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Case Studies | Criminology and Forensic Science | India | Volume 12 Issue 2, February 2023 | Rating: 4.6 / 10

Identification in Skeletal Remains: A Case Report

Dr. Sujith Maram | Dr. K. Parvathi

Abstract: Identification is the most important facet in any crime investigation especially in a putrified or in a skeletonized body. Here, we are presenting the identification aspect of a case of skeletonized dead body. Bones, covered in mud with no soft tissues, recovered from the crime scene (a cave in a forest covered hill) were received by our department to examine. The contents were skull with mandible, right & left scapula, right & left Humerus, right radius, right & left ulna, one metacarpal, 11 right side ribs & 12 left side ribs, 3 cervical, 4 thoracic vertebrae, Sacrum, Both sides pelvis, right & left Femur, right & left tibia and fibula and one patella. After establishing that they all belong to human being and of the same individual, all bones were examined separately with emphasis on Skull and Pelvis to establish the sex, age of the individual and any peculiarities. It was found that it belongs to a female and of age group 25 to 30 years and the information was forwarded to Police department to check for match of missing complaints. An ideal approach to narrow down the identification is Photographic superimposition of the Skull and DNA profiling with the missing women. This emphasizes that the determination of age, by external examination of bones based on their anatomical features, could only be opined in a specific age intervals but not the exact age and should not be completely relied upon rather be a supplement to Photographic superimposition and DNA profiling.

Keywords: Iliopectineal line, chilotic line index, sacral index, Corporobasal index, Kimura's base wing index

Edition: Volume 12 Issue 2, February 2023,

Pages: 1409 - 1412