Australian no-body homicides: Exploring common features of solved cases

Concealed Homicides-A Postmortem Study and Review

ABSTRACT

A study was undertaken at Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, South Australia, of all cases of homicide (January 2003-December 2022) where the victims' bodies had been concealed. Three hundred twenty-six homicides were identified, which included 27 cases where bodies had been deliberately hidden (8%) (age range, 2-82 years; ave, 34.9 years; M:F = 1.5:1). Deaths were due to blunt force trauma (n = 11), sharp force trauma (n = 4), asphyxia (n = 4), gunshot wound (n = 2), and a combination of drowning and asphyxia (n = 1). In 5 cases, the cause of death was not determinable. The methods of concealment (which were sometimes overlapping) included the following: dumping at a hidden/isolated location (n = 8), burial (n = 7), dismembering (n = 3), incinerating (n = 3), hiding in a wheeled garbage bin (n = 2), disposing in garbage resulting in the remains being located at waste disposal facilities (n = 2), hiding in a shed (n = 1), under a concrete floor (n = 1), in a suitcase (n = 1), in a river (n = 1), in a mine shaft (n = 1), and in a septic tank (n = 1). Although it has been asserted that concealed homicides are rarely encountered in forensic practice, the current study has demonstrated that the bodies in at least 8% of victims of homicide in South Australia have undergone some form of concealment.

Finding the here in where: Keatley's Winthropping in missing persons and no-body homicide cases

No-body homicide cases are typically difficult to investigate, owing to the lack of forensics and leads. Researchers in the fields of forensics, criminology, and psychology have attempted to provide assistance to these investigations through their respective disciplines. The focus of the current case study review is on a combined approach to assisting in no-body homicides and cold cases. The proposed approach will outline a geographical profiling technique that has previously been used in no-body homicide investigations, Winthropping. Alongside this, forensic linguistic analyses will be outlined to show how a combination may provide fresh leads and investigative avenues for further exploration. A series of 4 real-world cases in which bodies were moved, dumped, and hidden by a suspect, who subsequently revealed knowledge of the clandestine grave are given. The aim is that readers from related fields and disciplines might synergistically collaborate to develop the area and further help in these cases.

The suitability of using domestic pigs (Sus spp.) as human proxies in the geophysical detection of clandestine graves

Research in many forensic science fields commonly uses domestic pigs (Sus spp.) as proxies for human remains, due to their physiological and anatomical similarities, as well as being more readily available. Unfortunately, previous research, especially that which compares the decompositional process, has shown that pigs are not appropriate proxies for humans. To date, there has not been any published research that specifically addresses whether domestic pigs are adequate human proxies for the geophysical detection of clandestine graves. As such, the aim of this paper was to compare the geophysical responses of pig cadavers and human donor graves, in order to determine if pigs can indeed be used as adequate human proxies. To accomplish this, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) responses on single and multiple pig cadaver graves were compared to single and multiple human donor graves, all of which are in known locations within the same geological environment. The results showed that under field conditions, both GPR and ERT were successful at observing human and pig burials, with no obvious differences between the detected geophysical responses. The results also showed that there were no differences in the geophysical responses of those who were clothed and unclothed. The similarity of the responses may reflect that the geophysical techniques can detect graves despite what their contents are. The study implications suggest that experimental studies in other soil and climate conditions can be easily replicated, benefiting law enforcement with missing persons cases.

Where are homicide victims disposed? A study of disposed homicide victims in Queensland

Not finding a murder victim poses challenges for homicide investigators in solving crime, including determining where to search for the deceased's body. Existing literature focuses on locating offenders through criminal profiling; however, this is largely based on identification through forensic evidence found at the murder site or where the victim was located. This paper considered the challenge of locating a deceased victim from the perspective of search coordinators assisting homicide investigations. Could reference to previous homicide cases provide patterns and trends that may assist in locating disposed victims quicker, thus aiding in preserving vital physical evidence and providing expedient closure for the community?

Methods

Through generation of a dataset utilising all Queensland Police recorded homicides from 2004 to 2020 inclusive, statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS™ software to identify common trends and characteristics of victim disposal. These identified commonalities were used to develop the Disposed Homicide Victim Matrix (DHVM), and Search Coordinator Principles, as tools to assist search coordinators in future relevant cases.

Results

The study identified four (4) key commonalities observed in the dataset, (1) East is the predominant direction for victim disposal; (2) The offender's vehicle was the most common method of victim transport followed by carrying/dragging; (3) concealment with leaf litter and local debris was the norm, followed by no attempt at concealment; and (4) victims were moved less than 50 m from a road or track after transport.

Conclusion

The DHVM can assist police search for these victims by narrowing down potential search locations. Finding a victim has implications throughout the community, providing evidence that could secure a conviction, allowing a measure of grief closure to the co-victims, and inspiring confidence in police.

A multidisciplinary approach to locating clandestine gravesites in cold cases: Combining geographic profiling, LiDAR, and near surface geophysics

By nature, clandestine burials are difficult to locate, an issue that can complicate the legal process, and interrupt the natural grief process of the family. The purpose of this paper is to present a three-step process to search for clandestine graves using (1) geographic profiling, (2) light detection and ranging (LiDAR), and (3) near surface geophysics. Each process incrementally decreases the geographic area being searched, while increasing the level of detail provided to investigators. Using two well-known Australian cases and one experimental study, this paper will demonstrate how (1) can highlight potential search areas, (2) can further narrow down the location of potential burial sites within these search areas, and (3) can assist with locating the clandestine grave. Although each technique on its own can successfully locate graves, combining the techniques can provide the most efficient approach to locate those who are missing and buried.

Using Ground Penetrating Radar and Resistivity Methods to Locate Unmarked Graves: A Review

The location of unmarked graves in forensic and archaeological investigations is legally and culturally important. In a forensic context, locating covert burials of missing persons can provide closure to the family, as well as facilitating the successful prosecution of the individual(s) responsible. Archaeologically, burials provide an important source of information about health, diet, physical anthropology, and culture. Despite the importance of these features, the location of unmarked graves with conventional archaeological and forensic techniques, such as excavation, is difficult and expensive. As a result, geophysical techniques have been widely applied to the location of unmarked graves as they are non-invasive, cost and time effective, and avoid the unnecessary disturbance of human remains. This article brings together the literature on ground penetrating radar (GPR), and two resistivity methods, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and fixed probe resistivity (FPR), on their ability to locate burials and reviews their use in forensic and archaeological investigations. This paper aims to provide law enforcement personnel, archaeologists, geophysicists, and interested academics with an overview of how these techniques work, how they have been previously applied to grave detection, and the strengths and weakness of these methods.