Monday, September 29, 2008
Olivers Deaths Acre
James' Death Acres Essay
Dr. Blass has been a pioneer in this field of study, and his lab is found in Tennessee. His creative mind has been so important to the present scientists, who are employed by the legal and medical professions.
Bodies left in many different environments, exposed to the weather, animals, disease, and other factors have helped tell the story through his examination how the victim died, along with a lot of other details that have helped the police solve murder cases. Some of these cases are from many years ago, but through his research they now have the information that may have not been possible back then.
I found this book interesting, but it was hard to read about the details at times, it was very difficult to think that these were real people who had died, and left out to decompose.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Turkish Tribal Capital Unearthed and Studied
Dmitry Vasilyev, a professor at Astrakhan State University, said his nine-year excavation near the Caspian Sea has finally unearthed the foundations of a triangular fortress of flamed brick, along with modest yurt-shaped dwellings, and he believes these are part of what was once Itil, the Khazar capital.
By law Khazars could use flamed bricks only in the capital, Vasilyev said. The general location of the city on the Silk Road was confirmed in medieval chronicles by Arab, Jewish and European authors.
"The discovery of the capital of Eastern Europe's first feudal state is of great significance," he told The Associated Press. "We should view it as part of Russian history."
Kevin Brook, the American author of "The Jews of Khazaria," e-mailed Wednesday that he has followed the Itil dig over the years, and even though it has yielded no Jewish artifacts, "Now I'm as confident as the archaeological team is that they've truly found the long-lost city,
The Khazars were a Turkic tribe that roamed the steppes from Northern China to the Black Sea. Between the 7th and 10th centuries they conquered huge swaths of what is now southern Russia and Ukraine, the Caucasus Mountains and Central Asia as far as the Aral Sea.
Itil, about 800 miles south of Moscow, had a population of up to 60,000 and occupied 0.8 square miles of marshy plains southwest of the Russian Caspian Sea port of Astrakhan, Vasilyev said.
It lay at a major junction of the Silk Road, the trade route between Europe and China, which "helped Khazars amass giant profits," he said.
The Khazar empire was once a regional superpower, and Vasilyev said his team has found "luxurious collections" of well-preserved ceramics that help identify cultural ties of the Khazar state with Europe, the Byzantine Empire and even Northern Africa. They also found armor, wooden kitchenware, glass lamps and cups, jewelry and vessels for transporting precious balms dating back to the eighth and ninth centuries, he said.
But a scholar in Israel, while calling the excavations interesting, said the challenge was to find Khazar inscriptions.
"If they found a few buildings, or remains of buildings, that's interesting but does not make a big difference," said Dr. Simon Kraiz, an expert on Eastern European Jewry at Haifa University. "If they found Khazar writings, that would be very important."
Vasilyev says no Jewish artifacts have been found at the site, and in general, most of what is known about the Khazars comes from chroniclers from other, sometimes competing cultures and empires.
"We know a lot about them, and yet we know almost nothing: Jews wrote about them, and so did Russians, Georgians, and Armenians, to name a few," said Kraiz. "But from the Khazars themselves we have nearly nothing."
The Khazars' ruling dynasty and nobility converted to Judaism sometime in the 8th or 9th centuries. Vasilyev said the limited number of Jewish religious artifacts such as mezuzas and Stars of David found at other Khazar sites prove that ordinary Khazars preferred traditional beliefs such as shamanism, or newly introduced religions including Islam.
Yevgeny Satanovsky, director of the Middle Eastern Institute in Moscow, said he believes the Khazar elite chose Judaism out of political expediency — to remain independent of neighboring Muslim and Christian states. "They embraced Judaism because they wanted to remain neutral, like Switzerland these days," he said.
In particular, he said, the Khazars opposed the Arab advance into the Caucasus Mountains and were instrumental in containing a Muslim push toward eastern Europe. He compared their role in eastern Europe to that of the French knights who defeated Arab forces at the Battle of Tours in France in 732.
The Khazars succeeded in holding off the Arabs, but a young, expanding Russian state vanquished the Khazar empire in the late 10th century. Medieval Russian epic poems mention Russian warriors fighting the "Jewish Giant."
