Ellie Simpson

Facial Soft Tissue Depths in Craniofacial Identification (Part I): An Analytical Review of the Published Adult Data*

Abstract:  With the ever increasing production of average soft tissue depth studies, data are becoming increasingly complex, less standardized, and more unwieldy. So far, no overarching review has been attempted to determine: the validity of continued data collection; the usefulness of the existing data subcategorizations; or if a synthesis is possible to produce a manageable soft tissue depth library. While a principal components analysis would provide the best foundation for such an assessment, this type of investigation is not currently possible because of a lack of easily accessible raw data (first, many studies are narrow; second, raw data are infrequently published and/or stored and are not always shared by some authors). This paper provides an alternate means of investigation using an hierarchical approach to review and compare the effects of single variables on published mean values for adults whilst acknowledging measurement errors and within‐group variation. The results revealed: (i) no clear secular trends at frequently investigated landmarks; (ii) wide variation in soft tissue depth measures between different measurement techniques irrespective of whether living persons or cadavers were considered; (iii) no clear clustering of non‐Caucasoid data far from the Caucasoid means; and (iv) minor differences between males and females. Consequently, the data were pooled across studies using weighted means and standard deviations to cancel out random and opposing study‐specific errors, and to produce a single soft tissue depth table with increased sample sizes (e.g., 6786 individuals at pogonion).

Role of orthopedic implants and bone morphology in the identification of human remains.

ABSTRACT: When conventional methods of identification, such as visual recognition and dental comparison, cannot be used to identify a deceased person, it becomes necessary to consider alternative methods. The presence of an orthopedic implant in a body may assist identification if ante‐mortem medical records are available for comparison. Another method of identification involves comparison of ante‐mortem and postmortem radiographs. Eight cases are reported from Forensic Science SA where the presence of orthopedic implants and/or ante‐mortem radiographs were used to try to establish identification. In six cases, positive identification was established, and in two cases with upper limb orthopedic implants, the bones remained unidentified. Manufacturers were unable to provide any information about the distribution and use of the implants that could be of use with identification, as there are no requirements in Australia for individual medical implants to be tracked. Such a system has the potential to aid postmortem identification if serial codes were etched onto implants that could then be traced to manufacturers, surgeons, and recipients of these devices.

Fatal electrocution in adults--a 30-year study

A retrospective study was undertaken of all cases of death in adults (>16 years) due to electrocution which were autopsied at Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, Australia, over a 30-year period from 1973 to 2002. A total of 96 cases were identified with 87 males (91%) (mean age = 41.6 years; range 17 to 86 years) and nine females (9%) (mean age = 49.2 years; range 20 to 76 years). Deaths were due to accidents in 66 cases (69%; M:F = 63:3), suicides in 28 cases (29%; M:F = 24:4) and homicides in two cases (2%). Both homicide victims were females, with females accounting for only 5% of the accidents and 14% of suicides. The number of accidental deaths increased until the early 1990s and then declined, whereas suicidal electrocutions were only found in the last 20 years of the study. Most deaths (N = 80; 83%) were due to low voltage circuits (<1000 volts), with deaths due to high voltages occurring in 15 cases (16%). One death was due to lightning (1%). While suicides were evenly distributed throughout the year, most accidental deaths occurred in late spring and summer (N = 42; 64%) with the lowest number of accidental deaths occurring in winter and early spring. This report demonstrates a significantly higher rate of electrocution deaths among males, with a summer predominance of accidental deaths, most likely due to increased outdoor activities in better weather. The reduction in cases over the last decade of the study may be a reflection of the success of workplace and domestic safety campaigns. Female electrocution suicides and electrocution homicides were rare events.

Facial Soft Tissue Depth Statistics and Enhanced Point Estimators for Craniofacial Identification: The Debut of the Shorth and the 75-Shormax

Several methods that have customarily been used in craniofacial identification to describe facial soft tissue depths (FSTDs) implore improvement. They include the calculation of arithmetic means for skewed data, omission of concern for measurement uncertainty, oversight of effect size, and misuse of statistical significance tests (e.g., p‐values for strength of association). This paper redresses these limitations using FSTDs from 10 prior studies (N = 516). Measurement uncertainty was large (>20% of the FSTD), skewness (≥0.8) existed at 11 of the 23 FSTD landmarks examined, and sex and age each explained <4% of the total FSTD variance (η2 calculated as part of MANOVA). These results call for a new and improved conceptualization of FSTDs, which is attained by the replacement of arithmetic means with shorths and 75‐shormaxes. The outcomes of this implementation are dramatic reduction in FSTD complexity; improved data accuracy; and new data‐driven standards for casework application of methods.

The identification of submerged skeletonized remains.

