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Journal article
A controlled method for the identification of forensic traces from clandestine grave fill
Forensic science international, Vol.357, 111985
2024
PMID: 38522322
Abstract
Deceased human remains are often buried as a forensic countermeasure or method of disposal by homicide perpetrators. Owing to this, the excavation of clandestine grave sites is a task that forensic crime scene teams may only encounter a few times a year. Not all crime scene units have specialised teams for this task, and even those that do, may not have specific protocols for the optimal recovery of forensic traces retained within grave fill as procedures such as sieving require optimisation for the specific soil conditions of the jurisdiction. This study aimed to define the optimal sieving conditions for a sandy environment when searching for minute traces of paint, glass, hair and fibres. Furthermore, this study justifies the practice of retaining grave fill and examining it under controlled laboratory conditions, rather than in-situ adjacent to the grave site. The results demonstrate that using sieve mesh sizes as fine as 0.1 mm can recover up to 82% of the deposited traces and almost all paint, hair and glass traces. The processing of grave fill in the laboratory lead to increased yield of forensic evidence, which on a case-basis may warrant the increased time needed. These findings merit consideration for clandestine grave crime scenes where evidence is scarce or the case is likely to become cold.
Details
- Title
- A controlled method for the identification of forensic traces from clandestine grave fill
- Authors/Creators
- Brendan Chapman - Murdoch University, School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic SciencesCourtney Cameron - Pathwest Laboratory MedicineDavid Keatley - Murdoch UniversityJohn Coumbaros - Murdoch UniversityGarth Maker - Murdoch University
- Publication Details
- Forensic science international, Vol.357, 111985
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V.
- Identifiers
- 991005651569007891
- Copyright
- © 2024 The Author(s).
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Computational and Systems Medicine; School of Law and Criminology; Centre for Biosecurity and One Health; School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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