"In many ways, Russia is a successor of the Khazar state," Vasilyev said.
He said his dig revealed traces of a large fire that was probably caused by the Russian conquest. He said Itil was rebuilt following the fall of the Khazar empire, when ethnic Khazars were slowly assimilated by Turkic-speaking tribes, Tatars and Mongols, who inhabited the city until it was flooded by the rising Caspian Sea around the 14th century.
The study of the Khazar empire was discouraged in the Soviet Union. The dictator Josef Stalin, in particular, detested the idea that a Jewish empire had come before Russia's own. He ordered references to Khazar history removed from textbooks because they "disproved his theory of Russian statehood," Satanovsky said.
Only now are Russian scholars free to explore Khazar culture. The Itil excavations have been sponsored by the Russian-Jewish Congress, a nonprofit organization that supports cultural projects in Russia.
"Khazar studies are just beginning," Satanovsky said.
Monday, September 22, 2008
“Scientists turn on biggest ‘Big Bang Machine’”
Source: Alan Boyle/MSNBC Colorado Springs
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (11 September 2008) – After 14 years of preparation, a new scientific wonder of the world officially opened its doors for business Wednesday with the official opening of Europe’s Large Hadron Collider.
The particle, which cost $10 billion, is the biggest, most expensive science machine on this planet. It is designed to probe mysteries ranging from dark matter and missing antimatter to the existence of extra and unseen dimensions in outer space.
Beams of protons were sent all the way around the collider’s 17-mile underground ring of supercooled pipes for the first time. While this was taking place, Robert Aymar, Europe’s CERN organization’s director general, said to everyone in the control room, “This is a great day for CERN.”
Forensic Study in Kosovo Villages
The Security Council for the U.N. set an emergency session, and the ambassadors of NATO met in Brussels, and as the U.S. called for forensic experts to investigate the massacres of the Kosovo villagers. If the West decided to use force, NATO weaponry and soldiers were gathering to prepare. Still, there is no sign that the Western nations had resolved to strike against Serbian troops. These Serbian troops were carrying out President Slobodan Milosevic’s crackdown against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.
“If Milosevic doesn’t reverse course, he has begun to get the message that military action is a live and real prospect,” James Foley said. James Foley, who is a spokesman for the State Department also said that “we believe that NATO is for all practical purposes prepared to act, and that NATO is in the last phases of its planning process. He also claims that we’ve got to see the real evidence on the ground, and that he has ended the repression. He’s withdrawn the forces. Michael D. McCurry, the White House spokesman, referred to reports of witnesses about massacres against civilians, said it was “very important to us that the international forensic experts be allowed to inquire further on these events.”
In conclusion, I do think that it is very important to take any statement seriously from the Security Council that supported NATO’s determination to act, because NATO does have the authority to undertake military action on its own initiative.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sweat Profiling
Materials Chemists Apply Photonic Crystals to Forensics
Megan Cyganowski
This article explains the possibility of photonic crystals, which are materials with precise patterns of gaps that make them reflect only selected wavelengths of light, could soon replace ink-base fingerprinting. Apparently, the spacing of these gaps changes in response to the amount of pressure applied. “Imagine a security system that relied on something unique to every single person -- his fingerprint. Now, scientists have developed a material that makes those prints nearly impossible to forge.” At the University of Toronto, material chemists have been making new crystals, which reflect light. Opal gemstone is very nice because you get all these multi-faceted color effects," Arsenault tells DBIS.
I think this is a very important because it is altering the way we identify criminals and solve major cases. Such decisions and experiments regarding these situations must be thought and dealt with care because it results in a safe and secure society. Many tests and experiments must be completed in order to make sure this new method for criminology is effective. I thought it was very interesting to see and vision how the scientists work in the lab on such important projects.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/0106-molding_fingerprints.htm
Thursday, September 18, 2008
New Bullet Tagging Technology
Forensics Joe
Current Events
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080801074732.htm
This article is entitled “Guilt on their Hands” this is a perfect title due to a new bullet tagging technology invented by a team of chemists, engineers, management scientists, sociologists and nanotechnologists from Brighton, Brunel, Cranfield, Surrey and York Universities, with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Basically bullet tagging is a way of using small “nanotags” which are coated on gun cartridges and then wiped off on anyone’s hands or gloves who have handled the cartridge. With this information, one can match the nanotags from the glove or hand, and match it to the gun from which it was fired from.
