|
Forensic Medicine
Homicide or suicide? A jigsaw puzzle of incinerated human remains
Alanah 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
Make a
comment -
Register to be notified of new articles by e-mail -
Current contents list -
More articles on Pathology
| |
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 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.
|
|
|
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.
|
| |
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.
|
| |
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.
|
| |
We would like to thank the Western Australian Coroner's Office.
|
| |
- Shipman P, Foster G, Schoeninger M. Burnt bones and teeth; an
experimental study of color morphology, crystal structure and
shrinkage. J Arch Sci 1984; 11: 307-325.
-
White T. Prehistoric cannibalism. Princeton, New Jersey:
Princeton University Press; 1992.
|
| |
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.
Peter de la Motte, Detective Sergeant.
Reprints will not be available from the authors.
Correspondence:
Dr A M Buck, Department of Forensic Pathology, WA Centre for Pathology
and Medical Research, Locked Bag 2009, Nedlands, WA 6009.
Alanah.BuckAThealth.wa.gov.au
©MJA 2000
Make a
comment
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.
|
|
| |
| Back to text |
| |
|
| 2: Reconstruction of the remains in the mortuary |
 |
| The inset shows an example of the colour variation in
bone brought about by differing temperatures. Bone passes through a series
of colours in accord with temperature.1 Examples
of calcination, which occurs at high temperatures (600ºC-700ºC)2 and exfoliation of bone surfaces indicate that portions of the body were subjected to very high temperatures. Other sections of the
bone were black-brown in colour, indicating that it burnt at a much lower
temperature. |
|
|
| Back to text |
| |
| |
| Back to text |
| |
|
| 4: Dental identification of the body |
 |
 |
| The dental x-ray of the missing man's jaw complete with
filling. |
The amalgam filling recovered from the scene. Small changes
on the occlusal surface of the filling are due to wear over the eight-year
period. |
|
|
| Back to text |
|
Previous
