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Forensic Medicine
Homicide or suicide? A jigsaw puzzle of incinerated human remainsAlanah M Buck, Clive Cooke, Peter de la Motte and Stephen Knott
Between 800 and 900 skeletal fragments were recovered and reassembled
MJA 2000; 173: 606-607
The scene -
Recovery -
Analysis of the remains -
Interpretation of the scene -
Acknowledgement -
References -
Authors' details
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More articles on Pathology
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While hunting feral goats, the caretaker of a disused gold mine
discovered a burnt-out car about 100 m from a service road. The vehicle
was in previously burnt bushland. Licence plates were still attached
to the car and identified it as belonging to a missing person. An
investigation of the scene by local police officers revealed a set of
charred and fragmented human remains a small distance from the
vehicle.
The suspected victim was in his mid-thirties; he had gone missing from a nearby town about four years before. He was alleged to have been an associate of known criminals and had accrued considerable gambling debts. In view of this history and the remoteness of the location, the circumstances of the death were considered suspicious. | ||||||||
The scene | ||||||||
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The area in which the remains were found consisted of low scrub bush
with a scattering of medium-sized trees. A small creek bounded the
furthest edge of the demarcated area of interest. The creek was dry
during the period of investigation (January); however, the area was
known to flood during winter months. The immediate area where the
remains were found was clear of vegetation, but several trees were
growing in the surrounding area (Box 1).
A large area of interest was identified using natural boundaries (eg, the creek bed) and police conducted a systematic grid search. An examination of the scene showed a series of burnt trees in the immediate vicinity; local shire information confirmed that a bushfire had passed through the area two years before. Branches from badly incinerated tree trunks were observed to have fallen in "ring-like" patterns around the charred stumps. A number of trees had silt build-up at the base of the trunks as a result of flooding. The direction of the water flow was towards the skeletal remains along an east-west axis. The skeletal remains were found in a clear area, removed from any trees. However, a series of charred tree branches were noted in the immediate vicinity of the skeletal scatter. Considering the ring-like branch patterns found around burnt trees, it was determined that a tree had in fact been located near the remains and had burnt down below the surface of the ground. Its stump was later uncovered. | ||||||||
Recovery |
The skeletal elements were severely fragmented and scattered around
an area about 3 x 2 m. The severe thermal damage and scattered
appearance of the remains initially suggested that the body may have
been deliberately cremated and the fragments dispersed. After
photographic and video recording of the area of interest, a datum
point was established and the skeletal elements were mapped using an
x,y coordinate system. Each fragment was assigned an
x,y coordinate and assessed in situ. This
information was recorded both on the collection bag and
independently on a police inventory list. Fragile material was
packed in padded bags and taken to the State Mortuary.
A metal detector was used to locate metal objects in the area of interest. A ring, several coins and the remnants of a gas lighter were recovered at the scene. An amalgam dental filling was later detected at the mortuary after careful sifting of associated soil. | |||||||
Analysis of the remains | ||||||||
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Between 800 and 900 skeletal fragments were recovered and
reassembled in the State Mortuary (Box 2). The fragments of bone had
been subject to varying degrees of fire damage, which was reflected in
the range of colours observed (Box 2). Fewer than half the fragments
could be placed back into their anatomical position. Portions of the
right pelvic bone (including sciatic notch), left and right distal
ends of the femora, the left clavicle and much of the left humerus were
identifiable. The cranium was so fragmented that only 3-4 main
regions could be identified -- these appeared to be male. Several
teeth were also recovered; however, they were fractured as a result of
extreme heat damage (Box 3).
To determine the original position of the body on the ground, the location of the major fragments was plotted on an x,y graph in anatomical groupings. The distribution of the skeletal elements appeared to be random. | ||||||||
Interpretation of the scene | ||||||||
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It appeared that the body had been initially cremated while it
retained some or all of the soft tissue elements. This was confirmed by
the type of intense fire damage sustained, similar to that seen in
motor vehicle incinerations. This type of damage usually occurs in
the presence of fat. The body appeared to have been originally in
association with a large tree, which had burnt to the ground. The
presence of the tree would also have added to the intensity and
duration of the fire. An accelerant may have been used, although no
evidence of this was found. This scenario would have accounted for the
extreme calcination and fragmentation of the skeleton.
After incineration, the remains became scattered over the ground and probably experienced a second scorching (at much reduced temperatures) by a scrub fire, hence the wide range of colour changes on the bones. Local flooding appears to have washed the remains along a narrow channel (along an east-west axis), causing the skeletal elements to be scattered indiscriminately out of anatomical context. Dental identification was difficult, as almost all records of the suspected victim had been disposed of owing to the long period (eight years) since his last dental visit. Fortuitously, the only remaining dental radiograph contained an image of the amalgam filling recovered from the scene (Box 4). Thus, a positive identification was made. Owing to the lack of sufficient and conclusive evidence regarding the cause of death, the Coroner returned an open verdict. | ||||||||
Acknowledgement | ||||||||
| We would like to thank the Western Australian Coroner's Office. | ||||||||
References | ||||||||
Authors' details | ||||||||
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Department of Forensic Pathology, WA Centre for Pathology and
Medical Research (PathCentre), Perth, WA.
Alanah M Buck, PhD, Forensic Anthropologist; Clive Cooke, BMedSci, FRCPA, Chief Forensic Pathologist; Stephen Knott, BDSc, DipForensicOdont, Forensic Dentist. Major Crime Division, Western Australian Police Service, Perth, WA.
Reprints will not be available from the authors. ©MJA 2000
Readers may print a single copy for personal use. No further reproduction or distribution of the articles should proceed without the permission of the publisher. For permission, contact the Australasian Medical Publishing Company. Journalists are welcome to write news stories based on what they read here, but should acknowledge their source as "an article published on the Internet by The Medical Journal of Australia <http://www.mja.com.au>". <URL: http://www.mja.com.au/> © 2000 Medical Journal of Australia. We appreciate your comments. | ||||||||
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