I think this is an ingenious invention by scientists and cannot wait to see it in action. It is due for release in about a year and should make life for a forensic scientist that much easier identifying the felon to the gun that was used, or a cartridge that was left a crime scene. With more and more technology forensic science is becoming one of the most important parts of our society.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Forensic Anthropologists Reconstruct First President's Real Looks
Forensic anthropologists are reconstructing the facial features of George Washington and creating life size models of him at the ages of 19, 45, and 57. They are able to do this by using 3D laser scans of sculptures and processing images with math based computer software. Essentially, what the specialists are doing is using lasers to scan sculptures, busts and dentures. Then, computer scientists feed the scans into a computer that breaks down the image into tiny points. Using mathematics, the points are connected to form an image. This image is then used to recreate what they believe to be the approximate vestage of what this nation's first president looked like. With life-sized models of Washington, scientisrs hope to be able to show him as he truly was (which they state would be more appealing to children rather than just pictures of him standing in full uniform posing).
What really shocked me about this article was that anthropologists are able to reconstruct the facial features of someone through sculptures and paintings without any physical bodily remains to work with.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
LA Forensics: The Signature Murders
In total, nearly thirty fingerprints were found and usable in the testing facilities and allowed them to find matches to possible suspects. A complete victimology record was made, tracing back any relationships that Garcia may have had that could lead to a violent attack. During the testing process, a new case had recently been published that dealt with an almost identical situation. Detectives had found Willie Nichols dead due to strangulation, and the murder weapon was a leather belt. Psychologists were called in to track the patterns of these two murders and it was decided that the killer was responsible for both due to the habits shown in both cases. After deep investigation, including DNA testing and fingerprinting, Robert Rose, a convicted killer, was brought to trial and convicted with the murder of Luis Garcia and Willie Nichols.
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/forensics/accessory_to_murder/1_index.html
Forensic Analysis of Train Accident
Forensics/Current Event #1 9/15/08
Wald, Matthew L., "Cause Is Offered, but Questions Linger for Inquiry ." The New York Times 13 Sep. 2008: A33. 14 Sep. 2008
Last Friday, there was a terrible train crash in Los Angeles. It was told that an engineer in control of the train went through a red light. It caused for a horrific collision. There are many workmen that will be looking further into the unfortunate event and investigate the reason for the conductor for missing the red light. There were many numerous possibilities as to what might have caused for the accident, but it has yet to be looked into. The remaining crew members are subjected to forensic toxicology tests to detect signs of impairment from drugs.
After having read the article, I realized how things can happen at the most unexpected moment of any day and that we have to always be prepared. It comes to show that there should be a way of knowing what’s going on with the conductor in order to assure the safety of all the passengers if it be that something out of the blue happens to the conductor that could put the lives of many in danger or to their death.
The article was shocking, it wasn’t the first time that I’ve heard of a train accident, but it was interesting to read that they are planning to use forensics toxicology to investigate further on the incident. Overall, the article was interesting, yet upsetting.
Forensic Science will identify Brazil's "disappeared"
Collaboration between forensic scientists from Sheffield and Brazil using a new DNA extraction technique has identified two homicide victims whose skeletonised bodies were found dumped in sugar cane plantations near Sao Paulo in the late 1990s. The same technique is now to aid the task of identifying the remains of hundreds of victims of Brazil's former military governments.
Dr Marco Guimaraes from the University of Sao Paulo (Faculty of Medicine Ribeirao Preto) has been working with Dr Martin Evison of the Academic Unit of Forensic Pathology at the University of Sheffield on methods of DNA recovery from forensic and ancient skeletons.
Dr Evison explained, "DNA recovery from the skeleton is a very difficult technique, especially when the material originates from a climate as extreme as Brazil's. Usually there's hardly any DNA left, and what there is is extremely difficult to recover. In these cases we've been using a DNA extraction technique that I originally developed in Sheffield to analyse ancient DNA from archaeological skeletons.
