Forensic Anthropology Case Study

The ladder is key evidence tying Hauptmann to the kidnapping. Hauptmann had a drawing of the ladder in his sketchbook. The dimensions were very close to the actual ladder.“Yet it is identical in mortise construction of the kidnap ladder, with the same indented rungs. He did not name the itinerant artist” Koenigsberg, A. (2000, November 19). Hauptmann had a sketch of the ladder among his own papers. When presented with the paper at the trial, he blamed it on a visiting child. The sketch had the same structure of the kidnap ladder.Arthur Koehler analysed the grains of wood from Hauptmann's attic and determined it match Rail 16 of the ladder. “Koehler disassembled the ladder and painstakingly identified the types of wood used

a Double Murder Case: Using Forensics to Inspire Future Generations of Soil Scientists” by Robert W. Fitzpatrick and Mark D. Raven, ask how can Forensic Soil Science be used to solve investigating cases, within law enforcement, such as a double murder case presented in the article. As described in the article, Forensic Soil Science is the study of soil (surfaces) that use a variety of soil information to resolve legal questions, problems, and hypotheses. How Forensic Soil Science and solving murder cases can relate is clear, Forensic Soil Science takes evidence that involves soil on objects and exams them to see if there’s a match with the soil found on the piece of evidence where the crime was commented. Most of the crimes involve some type of surface or soil, which makes the both relate to one another. The research disciplines that are related to this research are, Criminology, Soil Science, Pedology, and Mineralogy.

During chapter three, human decay, is the main topic. Mary Roach goes to visit the University of Tennessee Medical Center. This is the only field research, in America, that focus on the decay of human bodies. Academics leave bodies to deteriorate in natural surroundings and then screen their “stages of chemical composition.” This information contributes to criminal investigations by making systematic standards to determine the time of death. Temperature, insect infestation, smell and other factors are monitored and

While investigations were going on to determine how victims died, there was a discovery of fibers on the victims’ bodies. The goal of the investigator was to determine if any fibers in Wayne Williams home or person matched those fibers found on the victims. Williams denied killing

They of course had everything they found on her body, which was the twine, the dog collar, the cable ties, and the scarf. According to an interview with the lead detective, Chris Gregg of the West Yorkshire police department, of the case on the show A Town and Country Murder, once the body was brought to the morgue they brought a forensic scientist who was able to examine a fiber found on her back. The detective also mentions that they brought in a Entomologist, an entomologist is a person who is an expert in Entomology “which is the study of insects” (Google), who looked at the bugs and eggs on her body and they also brought in the Forensic Science Service, the FSS. Peter Grant was the one who mainly worked with them; he was a major crime specialist. The last person they brought in was pathologist (“a branch of medicine used for legal purposes and concerned with determining cause of death, examination of injuries due to crime and negligence, and examination of tissue samples relevant to crimes; also called forensic science” (Dictionary.com).)focused in palynology, “palynology is the study of pollen grains and other spores, especially as found in archaeological or geological deposits”(Google). According to law.com forsensic pathology is: a branch of pathologythat is primarily concerned with determining the cause of death through the examination of a corpse. The pathologist who worked on the case was Patricia Wiltshire.

Forensic science has come a long way from where it was less than 100 years ago. It has only been relatively recently that the advancement of technology we use, has occurred. The Body Farm, an institute in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a place where dead corpses are left to rot and then studied on how the body decays in different circumstances. Death’s Acre: Inside the Legendary Body Farm tells about the farm from Dr. Bill Bass’ point of view, from the establishment of the farm, to the impact in the world of forensic science the farm has caused. David Pitt and Alynda Wheat offers their insight into the book in their reviews. The Body Farm has been a monumental stepping stone to the advancement of modern day forensic sciences. Dr. Bill Bass, is making

Forensic anthropology is a subfield of physical anthropology that aims to assist in the identification of human remains and to help determine what happened to the remains (Ubelaker, 2006). A forensic anthropologist is able to aid law enforcement by narrowing down the list of possible victims. This subfield of anthropology consists of several processes and a vast list of duties that are important in providing positive identification.Even though forensic anthropology dates back many years, major advancements in this field are still being made today.

3. What evidence do the scientists use to try to discover where the men were buried?

What three aspects does a forensic autopsy seek information about? Describe each of these aspects.

This is an attempt to unravel the tangle by an objective and empirical examination of information from crime scene and post mortem examination of the victims. Pre-digested information such as speculative newspaper reports, and statements from witnesses other than those called in a professional capacity have been avoided since theirs is largely subjective testimony that confounds more than it informs.

In this paper, I will discuss the background of forensic pathology, the pros and cons of forensic pathology, and the similar and different in a forensic pathologist and a coroner. There are various disciplines in Forensic Science that can help with a crime, and solving that crime. One of these various disciplines is Forensic Pathology which the study of disease, and its causes, moreover; it involves the discovering the cause of the death where a death is sudden or suspicion to law enforcement. While a Forensic Pathologist can be helpful to law enforcement, and helpful in assisting in crime investigation, there are cons to being forensic pathologist. Furthermore, forensic pathologist can be confused with coroner even though they do the same

The book gives a general overview of the field of forensic science. The sections of the book include “The Scene of the Crime; Working the Scene--The Evidence; Working the Scene of the Body Human;

Forensic entomology is using insect biology to determine specific aspects of a crime. It can be used to determine time of death, whether or not a body has been moved, and also if the victim had been intoxicated with any substances. Insects are also prime examples of Locard's principle when solving a crime. The history of forensic entomology dates back to as early as the thirteenth century, and is still been developed today. There have been many cases involving forensic entomology to help solve the crime as evidence, usually about eighty-five percent of all reported species in decomposition are insects.() It has come to be an enormous aspect in forensic science use as evidence.

The pelvis was short and sharply angled and the femoral head measured 50 millimeters, indicating the body was a male. In addition to gender, Dr. Bass and his colleagues observed that the sternal end of the clavicle was fully fused and the pubic symphysis had a rough bumpy service. This meant the body was in its late twenties, between ages 26-29. They observed the left and right femur to measure approximately 490 millimeters, indicating the male was between 5’9 and 6’0 feet tall. They observed no signs of trauma to the bones, but by the color of flesh and state of decomposition, the estimated time of death was between 2-6 months. Step 2: Formulation of an hypothesis to explain the phenomena. In physics, the hypothesis often takes the form of a causal mechanism or a mathematical relation. What hypothesis/hypotheses did Dr. Bass and colleagues make to explain their observations? : The following statement is the hypothesis Dr. Bass andhis colleagues made to explaintheir observations. The body found within thegrave of Colonel Shy belonged to a male who was in his late twenties and stood between 5’9 and 6’0 tall. The male was a murder victim who died between 2-6 months ago.Step 3. Use of the hypothesis to predict the existence of other phenomena, or to predict quantitatively the results of new observations. What predictions did Dr. Bass and

Forensic science is the past, present and future of justice systems around the world. It has made the jobs of those in the justice system less challenging and made the lives of criminals less bearable. One of the many disciplines of forensic science is forensic entomology which is the study and use of arthropods to help in legal investigations. Forensic entomology has been around since the medieval times and it has grown from then to sub disciplines of forensic entomology with the medicolegal sub discipline being the most employed in criminal cases. The science behind forensic entomology is the integration of other areas of science, which are the decomposition timeline of bodies, the life cycle of insects and the types of insects that will invade that body and the knowledge of how to collect and rear them will help estimate the time between death and discovery, called the Post Mortem Interval, and with the help of other disciplinarians of forensic science, all the information gathered could be used by an expert witness to testify in a trial and help to reach a verdict.