Full Description
Through a set of unique case studies written by an international group of practicing forensic anthropologists, Case Studies in Forensic Anthropology: Bonified Skeletons prepares students and professionals for the diverse range of cases and challenges they will encounter in the field.
Every forensic anthropology case is unique. Practitioners routinely face new challenges and unexpected outcomes. Courses and introductory texts generally address standard or ideal cases. In practice, however, forensic anthropologists must improvise frequently during forensic archaeological recoveries and laboratory analyses based on case circumstances. Most forensic anthropologists have encountered unconventional cases with surprising results. While these cases act as continuing education for practitioners—better preparing them for future encounters— such learning opportunities may be limited by the extent of personal experiences. This text exposes practitioners and students to a diverse array of case examples they may not otherwise encounter, sharing experiential knowledge and contributing to the advancement the field.
Case Studies in Forensic Anthropology aims to both prepare aspiring forensic anthropologists and inform current practitioners. The cases are interesting and unique, detailing how specific challenges contribute to the body of forensic anthropological knowledge and practice.
Key Features
Full-color photographs illustrate the scenes and skeletal features
"Lessons Learned" sections for each case study emphasize take-away points
Thought-provoking "Discussion Questions" encourage readers to think critically and facilitate group discussions
Actual case experiences by diverse array of forensic anthropologists who discuss innovative methods and unique challenges
Contents
Introduction
Estimation of the Biological Profile & Positive Identification
Death Along the Tracks: The Role of Forensic Anthropology and Social Media in a Homicide Investigation
Eric J. Bartelink
The Skull in Concrete: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Identification
Kristen Hartnett-McCann and Ruth E. Kohlmeier
The Use of Medical Implants to Aid in the Identification Process
Jennifer Vollner
Biomechanical Analysis of Long Bones Provides the Crucial Break in Decedent Identification
Daniel J. Wescott
Race and the Role of Sociocultural Context in Forensic Anthropological Ancestry Assessment Michala K. Stock and Katie M. Rubin
Globalization, Transnationalism, and the Analytical Feasibility of Ancestry Estimation
Joseph T. Hefner and Jennifer F. Byrnes
Forensic Taphonomy
What Forensic Taphonomy Can Do for You: A Case Study in Rural Pennsylvania
Andrea M. Ost, Rhian R. Dunn, and Dennis C. Dirkmaat
Dismembered, Burned, and Dumped: But in What Order?
Lindsay H. Trammell
Body in the Barrel: Complex Body Disposal and Recovery
Soren Blau and David Ranson
Sealed for Your Protection: A Triple Homicide Involving the Use of a Corrosive Agent to Obscure Identity
Laura C. Fulginiti, Kristen M. Hartnett-McCann, and Frank Di Modica
Differential Diagnosis in Forensic Entomology: Mites vs. Pathologies and Taphonomy
César Sanabria-Medina, Luz Elena Cifuentes, and Maria Alexandra Lopez-Cerquera
Lacustrine Skeletal Taphonomy from Southeastern Tennessee
Murray K. Marks, Jonathan D. Bethard, and Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan
Trauma
Who Pulled the Trigger...First? Bone Biomechanics Recreate the Story Behind a "Police Shooting"
Steven A. Symes, Ericka N. L'Abbé, and Mark M. LeVaughn
Forensic Anthropological Contributions to Manner of Death in a Case of Multiple Suicidal Gunshot Wounds
Diana L. Messer
A Unique Case of Skeletal Trauma Involving Scissors
Alexandra R. Klales
Sharp Force Trauma with Subsequent Fire Alteration: A Complicated Case Study
Erin N. Chapman
Forensic Anthropology's Role in Clarifying Cause of Death in the Appeal of a No Body Homicide Conviction
Ashley E. Kendell, Eric J. Bartelink, and Turhon Murad
Human Rights and Mass Disasters
A Multi-Year Forensic Archaeological Recovery of Human Remains from a C-124 Cargo Aircraft Crash on Colony Glacier, Alaska, U.S.A.
Gregory E. Berg, Owen L. O'Leary, and Kelley S. Esh
Quadrilateral Defects in the Tuskulenai and Leon Trotsky Cases: Skeletal Trauma Associated with Soviet Violence in Two Different Contexts
Cate E. Bird and Rimantas Jankauskas
Sexual Offense in Skeletonized Cadavers: Analysis, Interpretation, Documentation and Case Report
César Sanabria-Medina, Jorge Andrés Franco Zuluaga, and María Alexandra Lopez-Cerquera
Making the Best of Limited Resources and Challenges Faced in Human Rights Investigations
Eugénia Cunha, Maria Teresa Ferreira, Cristina Cordeiro, and Duarte Nuno Vieira
Search for Spanish Civil War Victims in the Cemetery of Sant Ferran, Formentera (Spain): Oral Witness Testimonies, Secondary Deposition Site and Peri-Mortem Trauma
Almudena García-Rubio, Juanjo Marí Casanova, Glenda Graziani, Francisca Cardona, Pau Sureda, Sergi Moreno, Nicholas Márquez-Grant
Excavation and Analysis of Human Remains from Mass Graves in the Western Sahara
Francisco Etxeberria, Lourdes Herrasti, and Carlos Martin-Beristain
Other Considerations
The Use of Human Skeletal Remains in Palo Rituals in Orange County, Florida
John J. Schultz, Ashley E. Green, Ronald A. Murdock II, Marie H. Hansen, Joshua D. Stephany, and Jan C. Garavaglia
To Understand the Parts, it is Necessary to Understand the Whole: The Importance of Contextualizing Patterns in Forensic Anthropology Casework
Laura C. Fulginiti, Andrew Seidel, Katelyn Bolhofner
Perpetrators, Pack Rats, and Postmortem Disturbances: A Case Study Involving Multiple Contexts, Jurisdictions, and Identities
Angela Berg, Kent Buehler, and Carlos Zambrano
The Case of the ... Cases: The Flow of the Ordinary into a Medical Examiner's Office
James T. Pokines
Acknowledgements
Editor Biographies
List of Contributors
Index