"We're also applying a 'third generation' DNA profiling method, which is theoretically able to distinguish a single individual in the entire population of the planet."
The scientists are now turning their attention to older forensic cases: those of the desaparecidos-or disappeared-from the periods of military government in Brazil from 1964 to 1985. As a result of their preliminary research, a skeleton recovered from a clandestine cemetery discovered on the outskirts of Sao Paulo city in 1990 is believed to be that of an individual last seen alive in 1972.
When he returns to Brazil, Dr Guimaraes will be sharing the techniques he has developed in Sheffield with forensic pathologist Dr Daniel Muoz, appointed by the State of Sao Paulo to oversee identification of a further twelve hundred skeletonised bodies recovered from the same clandestine cemetery.
The collaboration is one of the first fruits of a new University of Sheffield initiative to promote wider collaborative research in human identification science and to support the investigation of human rights abuses. Experts in forensic science, chemistry and molecular biology at the University are working with colleagues from other universities to develop sophisticated new human identification techniques and technologies and make them available worldwide for use in cases similar to the Brazilian investigation.
Dr Marco Guimaraes and Dr Martin Evison are working together to produce the first, revolutionary method of extracting DNA from skeletons. Working from the University of Sheffield, where Dr. Evison works, Dr. Guimaraes, of Brazil has been helping to perfect the process. The interest in creating this technique and teaming up with scientists from Brazil come from wanting to solve the murder of two bodies dumped in a sugar cane field in Brazil in the 90’s, whose DNA has been successfully extracted. The technique will now be more commonly used, to identify victims of Brazil’s former government and to id the remains of older remains. It is the first step in using forensics to identify human right’s abuses and a creation that both Dr. Guimaraes and Dr. Evison are very excited about. I think this new technique will become extremely helpful to forensic anthropologists across the country, it will no longer require people like Dr. Bass to try and identify skeletons by their features, unless their DNA isn't in the system, but it will be a great asset to faster identifications.
http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/13573/New_forensic_science_will_identify_Brazils_quotdisappearedquot.html
Cause Is Offered, but Questions Linger for Inquiry into Train Crash
“Cause Is Offered, but Questions Linger for Inquiry”
Last Friday in Los Angeles
I think the way they are approaching the investigation is very interesting and useful, especially in their reconstruction of the conditions there were right before the crash took place. It is also very important that they are trying to uncover the real reason the train failed to stop, instead of fully blaming the operator.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/us/14probe.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=forensic&st=cse&oref=slogin
Friday, September 12, 2008
Geena's Death Acre Essay
Bas was very informative, describing the cases he dealt with vividly, painting the reader a picture of corpses or decaying limbs. However, his writing was better than the several pages of black-and-white photos that mainly showed Bass and his family members, not forensic evidence I was expecting to see. I liked that there was a foreword by Patricia Cornwell since we read her book, The Body Farm, before reading Death’s Acre. What I also liked about this book was how Bass told us about some famous, or infamous cases that involved forensics, such as the Lindbergh case that was described in chapter one and talked about his own life in the writing. The Lindberg case was when famous pilot Charles Lindbergh’s son was kidnapped and murdered. Forensic science determined the murderer (although there is still controversy). I was impressed that even seventy years ago forensics played a role in murder cases. All in all, Death’s Acre was an enjoyable read that told me a lot about forensic history.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
China’s Rush to Dispose of Dead Compounds Agony
Forensics Block 2 Even Mr. Ippolito
Wong, Edward. "China’s Rush to Dispose of Dead Compounds Agony." The New York Times 24 May 2008. 11 Sep. 2008
On May 12th, this year, the greatest natural disaster to hit China in over thirty years struck the Sichuan province. The calamity killed over 60,000 people and left nearly 5 million Chinese displaced and homeless. The sheer number of deceased left the Chinese government with no choice but to take action. In order to dispel the threat of water contamination and disease, the government began to burn the bodies. Within eight days, an estimated 80% of the unknown and missing victims of the earthquake’s aftermath had been cremated or tossed into unmarked graves. This left China’s forensic scientists with little time to identify the earthquake’s corpses. As forensic teams under Liang Weibo and Professor Li raced against the clock to identify the bodies, the situation proved futile. Government officials were unable to pull the missing, deceased, or even dental records of victims from the earthquake because the government did not even store such files in their database. This left Chinese forensic scientists with only one option in identifying the deceased: sight. But after two to three days, the already mutilated bodies began to decompose and even the closest family members could not recognize their loved ones. In the end, only 4 of the 600 victims that the forensic teams examine are identified. Even though modern sciences such as forensics are spreading globally, to countries like China, it is having little impact, much less benefit on its people. This is why it is crucial to further develop and improve scientific fields such as forensics—to make a better tomorrow.
