Understanding the burden of unidentified bodies: a systematic review

A transdisciplinary integrated approach to improve identification outcomes for decomposed decedents in medicolegal death investigations

Introduction

Successful identification of unidentified decedents is a priority to address the global burden and health crisis created by such deaths. A newly developed transdisciplinary and integrative approach is presented as a protocol. The aim is to facilitate forensic leads for medico-legal death investigations that utilize external expertise to provide additional information as an act of re-humanization of the decedent.

Methods and analysis

There are three critical phases to the protocol. This transdisciplinary research approach in sensitive medicolegal environments requires, first, establishment of a robust ethical framework (implementation of permissions, contracts, and ethics) to maintain evidentiary integrity and protect those involved. It also needs to facilitate dissemination of the generated facial depictions to the public to enable investigative leads. Second, it requires the identification of useful and available scientific analyses and establishment of the multi-disciplinary team. These include a medicolegal death investigation and a forensic pathology postmortem record review inclusive of forensic contextual and case data information (such as unique identifiers and personal belongings), radiographic analyses, osteobiography anthropological assessment, conventional and specialized forensic genetic analyses, and possibly stable isotope analyses to provide a richer picture and understanding of the person. Third, these multifactorial data need to be integrated into a narrative, including facial reconstruction and depiction to elicit memory and identification via public appeals for information on unresolved cases. Should an investigative lead be followed, and a possible forensic identification established, conventional methods to confirm identity can be applied (e.g. DNA profiling). While it is the first time this approach has been applied in an African context, this protocol can be replicated and adapted for other regions to improve medicolegal death investigations, Ultimately, facilitating and improving identification can provide social justice and familial closure.

Terrain of taphonomy: how biogeographic variation affects decomposition and scavenger behaviour in two forensically significant habitats of Cape Town, South Africa

In South Africa, high rates of unidentified human remains necessitate the establishment of regionally specific high resolution taphonomic data to facilitate accurate reconstruction of postmortem circumstances and timing, as well as identification. This study investigates the effects scavenging and environmental conditions on the decomposition process using porcine models as human analogs across two distinct forensic sites in Cape Town: a suburban site and a peri-urban site. Over four deployments (July 2021-January 2023), six clothed porcine bodies were placed at each site and monitored. Data collected included mass loss, scavenger activity (notably by the Cape grey mongoose Galerella pulverulenta), and environmental variables. Findings revealed that seasonal variations and habitat types had significant impacts on the rate and pattern of decomposition. Porcine bodies at the Medical Research Council site consistently decomposed faster than those at the University of Cape Town site due to the micro habitat differences documented between the two sites. This research underscores the importance of considering biogeographic variation and the displacement of vertebrate scavengers in urban settings, emphasising the need for careful site selection in decomposition research to better reflect some forensic urban scenarios. By replicating the locally prevalent medicolegal death scenario of a single clothed body, the study enhances understanding of postmortem processes in Cape Town and contributes to the refinement of methodologies for forensic taphonomy within specific ecological contexts.

4th DNA Forensic Symposium: Challenges and future directions in Africa

The 4th Forensic DNA Symposium in Africa underscored the critical role of regional collaboration in advancing forensic sciences, with a particular focus on forensic DNA examinations, databases, and humanitarian initiatives. The symposium aimed to assess the current forensic DNA capabilities across African countries and develop strategies to expand and better utilize DNA platforms. Key findings from the symposium highlight the necessity for enhanced cooperation among African nations to build robust forensic DNA databases and improve data-sharing mechanisms. The symposium also identified significant gaps in current capabilities and the need to develop legal frameworks, infrastructure, and expertise to support forensic initiatives. Moving forward, these findings suggest a strategic focus on capacity building, establishing standardized procedures, and implementing sustainable forensic practices across the continent. Champions were nominated by attending delegates to lead their respective countries in the implementation of these strategies, marking a critical step towards strengthening forensic science in Africa and addressing the pressing challenges related to crime and humanitarian efforts.

Who are they? A retrospective study of unidentified bodies in Institute of Medical-Legal Paris from 2018 to 2023

"I still don't realize that he's dead.... I cried over it. It makes me sad to know that he was buried unaccompanied on his last trip. We were all shocked." This testimony corresponds to a family whose relative was buried in an anonymous grave 6 months after his disappearance was reported to the police. It is estimated that between 1 000 and 3 000 unidentified bodies are buried in anonymous graves in France each year. Most of these decedents have passed through the medico-legal system. However the identification of these bodies, outside the context of mass disasters, remains a complex problem. Several national and international publications have highlighted the prevalent problem of unidentified burials and the consequences for families who do not know the fate of their loved ones, specifically, whether they are alive or deceased. This 6-year retrospective study (2018-2023), covering a total of 2 324 unidentified decedents admitted to the Institute of Medical-Legal Paris (IMLP), aimed to assess the impact of the identification protocol implemented in 2017 on the number of bodies that remain unidentified (n = 164). In addition, this study aimed to establish profiles for individuals who remained unidentified with the objective of identifying the factors that hinder their identification and developing correlated methods to address these issues. The results of this study were compared with other published studies to highlight the global problem and the ongoing need for collaboration between forensic practitioners and relevant authorities.

