NCJ Number
43198
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 46 Issue: 8 Dated: (AUGUST 1977) Pages: 12-15
Date Published
1977
Length
4 pages
Annotation
USING AN ACTUAL CASE HISTORY AS AN ILLUSTRATION, AN ARTIST/SCIENTIST TEAM DESCRIBES HOW, BASED ONLY ON SKELETAL REMAINS, PHYSICAL AND PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DECEASED MAY BE DETERMINED.
Abstract
THIS ARTICLE DETAILS THE ATTEMPT OF A POLICE ARTIST AND A PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGIST TO RECONSTRUCT PERSONALITY FACTORS FROM BADLY DECOMPOSED REMAINS FOUND IN A WOODED AREA. AFTER PAINSTAKING EXAMINATION OF THE SKELETON, THE SEX, RACE, APPROXIMATE AGE, HEIGHT, AND OTHER PERTINENT PHYSICAL FEATURES WERE ASCERTAINED. A SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PROFILE OF THE DECEASED BASED ON AN ANALYSIS OF THE PHYSICAL FINDINGS AND EVIDENCE FOUND AT THE CRIME SCENE SEARCH WAS THEN BEGUN BY THE ARTIST AND THE SCIENTIST. A SKETCH WAS PREPARED, PUBLISHED IN LOCAL NEWSPAPERS, AND IDENTIFIED BY THREE PERSONS AS STRONGLY RESSEMBLING A YOUNG WOMAN WHO HAD BEEN MISSING FOR EIGHT MONTHS. A SUBSEQUENT FINGERPRINT MATCH POSITIVELY CONFIRMED THE VICTIM'S IDENTITY. THE IMPORTANCE OF A THOROUGH SEARCH OF THE CRIME SCENE AND ADJACENT AREA IS STRESSED, ALONG WITH CAREFUL MEASUREMENT AND PHOTOGRAPHING OF THE REMAINS AND SITE.