Examination was undertaken of skeletonized remains contained within 2 rubber boots dredged by a fishing boat from a depth of 145 m, approximately 185 km off the southern Australian coast in the Great Australian Bight. The boots had been manufactured in Australia in July 1993 and were of a type commonly used by local fishermen. Examination of the lower legs and feet revealed well-preserved bones with arthritic changes in keeping with an older male. DNA analyses using reference samples taken from relatives of fishermen who had disappeared in the area resulted in the identification of the victim as a 52-year-old prawn fisherman who had been swept off a boat over a decade earlier. DNA stability had been maintained by the low light, cold temperatures, and alkaline pH of the ocean floor. Integration of pathologic, anthropologic, and biologic analyses with police investigations enabled a positive identification to be made despite the unusual nature of the location of the remains and the time lapse since the disappearance of the victim.

Characteristic acquired features of indigenous australians that may be observed in forensic practice

Australian aboriginal people who are living in traditional groups often have a variety of characteristic acquired features that distinguish them from those who have been resident in less traditional communities. These features include particular forms of scarification, tooth avulsion, and subincision of the penis. Skeletonized remains may also show acquired features such as marked dental attrition, parry fractures, and squatting notches of the long bones. Once features have been found at autopsy to indicate that the deceased may have come from a traditional aboriginal background, one can check for particular conditions with a high prevalence in tribal communities. Additionally, standard reporting practices may be modified to assist in traditional practices and rituals. The identification of a skeleton as aboriginal often means that the burial was historical and that a concealed homicide with body disposal is unlikely. Steps can then be taken to ensure that the remains are returned to aboriginal people/traditional landowners who will be able to re-inter the bones in a manner that is culturally sensitive and appropriate to their needs and belief systems.

Unique Characteristics at Autopsy that may be Useful in Identifying Human Remains

When a person dies, it is a legal requirement in most countries for the body to be formally identified. In Australia, it is the responsibility of the State Coroners to accept the identification and to release the body for burial. Usually, identification can be carried out by friends or relatives viewing the body and confirming the identity to a member of the police force (visual identification). In some cases, however, postmortem changes such as decomposition, or facial trauma or disfigurement, incineration or skeletonisation make visual identification unacceptable. In this instance other methods of identification are attempted. These include dental, fingerprints, DNA or, as a last resort, circumstantial identification. On a national and global scale, the issue of identification becomes a particular challenge in situations of multiple fatalities, for example in circumstances of natural disaster or tragic events such as aeroplane crashes, genocide, war or terrorist attacks. In these situations, identification of victims becomes one of the primary aims of the disaster relief teams. During the postmortem examination, the pathologist facilitates identification by examining the body and documenting any unique characteristics that may be useful in identifying the person. This information can then be used to corroborate any other information on the identification, and becomes especially useful when visual identification is not possible.

Human Face in Biological Anthropology: Craniometry, Evolution and Forensic Identification

The face is the body part that epitomises a human person. The face is what is required for identification of individuals in passports, on driver’s licences and other documents. It can even be argued that the human face is a cultural construct that cannot be studied without taking into account cultural values (Berrios, 2002, this volume). And yet the human face is an anatomical entity that arose through biological processes during the course of human evolution and its structure is regulated by the same embryological, anatomical and physiological mechanisms that form all other parts of the body. Thus the face can be studied by means of natural sciences or more specifically by biological anthropology, which can be defined as the scientific study of human biological characters.

The utilization of incinerated hip and knee prostheses for identification

PurposeThe aim of this study was to test various methods of retrieving number data from hip and knee implants from cremated human remains and to validate our findings by cross referencing our results with the national joint replacement registry.MethodImplants were collected from the remains of individuals who had donated their bodies to science following routine planned cremation. A number of different chemical and physical methods to expose the implant numbers on cremated implants to the point that they were legible were tested. The retrieved data on the implants was referred to the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry to identify the individuals, and the names were cross-referenced from the original list of donors.ResultsIt was possible to retrieve sufficient data from cremated implants to track the name of the recipient of implants if they were placed following the formation of the registry. Both wet and dry paper (1200 size and without moisture), and fine grade steel wool (used in antique restoration), were successful in removing the oxidized layer from implants. With hip implants, it was discovered that the best area to retrieve clear readable information is inside the ball head or at the end of the neck as this area is protected from oxidation during incineration.ConclusionIncinerated or cremated hip and knee implants may be used to assist in the identification of a decedent following careful treatment, in conjunction with national joint revision registries and company data.

Growth Patterns and Individual Variation in Mid‐sagittal Facial Soft Tissue Depth from Childhood to Adulthood

Previous studies have used longitudinal samples to investigate growth of the skeletal aspects of the face, although far less has been done on facial soft tissue. This study uses a larger sample than previous studies on the same data (Denver and Fels growth series) to explore covariation of bony and soft facial dimensions comprehensively from childhood to adulthood. A total of 1036 lateral cephalometric radiographs were digitized from 60 individuals, and distances between facial landmarks were measured using ImageJ. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed all bony facial landmark distances were significantly different (p > 0.05) between age groups; however, only half were significantly different between sexes. Further analysis showed the effect of age (calculated as eta‐squared) explained a greater percentage of total variation (20%) than sex (15%). Overall, soft tissue changes between 0 and 19 years of age were small (<3 mm) and only some were correlated to underlying facial skeleton dimensions.