Forensic Identification Technique Called into Question
A recent study conducted at North Carolina State University has shown that using the shape of someone’s skull to make a positive ID may not be as reliable as investigators have previously thought. Dr. Ann Ross of NC State University explained that victims do not always have elaborate enough dental records for comparison, so then investigators would turn to the skull shape. The study found that most of the population has a “cranial vault” shape too similar to one another to depend upon this method of identification. In the experiment, researchers asked 106 members of the Academy of Forensic sciences to identify 5 skulls. Less than half of the participants were able to accurately make the ID.
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Source: forensicmag.com
Citation:
Shipman, M. Forensic Magazine. Questions Raised About Longstanding Forensic Identification Technique. Retrieved December 11, 2013 from http://www.forensicmag.com/news/2013/12/questions-raised-about-longstanding-forensic-identification-technique#.UqjZiWRDs3M
[Abstract written by Alex Mitzel, ForensIQ Intern]
