Human identification: the Human identification: the anthropologist’s roleanthropologist’s role

Dana Austin, Ph.D.Dana Austin, Ph.D.Diplomate, American Board of Forensic Diplomate, American Board of Forensic

AnthropologyAnthropologyTarrant County Medical Examiner DistrictTarrant County Medical Examiner District

Fort Worth, TXFort Worth, TX

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Traditional Forensic Traditional Forensic Anthropology IdentificationAnthropology Identification

Comparative Osteology/Human Comparative Osteology/Human OsteologyOsteology

Craniometry/OsteometryCraniometry/Osteometry Ancestral morphologyAncestral morphology Sex identificationSex identification Age estimationAge estimation Radiological comparisonRadiological comparison Facial reconstructionFacial reconstruction

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Traditional Anthropology Traditional Anthropology Method LimitationsMethod Limitations

Generalizations only Generalizations only Biological ProfileBiological Profile Individualizing TraitsIndividualizing Traits

Exclusions are possibleExclusions are possible Positive identification not possiblePositive identification not possible

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Unidentified Skeletal RemainsUnidentified Skeletal Remains19631963

White FemaleWhite Female 35-40 years of age35-40 years of age 5’5” to 5’7”, 135-140 lbs5’5” to 5’7”, 135-140 lbs Light brown or dark blond hairLight brown or dark blond hair Large nose with high bridgeLarge nose with high bridge 8 dental restorations8 dental restorations Ladies jacket, green with gold liningLadies jacket, green with gold lining Blue teen-age type socksBlue teen-age type socks PMI greater than 6 monthsPMI greater than 6 months

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Death Investigation thru Death Investigation thru 19641964

D.P.S., Crime Briefs D.P.S., Crime Briefs BulletinBulletin

Newspaper story with Newspaper story with facial drawing of femalefacial drawing of female

Case submitted to Case submitted to Dallas PD, DPS Austin, Dallas PD, DPS Austin, FBI, LA State Police, Am. FBI, LA State Police, Am. Dental Assn, OK DPS, Dental Assn, OK DPS,

Comparison of dental Comparison of dental records with missing records with missing women in OK, LA, TX, women in OK, LA, TX, CA, PACA, PA

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2004 Analysis2004 Analysis

White White MALEMALE 33-45 years of age33-45 years of age 5’4” to 5’11”5’4” to 5’11” Long term infection of middle earsLong term infection of middle ears PMI less than 1 yearPMI less than 1 year

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Male FeaturesMale Features

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Postmortem IntervalPostmortem IntervalPostmortem IntervalPostmortem Interval

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Infection Lesions of SkullInfection Lesions of Skull

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Facial reconstruction by Suzanne Facial reconstruction by Suzanne Baldon, MABaldon, MA

Presented to MediaPresented to Media

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GeneralizationsGeneralizations

Kenneth GlazeKenneth Glaze White maleWhite male 35 years old35 years old Relative tells Relative tells

detective that detective that Kenneth always Kenneth always suffered with his suffered with his earsears

Disappeared August Disappeared August 1963 (PMI=4 mos)1963 (PMI=4 mos)

Unidentified Unidentified SkeletonSkeleton

White maleWhite male 33-45 years of age33-45 years of age 5’4” to 5’11”5’4” to 5’11” Long term infection Long term infection

of middle earsof middle ears PMI less than 1 PMI less than 1

yearyear

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And….the facial reconstruction And….the facial reconstruction looks greatlooks great

Its not enough for a scientifically proven positive Its not enough for a scientifically proven positive identificationidentification

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Positive IdentificationPositive Identification

Identification confirmed via Identification confirmed via mitochondrial DNA comparison with mitochondrial DNA comparison with maternal relativematernal relative

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What did we do in the old What did we do in the old days?days?

Decedents with a good tentative id Decedents with a good tentative id were buried as John & Jane Doewere buried as John & Jane Doe

A lot of time and resources were A lot of time and resources were used to try to locate obscure medical used to try to locate obscure medical or dental recordsor dental records

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Jane Jane Doe Doe 1991 1991Biological Biological profile, profile, clothing & clothing & jewelry jewelry description description released to released to mediamedia

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Unidentified Female 1991Unidentified Female 1991

Body was mummifiedBody was mummified Fingerprints were Fingerprints were

obtained from some obtained from some fingersfingers

Fingerprints were Fingerprints were compared to known compared to known missing white females, missing white females, but the quality of the but the quality of the print wasn’t good print wasn’t good enoughenough

Body buried as Body buried as unidentifiedunidentified

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2008 Identification2008 Identification

Fingerprints sent to Fingerprints sent to Department of Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security, Biometric Support Biometric Support CenterCenter

They were able to They were able to confirm identity with confirm identity with an IAFIS hitan IAFIS hit

This female was a This female was a possible match in possible match in 19911991

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Today we have more Today we have more resourcesresources

Digital radiographsDigital radiographs Improved clarityImproved clarity Retention by hospitalsRetention by hospitals

Amelogenin marker tells us the sexAmelogenin marker tells us the sex CODISmpCODISmp

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Isolated Skeletal ElementsIsolated Skeletal Elements

C.

1999 Arlington

PD

B.

1995 Fort Worth PD

A.

1995 Euless PD

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AB

C

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Robust SkeletonRobust Skeleton

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Large mastoid process

Brow Ridge

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Long mid-face

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Inca Bone

Elliptical Palate Shape

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Slight Lipping of Joint Slight Lipping of Joint SurfacesSurfaces

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1995 & 1999 cases1995 & 1999 cases

Amelogenin marker Amelogenin marker tells us all are maletells us all are male XYXY This eliminates half of This eliminates half of

our possibles (in theory)our possibles (in theory) CODISmp associated CODISmp associated

these bones with one these bones with one anotheranother This allowed a more This allowed a more

detailed UNID entry detailed UNID entry including dental and including dental and stature information and stature information and allowed for a modified allowed for a modified age estimation. age estimation.

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ResourcesResources

www.namus.govwww.namus.gov www.baldonart.comwww.baldonart.com www.txdpsmpch.govwww.txdpsmpch.gov