which, however, are becoming more and more important for positive identification, especially when dealing with migrants, vagrants, and homeless people. However, several issues need to be considered such as the limitations of the public prosecutors to perform expensive analyses (i.e., genetic testing), and the lack of antemortem data to be compared with postmortem findings, both odontological and fingerprint. In cases where it is not possible to proceed with identification or formal recognition of victims of railroad accidents with severe mutilations, a systematic physical re-assembling of the body is critical to reaching positive identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Franceschetti
- LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Istituto di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Luigi Mangiagalli 37, Milan, 20133, Italy.
| | - Nicola Galante
- LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Istituto di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Luigi Mangiagalli 37, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Barbara Ciprandi
- LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Istituto di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Luigi Mangiagalli 37, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Benedetta Benini
- LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Istituto di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Luigi Mangiagalli 37, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Debora Mazzarelli
- LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Istituto di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Luigi Mangiagalli 37, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Cristina Cattaneo
- LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Istituto di Medicina Legale, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Luigi Mangiagalli 37, Milan, 20133, Italy
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Blau S, Rowbotham SK. Not so simple: Understanding the complexities of establishing identity for cases of unidentified human remains in an Australian medico-legal system. Forensic Sci Int 2021; 330:111107. [PMID: 34826760 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.111107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Discussions regarding the importance and complexities associated with the identification of deceased persons have typically focused on disaster or humanitarian contexts where there has been large scale loss of life. In contrast, identification efforts for unidentified human remains (UHR) cases in routine domestic casework contexts have received relatively little attention. The aim of this paper was to present the situation regarding the count of UHR cases in the state of Victoria, Australia, dating between 1960 and 2020, and to provide a constructively critical appraisal of the factors that have, and continue to, hinder their identification. Over the six decades a total of 132 coronial cases remained unidentified; an average of 2-3 cases per annum. For each case, the preservation of the remains, geographical location of where they were recovered from, primary (fingerprints, dental, DNA) and secondary identification methods that had been employed, potential for additional identification testing and current curation of the remains, were recorded. The difficulty with providing a "total count" of UHR cases is discussed, as well as the ways in which preservation, availability of identification methods, changes in policies and procedures, record management, changes in practice and advancements in technology, have impacted the identification process. This paper demonstrates the complexity of the investigation of UHR cases, and why individuals continue to remain unidentified in 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soren Blau
- Manager, Human Identification Services, Senior Forensic Anthropologist, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Samantha Kate Rowbotham
- Forensic Anthropologist, Human Identification Services, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine/ Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
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Lee WJ, Shinde V, Kim YJ, Woo EJ, Jadhav N, Waghmare P, Yadav Y, Munshi A, Panyam A, Chatterjee M, Oh CS, Hong JH, Wilkinson CM, Rynn C, Shin DH. Craniofacial reconstruction of the Indus Valley Civilization individuals found at 4500-year-old Rakhigarhi cemetery. Anat Sci Int 2019; 95:286-292. [PMID: 31578677 DOI: 10.1007/s12565-019-00504-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Despite academic efforts to study the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), there have as yet been no successful attempts to unveil the IVC people's craniofacial appearance. We investigated the IVC cemetery area of Rakhigarhi site, which was estimated to be of 2273 ± 38 and 2616 ± 73 years BCE. By craniofacial reconstruction (CFR) procedure using computed tomography (CT) data of two Rakhigarhi skulls (A1 BR02 and A2 BR36), we successfully reconstructed the faces of the IVC individuals who were buried about 4500 years ago. This is the first attempt to unveil scientifically accurate representations of IVC people's actual facial morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won Joon Lee
- National Forensic Service Seoul Institute, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Vasant Shinde
- Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Deemed University, Pune, 411006, India.
| | - Yong Jun Kim
- Department of Anatomy, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Daehak-ro 103, Chongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, South Korea
| | - Eun Jin Woo
- Department of History, Sejong University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Nilesh Jadhav
- Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Deemed University, Pune, 411006, India
| | - Pranjali Waghmare
- Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Deemed University, Pune, 411006, India
| | - Yogesh Yadav
- Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Deemed University, Pune, 411006, India
| | - Avradeep Munshi
- Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Deemed University, Pune, 411006, India
| | - Amrithavalli Panyam
- Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Deemed University, Pune, 411006, India
| | - Malavika Chatterjee
- Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Deemed University, Pune, 411006, India
| | - Chang Seok Oh
- Department of Anatomy, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Daehak-ro 103, Chongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, South Korea
| | - Jong Ha Hong
- Department of Anatomy, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Daehak-ro 103, Chongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, South Korea
| | | | - Christopher Rynn
- Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Dong Hoon Shin
- Department of Anatomy, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Daehak-ro 103, Chongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, South Korea.
