Methodological and Technological Advances in Death Investigations

Application and Case Studies

1st Edition - December 5, 2023
Editors: Ann H Ross, Jason H Byrd
Language: English
Paperback ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 1 9 3 9 4 - 5
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 1 9 3 9 5 - 2

Methodological and Technological Advances in Death Investigations: Application and Case Studies focuses on advancements in both methods and technology in death invest… Read more

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Methodological and Technological Advances in Death Investigations: Application and Case Studies focuses on advancements in both methods and technology in death investigations. Specifically, in the areas of latent fingerprints, facial recognition, wildlife forensics, using aerial vehicles and 3D-ID. The combination of national and international authors and a discussion of the state of forensic science over a decade after the National Academies 2009 Report, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward, further highlights the boundaries, limitations and context in which these newer technologies and applications act synergistically to enhance forensic science.

Cover image
Title page
Table of Contents
Copyright
List of contributors
Preface
Chapter 1. Crime scene investigations response to the NAS report of 2009
1. Introduction
2. Crime scene investigations
3. OSAC response to the NAS report
4. Forensic document examination and other forensic disciplines
5. Crime laboratories response to the NAS report
6. Conclusion
Chapter 2. Techniques for processing porous and nonporous surfaces for latent friction ridge impressions
1. Introduction
2. Nonporous substratesFigure 2.1Cyanoacrylate ester.
3. Nonporous substrates - Wet
4. Porous substrates
5. Porous substrates - Wet
6. Adhesive
7. Blood search
8. Blood enhancements
9. Gun bluing
10. Conclusion
Chapter 3. Artificial intelligence in forensic anthropology: State of the art and Skeleton-ID project
1. Introduction
2. Artificial intelligence: Techniques and fundamentals
3. Overview of the existing artificial intelligence approaches for forensic anthropology techniques
4. Skeleton-ID: Artificial intelligence at the service of physical and forensic anthropology
5. Conclusion and discussion
Chapter 4. A medicolegal approach to postmortem interval estimation
1. Introduction
2. Postmortem change and time since death determination
3. Temperature-based methods
4. Artifacts of decomposition
5. New and novel research methods
6. Limitations and application considerations
7. Conclusion
Chapter 5. Wildlife forensics: Osteology and DNA
1. Introduction
2. Comparative osteology in identification
3. DNA analysis in identification
4. Conclusions
Chapter 6. Unmanned aerial systems for the search and documentation of clandestine human remains
1. Unmanned aerial systems/vehicles and regulations
2. Remote sensing
3. Detection of surface human remains
4. Detection of buried human remains
5. Conclusions
Chapter 7. The use of GIS for cases of comingling
1. Introduction
2. Materials and methods
3. Conclusion
Chapter 8. Unidentified decedent investigation protocols
1. Introduction
2. Role of forensic anthropology in the identification process
3. Unidentified decedents in North Carolina
4. A unified approach to the investigation of unidentified remains using forensic anthropology
5. The importance of reanalyzing cold cases
6. Cold case re-evaluation example
Chapter 9. Forensic isotope provenancing for undocumented border crosser human remains: Application, overview, and case studies
1. Introduction
2. Isotope principles and basics explained
3. Skeletal elements commonly used for isotope analysis, turnover rates, and diagenesis
4. Isoscapes
5. Open access data and the future of isotope research in forensic anthropology
6. Conclusion and future directions
7. Funding
Chapter 10. Mass fatalities and Rapid DNA
1. Introduction
2. The future of disaster victim identification
3. Rapid DNA and disaster management
4. Disciplines used in disaster victim identification
5. The steps surrounding disaster victim identification
6. Utilizing a Family Assistance Center
7. Case study: Camp Fire, Butte County California
8. Identifying the camp fire disaster victims
9. Chapter summary
Chapter 11. Current standards in disaster victim identification
1. Introduction
2. The disaster victim identification process
3. Disaster victim identification standards and guidelines
4. Conclusion
Chapter 12. The applicability of bone mineral density for adult age estimation
1. Introduction
2. Materials and methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusion
Index

Ann H Ross

Dr. Ross is a Board Certified forensic anthropologist and professor of forensic anthropology and skeletal biology at NC State University. She is also internationally certified and a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Dr. Ross has extensive case experience and court testimony on dismemberment cases. In addition to teaching and testifying, Dr. Ross has written many forensic anthropology journal articles and published a book, The Juvenile Skeleton in Forensic Abuse Investigations, with Springer in 2011.

Affiliations and expertise

Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA

Jason H Byrd

Jason H. Byrd, Ph.D., D-ABFE, is an associate professor within the University of Florida Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine and the associate director of the William R. Maples Center for Forensic Medicine. In his capacity as an professor, Dr. Byrd instructs courses in forensic science at UF’s nationally recognized Hume Honors College. Dr. Byrd is also a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and he serves as the director of education for the ASPCA Veterinary Forensic Sciences Program at the University of Florida. Dr. Byrd has combined his formal academic training in entomology and forensic science to serve as a consultant and educator in both criminal and civil legal investigations throughout the United States and internationally. He specializes in the education of law enforcement officials, medical examiners, coroners, attorneys and other death investigators on the use and applicability of arthropods in legal investigations. His research efforts have focused on the development and behavior of insects that have forensic importance, and he has more than 15 years of experience in the collection and analysis of entomological evidence. Outside of academics, Dr. Byrd serves as a medicolegal death investigator within the National Disaster Medical System, Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team, Region IV. He also serves as the commander for the Florida Emergency Mortuary Operations Response System and is currently deployed to the Florida Panhandle for victim identification post Hurricane Michael. Dr. Byrd is a Board-certified forensic entomologist and a diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Entomology, where he was twice elected to be the president. He is also a former president of the North American Forensic Entomology Association. In addition to these appointments, Dr. Byrd was the first person to be elected president for both professional North American Forensic Entomology Associations. He served for more than a decade as a faculty member of the Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine, and he is the current president of the International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association.

Affiliations and expertise

Associate Director, William R. Maples Center for Forensic Medicine, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA