Main 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
Cesar 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'Abbe, 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
Cesar Sanabria-Medina, Jorge Andres Franco Zuluaga, and Maria Alexandra Lopez-Cerquera

Making the Best of Limited Resources and Challenges Faced in Human Rights Investigations
Eugenia 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 Garcia-Rubio, Juanjo Mari Casanova, Glenda Graziani, Francisca Cardona, Pau Sureda, Sergi Moreno, Nicholas Marquez-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