One Step Closer (Part 2)

Welcome back folks, now that we have studied and examined the evidence found, I guess it's about time we move on to further investigation! Like the forensic movies, where do you think we should go now?

"QUESTION 5:
Part 2: Considering the evidences available up to this point in time, describe in detail how you would go about investigating further, assuming you are Dr. Rudi or Dr. Suria, explaining what you anticipate at each step"

  FACIAL RECONSTRUCTION is a process where the face of an individual is built onto the skull for the purpose of identification.
As seen here, our detectives (Detective G and Detective M) are using a FACIAL RECONSTRUCTION program to try and get a better picture of the victim's appearance using the skull from the evidences found. Through this program, we are trying to match the face of the victim with faces from the database and perhaps narrow down the list of missing people. Each face is unique to the individual, and hence, this will give us a major clue to identifying the victim. We can also try matching medical and dental reports using this method.

Detectives G and M hard at work, trying to fit in the victim's face to the skull using the 3D computerised facial mapping.

There are many ways to reconstruct a face from a skull, and the many factors are a huge challenge for the investigators. Besides taking into account the hard and soft tissues of face, facial tissue depth measurement, one also needs to consider the factor of age, where juvenile reconstruction requires different attention.

Detectives J, G and M brainstorming for more clues, hopefully it can lead us to identifying the victim...

Example of a missing person brochure to capture attention of people to help look out. This way, we can try to  match the victim's reconstructed face with the picture given in the database or through the list/report  on missing people. This is where our short listing and crossing out of names start! 

Based on the findings from the skull and reconstruction, the missing people selected are roughly of the same age group, has facial similarities, and perhaps vanished around the same time frame. From here, further investigations have to be carried out to confirm the identity of the victim.

After further shortlisting of the missing people’s list, it’s time to look up for the family and friends of the suspected victim for further investigations. 

Detectives G and F approaches the suspected victim's biological parents to enquire more and to obtain some new DNA material such as, hair or bodily fluids.

Details of the victim have to be reconfirmed and a relayed, detailed, and descriptive information is necessary.

After collecting blood samples, Detective J is on his way to start DNA PROFILING! 
DNA profiling requires a special method of analysis known as polymerase chain reaction or PCR. DNA profiling is no longer an unheard term now. In fact, this is the tool of forensic scientists as it provides accurate results and is used for the vast bulk of tests, including paternity testing. DNA determines the uniqueness of every person and thus, has DNA profiling has helped solve countless crime cases.

Detective J is working on the amplification of DNA with PCR.

Several components, like a data interface, detector, carrier gas line, gas flow controller and column, constitutes such a machine. For instance, Gas chromatography instrument is utilized in spitting and examining compounds, while a thermal recycler amplifies the segment size of the DNA. 

Detective J and F are comparing the DNA profile of the skull and the DNA fingerprinting of the suspicion's family, hopefully they are on the right track to discover the skull's identity!

From the teeth the detectives discovered in the evidences, there seem to be a few caries and fillings done to it.. Hmm.. Perhaps it's time to pay a visit to the suspected victims' dentist and looking up on the DENTAL RECORDS.. That might lead to something...


Detective J and M are gathering dental records from the dentist to aid in personal identification. A dental record is the detailed document of the history of the illness, physical examination, diagnosis, treatment, and the management of a patient, hence the detectives will have a closer step to find out the skull's owner by matching the dental records with the skull findings.

Reference:

1. http://www.paternitytestcanada.ca/polymerase-chain-reaction-pcr-dna.html

2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3009547/
3. Forensic facial reconstruction by Caroline Wilkinson