Forensic Science Applied to Burned Victims

Canadian forensic science is an integral component to the overall nature of victim identification. No matter the situation, Canada's forensic scientists are one of the first to arrive on the scene in order to collect pertinent clues for body cataloging. Basic identification is not so difficult a task for the most part, however, when the victim is burned beyond recognition, more complex methods must be utilized as a means by which to establish positive identification. These methods include, DNA fingerprinting, forensic odontology, and cranial base evaluation. With the incorporation of these methods, it has made identification of a severely burned body possible.

A body that has been only partially burned can be identified through DNA fingerprinting. By way of scientific intervention, Canadian forensic officials have been given an opportunity to crack many criminal cases involving unidentified burn victims that they may otherwise have had no further means of solving, all because the unique properties of DNA molecules are so conclusive in their association. "Validation studies are a crucial requirement before implementation of new genetic typing systems for clinical diagnostics or forensic identity." DNA, scientifically known as deoxyribonucleic acid, represents the very molecule of life containing all the hereditary data that is genetically passed through from one generation to the next. "Any technology has the potential to be misused, and charlatans exist in all fields. It is incumbent upon the forensic science community as a whole to monitor its members in the use of DNA or any forensic analysis." As Patton notes, however, three of the primary concerns with regard to DNA and victim identification include the question of a "generally accepted scientific theory" that serves to support the reliability of DNA forensic testing; the extent to which current techniques or experiments can produce universally reliable and accepted results; and whether or not the particular laboratory has effectively applied these accepted techniques in testing the DNA samples. "There are problems, however, with DNA typing for police investigations. One of them is that it now takes about 2 weeks. In addition, a relatively large amount of blood or semen is required, which is a difficulty in using the test in homicide and rape cases." If the scalp has not burned, it has been discovered that dandruff can be a significant determinant to victim identification through DNA.

"Dandruff is a clinical alteration of the skin that consists histologically of orthokeratotic clumps with minute parakeratotic foci found in inflammatory pathologies such as seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis. Therefore, some nucleated cells should be found in dandruff and hence there is a possibility that forensically typeable DNA could be extracted from dandruff."

When the body is burned to such a degree that all that is left is skeletal remains, forensic odontology becomes the primary means of victim identification in Canada. Dental records serve as more than merely an accumulation of one's cavity history; rather, they become the link between an unidentifiable fire victim and one who can be recognized by tooth imprints. However, in order for forensic odontology to be effective, the victim's remains must be handled with extreme care so that critical identifying information is not further damaged or destroyed. "A systematic, conservative approach prevents the loss of valuable dental information before a thorough picture of the individual's dental remains has been adequately documented." The process that revolves around forensic odontology entails compiling a comprehensive dental charting that provides information via oral structures intra-oral photographs and radiographs as a means by which to piece together the puzzle that represents forensic odontology. "Utilizing methods of access to the oral structures that maintain the integrity of the dentition through each stage of the evaluation of charred remains will prevent the loss of potential dental information..." While forensic odontology has been extremely instrumental in identifying myriad burn victims, it is not a flawless method of classification due to the inaccuracies inherent to such a process. In order for Canada's forensic odontologists to positively identify a burn victim, the individual's records must be recovered; this initial step might seem rather uneventful, however, with the decrease in dentist visits over the past decades, obtaining accurate records is becoming more and more difficult. Additionally, dentists are under no obligation to maintain detailed records of their patients, which serves to create a wide margin for charting errors and mis-identification when molars resemble one another or because there may have been an extraction at one point that allowed for another tooth to take its place. "The use of high-resolution digital scanners are helping to remove the personal judgement element in the old methods of forensic odontology."

Still another technique for identifying the remains of a burn victim is through cranial base evaluation. The fundamental basis of this particular method involves measuring for specific size in order to determine the race and sex of skeletalized victims. "Determination of race (ancestry) is an important step in the identification of individuals in forensic cases. Race is most commonly assessed using cranial traits." While this method is highly effective, its major drawback - the potential for skeletal shrinkage - is quite significant as well. If the cranial base shrinks from its normal size, which is a distinct possibility in the event of fire, the task of sexing the victim becomes even more difficult due to the potential misrepresentation of proportion. The recent upsurge in the study of human genome science has an association with burn victim identification, inasmuch as findings have indicated that there exist a certain number of short tandem repeat (STR) loci in Quebec's French Canadian population. These loci, which "represent a rich source of highly polymorphic markers in the human genome," have proven effective in relation to forensic identification and biological correlation of Canadians. Research indicates that the six STR loci "are informative genetic markers for identity testing purposes in the French Canadian Caucasian population of Quebec." That Canada's research with regard to forensic science has progressed forward at such an advancing rate clearly denotes a tendency to set precedence when it comes to the future of burn victim identification. "...Forensics in Canada has been in the international forefront since the inception of the first forensic laboratory in North America, in Montreal in 1914...Canadians have made significant contributions to the international scene and their credit is deserved."