NCJ Number
59136
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 22 Issue: 2 Dated: (1977) Pages: 434-442
Date Published
1977
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES USING DENTAL RECORDS FOR FORENSIC IDENTIFICATION VIA THE TRADITIONAL METHODS AND COMPUTERS TO ESTABLISH A MORE EFFICIENT MEANS OF USING THE RECORDS.
Abstract
THE TRADITIONAL METHOD WORKS AS LONG AS THE RECORDS GIVE THE ODONTOLOGIST A LEAD TO A POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION. IF THEY DO NOT, IT IS HARD TO OBTAIN A POSITIVE IDENTIFICATON BECAUSE NO MEANS EXIST TO TAKE THE DENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AN UNIDENTIFIED PERSON AND OBTAIN PROPER RECORDS. NO CENTRAL DEPOSITORY OF DENTAL RECORDS EXISTS. A PROPOSED SOLUTION USES A COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM WITH A NEW TYPE OF DENTAL CHART. THE CHART FORMS A CHECKLIST GRID. A CODE FOR USING THE CHART IS PRESENTED. THE SYSTEM WOULD ENABLE THE INFORMATION ON THE CHART OF THE CASE IN QUESTION TO BE COMPARED WITH INFORMATION OF POSSIBLE MISSING PERSONS AND LEAD TO IDENTIFICATION. EXPERIMENTS WITH 100 PATIENTS INDICATE THAT THE SYSTEM CAN WORK. CONVERSATIONS WITH COMPUTER EXPERTS IN THE IDENTIFICATION SECTION OF THE FBI CONFIRMED THE VALIDITY OF THE SYSTEM BUT RAISED THE QUESTIONS OF TOO GREAT A NUMBER OF MISSING PERSONS PER YEAR, AND THE VIOLATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS BY PLACING DENTAL RECORDS OF MISSING PERSONS IN A FEDERAL COMPUTER. AN ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM IS TO ENCOURAGE THE VOLUNTARY SUBMISSON OF DENTAL RECORDS BY THE FAMILIES OF MISSING PERSONS. FOOTNOTES, CHARTS AND TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (KCP)