Finding Closure: Identifying Human Remains Helps Law Enforcement Solve Cases
Forensic anthropology is a field that can directly assist law enforcement with numerous cases. Human bones are put back together and analyzed by forensic anthropologists to determine the sex, age, height and nationality of a deceased individual. Determining these characteristics provides law enforcement with clues to unsolved cases and can help provide closure. Forensic anthropology helps with missing person cases in determining the identity of the individual and providing closure for the family of a missing person. Tools such as scalpels and dermestid beetles are used to analyze human remains and bones. The age of an individual is determined by analyzing the growth plates and specific areas of the human skeleton that deteriorate with age. Analyzing the pelvis bone determines the sex of the individual and height is determined by analyzing the length of the bones and looking at ancestry. Forensic anthropologists are also able to identify evidence of traumatic injuries such as stabbings and gunshot wounds.
Source: Forensic Magazine and Times Standard
Read the full article here.
Citation: Rodriguez, L. (2013). Times-Standard. Finding closure; identifying human remains helps law enforcement solve cases. Retrieved from http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_22973608/finding-closure-identifying-human-remains-helps-law-enforcement
[Abstract by ForensIQ intern, Andrea Williams]