Key points

Despite great advances in human identification, unidentified decedents remain a global problem.This 6-year overview study covering a total of 2 324 unidentified bodies admitted to the IMLP provided relevant information about the unidentified decedent population and assessed the impact of a protocol established in 2017 on the rate of deceased buried without identity in Paris.The need to establish a national database in France to properly document and disseminate information on missing persons and to centralize the biological profile of unidentified bodies is key, as without antemortem information or a biometric database there can be no matching.

Exploring the role of the human microbiome in forensic identification: opportunities and challenges

Forensic microbiology is rapidly emerging as a novel tool for human identification. The human microbiome, comprising diverse microbial communities including fungi, bacteria, protozoa, and viruses, is unique to each individual, offering a new dimension to forensic investigations. While traditional identification methods primarily rely on DNA profiling and fingerprint analysis, they face limitations when complete DNA or fingerprints profiles are unattainable or degraded. In this context, the microbial signatures of the human skin microbiome present a promising alternative due to their resilience to environmental stresses and individual-specific composition. This review explores the potential of microbiome analysis in forensic human identification, evaluating its applications, advantages, limitations, and future prospects. The uniqueness of an individual's microbial community, particularly the skin microbiota, can provide distinctive biological markers for identification purposes, while technological advancements like 16 S rRNA sequencing and metagenomic shotgun sequencing are enhancing the specificity of microbial identification, enabling detailed analysis of these complex ecological communities. Despite these promising findings, current research has not yet achieved a level of identification probability that could establish microbial analysis as a stand-alone evidence tool. Therefore, it is presently considered ancillary to traditional methods, contributing to a more comprehensive biological profile of individuals.

Human identification by medical findings in a forensic anthropology context

This article presents a series of three complex forensic cases that posed significant challenges for identifying human remains. These include a mass dam disaster, burnt human remains, and extensively decomposed human remains. Positive identification was achieved using a shadow positioning technique with imaging comparisons of medical findings. After establishing the biological profile, medical data were evaluated with digital radiography and computed tomography examinations the human remains. These aimed to replicate the original (intravitam) traits in the same angulation to examine postsurgical characteristics, as well as the anatomical, pathological, and morphological features, which were sufficient to establish a positive scientific identification. Technological advancements tend to reveal additional skeletal details, making medical data comparisons significantly more effective in the context of anthropological identification. These cases demonstrate that the possibility of identification should never be ignored, even in situations with advanced decomposition.

Key points

Conventional identification methods may not always be applicable in forensic anthropology cases.The presented cases include a mass dam disaster, burnt human remains, and extensively decomposed human remains.These three cases involved successful human identification with medical findings comparisons using the shadow position technique.Identification could be established in these cases, despite challenges, such as fire damage, an incomplete body, and extensive decomposition.These cases suggest medical findings should be considered as biological identifiers rather than secondary identifiers.

Positive identification through comparative dental analysis in mass disaster: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

The study aimed to assess the probability of achieving positive identification through comparative dental analysis (CDA) and to determine the factors that influence its success rate in mass disaster scenarios.

METHODS

An electronic literature search was conducted across six databases for observational studies that reported both the total number of mass disaster victims and the count of victims identified through CDA alone. A random-effect meta-analysis, using the proportion of victims identified with CDA as the effect size, was conducted alongside subgroup analyses based on the type of disaster (natural or non-natural), the disaster classification (open or closed), and the geographical region (i.e., Europe, Asia).

RESULTS

The search yielded 3133 entries, out of which 32 studies were deemed eligible. Most of the studies (96.8%) presented a low risk of bias. The meta-analysis revealed a mean weighted-proportion probability of 0.32, indicating that forensic odontology could identify about one-third of the victims in a mass disaster. The probability of comparative dental identification was three times higher in closed mass disasters compared to open disasters (p < 0.05) and was higher in mass disasters occurring in North America and Europe compared to other regions (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The current result suggested that CDA can identify approximately 32% of a victim in a hypothetical scenario, emphasizing the integral role of teeth and forensic odontology in victim identification framework.

Management of unidentified and unclaimed bodies: a comparison of model from four countries in the Asia Pacific Region

Managing mass fatality incidents or disasters involving multiple deaths are not uncommon among forensic practitioners. In fact, management of unidentified or unknown bodies is also a vital component of the day-to-day mortuary work practice. The unidentified and subsequently unclaimed bodies have always been a "silent mass disaster," a problem that needs to be tackled within the forensic community and raises the global issue of ethics, law, and human rights. Unidentified bodies' in Malaysia make up an average of 4.02% of all death cases where a total postmortem examination was performed which is comparable with other developing countries within 4-10% which can go up to 25%. Moreover, unstandardized procedures in all mortuaries in different states and districts in Malaysia have worsened the scenario even with guidelines in place. This study aims to address the issues surrounding unidentified and unclaimed bodies including body disposal from a social and legal perspective using case study methodology by comparing four different countries in the Asia Pacific Region through document analysis and interview methods. One of the major findings is evident in 3 out of the 4 models, whereby there is a considerable gap in consolidating the missing person report and information to match with the unidentified bodies received in forensic institutions in an attempt to enhance the identification process which ultimately intends as a closure for the family members. It is also timely to think out of the box beyond dental records and DNA profiling to improve the identification rate for skeletonized remains through means of anthropology biometrics comparison. With the limited literature published surrounding this domain, it is hoped that the suggestions and recommendations to standardize the management of unidentified and unclaimed bodies can benefit many forensic institutions and public mortuaries in this region.