This article has illustrated to me how messed up the world came be at times. This incident only occurred four months ago, yet the Chinese government was not even able to pull out simple dental records of its citizens! Only 4 of 600 (0.006%) people were identified. This article speaks to me and to all humanity that we as a species can believe that we have come a long way, but in reality we are way behind. We need to look at this article and realize that enough is enough. We have got to move forward.
This article held my attention from beginning to end. There is not a word wasted in it. The real strength behind this article was that this is all real and happening in present day 2008. In a way, it is really cool, but at the same time, it is just shocking. This actually happened just four months ago, on the other side of the world and I did not even know about it until now! I do not think there were any weak points mentioned in the article and that there is no room needed for improvement.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Keith's Death Acre Essay
Written by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson, “Death’s Acre: Inside the Body Farm,” is a memoir depicting Dr. Bass’s experiences as a forensics anthropologist working in the Body Farm. The story takes place in Tennessee at a workplace set up in 1981 by Bass that he nicknamed, “the Body Farm,” that is also known as the, “Anthropology Research Facility.” The Body Farm was thought up by Dr. Bass, whose prior experiences with investigating dead bodies led him to draw up the organization to help him and his fellow colleagues solve some very complex cases. In the beginning of the novel, Bass reminisces and describes some of the strangest and most difficult cases he had come across in his line of work. Mixed in with these stories, Bass reveals much about himself and his family, including his three sons. In addition, Bass reveals the truth of his two dead wives, which may very well contribute to his ongoing interest of investigating bodies and dealing with the dead. As a forensics anthropologist, Bass comes across numerous obstacles, which stand in his way of discovering the truth. For example, Bass grows irritated upon searching for body parts that have disintegrated in fires making them all the more harder to find. These obstacles, however, didn’t stop Bass or other motivated forensics anthropologists such as Bill Rodriguez from working hard to make major advances in their department. For example, Bass notes the progress made by Rodriguez who in his “Journal of Forensic Sciences” listed his findings of how to make the process of identifying bodies more efficient. A major element of Brass’s research at the Body Farm, where the bodies of murder victims were stored, that should be emphasized was his progress in determining the time of death which ultimately lead him to the findings of significant evidence that would help identify the murderer and bring justice to countless questionable cases. Brass’s work at the Body Farm lead to the discovery of many new strategies that would help himself, as well as others in his work, approach their investigations with confidence, stability, and success and would inspire fellow anthropologists to not give up and try hard to bring what they could to the world of forensics.
Patricia Cornwell’s, “The Body Farm,” is a crime fiction novel about a suspicious murder that takes place near Lake Tomahawk of Black Mountain, North Carolina. It all starts when the lifeless body of eleven year-old Emily Steiner is discovered and Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a professional medical examiner, takes up the investigation in hopes of finding the killer. With a little help from her niece, Lucy, Scarpetta quickly observes that the markings on the body and the strategy of the murder closely resembles that of a specific serial killer that the FBI had been seeking for a long time. Upon further investigation, Kay brings the body to the advanced forensics decomposition research facility located at the University of Tenessee, based off Dr. Bass’s organization, referred to as the Body Barn. During the investigation, Kay is forced into a stressful situation when Lucy is accused of stealing evidence. At the Body Barn, Kay and the specialists gradually uncover the mystery and the shockingly disturbing truth of the murder. Although the novel is only fiction, the events and situations that take place closely resemble those of real investigations uncovered by specialists of the forensics anthropologist department.