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Stephan CN, Caple JM, Guyomarc’h P, Claes P. An overview of the latest developments in facial imaging. Forensic Sci Res 2018; 4:10-28. [PMID: 30915414 PMCID: PMC6427692 DOI: 10.1080/20961790.2018.1519892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 09/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 10/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Facial imaging is a term used to describe methods that use facial images to assist or facilitate human identification. This pertains to two craniofacial identification procedures that use skulls and faces-facial approximation and photographic superimposition-as well as face-only methods for age progression/regression, the construction of facial graphics from eyewitness memory (including composites and artistic sketches), facial depiction, face mapping and newly emerging methods of molecular photofitting. Given the breadth of these facial imaging techniques, it is not surprising that a broad array of subject-matter experts participate in and/or contribute to the formulation and implementation of these methods (including forensic odontologists, forensic artists, police officers, electrical engineers, anatomists, geneticists, medical image specialists, psychologists, computer graphic programmers and software developers). As they are concerned with the physical characteristics of humans, each of these facial imaging areas also falls in the domain of physical anthropology, although not all of them have been traditionally regarded as such. This too offers useful opportunities to adapt established methods in one domain to others more traditionally held to be disciplines within physical anthropology (e.g. facial approximation, craniofacial superimposition and face photo-comparison). It is important to note that most facial imaging methods are not currently used for identification but serve to assist authorities in narrowing or directing investigations such that other, more potent, methods of identification can be used (e.g. DNA). Few, if any, facial imaging approaches can be considered honed end-stage scientific methods, with major opportunities for physical anthropologists to make meaningful contributions. Some facial imaging methods have considerably stronger scientific underpinnings than others (e.g. facial approximation versus face mapping), some currently lie entirely within the artistic sphere (facial depiction), and yet others are so aspirational that realistic capacity to obtain their aims has strongly been questioned despite highly advanced technical approaches (molecular photofitting). All this makes for a broad-ranging, dynamic and energetic field that is in a constant state of flux. This manuscript provides a theoretical snapshot of the purposes of these methods, the state of science as it pertains to them, and their latest research developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl N. Stephan
- Laboratory for Human Craniofacial and Skeletal Identification (HuCS-ID Lab), School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Jodi M. Caple
- Laboratory for Human Craniofacial and Skeletal Identification (HuCS-ID Lab), School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Pierre Guyomarc’h
- Unite Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5199 De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel: Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie (PACEA), Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (MCC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Peter Claes
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT)/Processing of Speech and Images (PSI), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Medical Imaging Research Center (MIRC), Universitair Ziekenhuis, Leuven, Belgium
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Caplova Z, Obertova Z, Gibelli DM, De Angelis D, Mazzarelli D, Sforza C, Cattaneo C. Personal Identification of Deceased Persons: An Overview of the Current Methods Based on Physical Appearance. J Forensic Sci 2018; 63:662-671. [PMID: 28973829 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The use of the physical appearance of the deceased has become more important because the available antemortem information for comparisons may consist only of a physical description and photographs. Twenty-one articles dealing with the identification based on the physiognomic features of the human body were selected for review and were divided into four sections: (i) visual recognition, (ii) specific facial/body areas, (iii) biometrics, and (iv) dental superimposition. While opinions about the reliability of the visual recognition differ, the search showed that it has been used in mass disasters, even without testing its objectivity and reliability. Specific facial areas being explored for the identification of dead; however, their practical use is questioned, similarly to soft biometrics. The emerging dental superimposition seems to be the only standardized and successfully applied method for identification so far. More research is needed into a potential use of the individualizing features, considering that postmortem changes and technical difficulties may affect the identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Caplova
- Dipartimento di Morfologia e Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Medicina Legale, LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 37, Milan, 20133, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 31, Milano, 20133, Italy
| | - Zuzana Obertova
- Dipartimento di Morfologia e Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Medicina Legale, LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 37, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Daniele M Gibelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 31, Milano, 20133, Italy
| | - Danilo De Angelis
- Dipartimento di Morfologia e Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Medicina Legale, LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 37, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Debora Mazzarelli
- Dipartimento di Morfologia e Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Medicina Legale, LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 37, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Chiarella Sforza
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 31, Milano, 20133, Italy
| | - Cristina Cattaneo
- Dipartimento di Morfologia e Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Medicina Legale, LABANOF, Laboratorio di Antropologia e Odontologia Forense, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 37, Milan, 20133, Italy
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Blood, sweat and plaster casts: Reviewing the history, composition, and scientific value of the Raymond A. Dart Collection of African Life and Death Masks. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2017; 68:362-377. [PMID: 28987535 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This paper addresses the history, composition and scientific value of one of the most comprehensive facemask collections in Africa, the Raymond A. Dart Collection of African Life and Death Masks. Housed within the School of Anatomical Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), it comprises 1110 masks (397 life, 487 death, 226 unknown). Life masks represent populations throughout Africa; death masks predominately southern Africa. Males preponderate by 75%. Recorded ages are error prone, but suggest most life masks are those of <35 year-olds, death masks of 36+ year-olds. A total of 241 masks have associated skeletons, 209 presenting a complete skull. Life masks date between 1927 and c.1980s, death masks 1933 and 1963. This historical collection presents uncanny associations with outmoded typological and evolutionary theories. Once perceived an essential scientific resource, performed craniofacial superimpositions identify the nose as the only stable feature maintained, with the remaining face best preserved in young individuals with minimal body fat. The facemask collection is most viable for teaching and research within the history of science, specifically physical anthropology, and presents some value to craniofacial identification. Future research will have to be conducted with appropriate ethical considerations to science and medicine.
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