Recine's Death's Acre Essay
Patricia Cornwell who is the person who told all the forensics stories started her career as a result of an early morning traffic accident. The accident was just outside of Frankfort, Kentucky in 1954. The accident was caused when 2 trucks collided on a 2 lane highway. After the accident they found 3 bodies in the vehicles both drivers were easily identified but the 3rd body was a mystery.
Dr. Walton M. Krogman was the most famous bone detective in the 1940’s and 50’s. He was a physical anthropologist alone with two Smithsonian colleagues and created the science of forensic anthropology. He was considered the great forensic authority. During World War the US government had him waiting in the wings to identify the remains of Adolf Hitler.
Before someone can tell who someone was and how they died they always had to find out the 4 big things which are the sex of the person, the race, age and stature.
Lauren's Death's acres essay
Death’s Acre by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson follows Dr. Bass’ journey as a forensic scientist. He first was introduced to forensics while uncovering Native American graveyards in the Dakotas as part of a project for the Smithsonian museums in Washington D.C. From there, he went on to teach and help establish Forensics as a field of study on the collegiate level. At the same time, he helped police try to solve mysteries on a number of murder cases. In some cases, such as the Lindbergh baby, there simply isn’t enough evidence for a forensic scientist to be able to positively identify a body. In others though, such as the Fat Sam and Cadillac Joe case, Dr. Bass was vital in correctly identifying the victim’s body, which helped create enough evidence to convict the murders. Thus, forensics has become a vital part of criminal investigations that can help to serve justice. This book describes many different cases Dr. Bass worked on, with varying conditions ranging from a missing toddler to a murder that was attempted to be covered up by a house fire.
However, he is also known for creating the Body Farm, where human corpses are allowed to naturally decay. This has given scientists a better understanding of what happens to a body after the murder, so that forensic scientists can better predict what happened to a murder victim and how much time has past since they were killed. At the Body Farm they were able to study the effects of various conditions, such as heat, dampness, and the effect of bugs to the decomposing process. The Body Farm was well known, but it became more famous after Patricia Cornwell wrote a fictional mystery story about it. However, this did not stop protesters who disapproved the Body Farm who were angry that it was located near a hospital, or that it used dead veteran’s bodies. However, the Body Farm was saved in a Senate vote, and remained open to further scientific research. Dr. Bass was also instrumental in developing other techniques to determine how much time had passed since the death occurred, such as Arpad’s soil samples. He has truly helped establish and revolutionize the field of Forensics.
One of the most interesting parts of the book is when Dr. Bass explains how from just studying the bones, he can figure out the Big Four; sex, race, age, and stature. These are used to help make a positive identification of a body. It was very enlightening to actually be told the information that he uses as clues to identify a body. It made the process seem more realistic and understandable. It was fascinating to learn that enough information could be determined purely from the bones to identify a body as a missing victim. For example, a person’s sex and race can be determined from studying the skull. The bony bump called the external occipital protuberance is only found on male skulls, which can clue a forensic scientist into the skeleton’s gender. Gender can also be determined in the skull by the shape of the jaw, chin, and brow ridges above the eyes. In addition, the shape of the jaw can determine the skeleton’s race.
It was also fascinating to learn that teeth can play such an important role in identifying a body. How many teeth there are and the state of them can determine a person’s age. The development of the molars clues a scientist, since this doesn’t occur until around eighteen. But more interestingly, a body can be identified if the teeth found match the person’s dental records. It was surprising to learn that such small bones can have such an important role in forensics.
This book is key to understanding forensics. It not only laid out the basic procedure of identifying a skeleton, it also illustrated how research is conducted to learn more about the natural decomposition of the human body. It combined this factual knowledge with interesting murder cases to keep the reader intrigued. Overall, it gave a good introduction to the study of forensics.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Paige's Death's Acre Summer Assignment
The book Death’s Acre by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson tells the story of Dr. Bill Bass, a forensic scientist who made great strides in the area of forensic crime solving. Beginning as the protégé of a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Bill Bass became interested in forensic science because he wanted to uncover new realms of science, and explore new frontiers. And explore he did. As a younger scientist, he explored the gravesites of Native Americans in the Dakotas, along with college students. As a professor at the University of Tennessee, he was lucky enough to start a facility that came to be known as “The Body Farm.” Created to further the forensic science field, it led to countless research opportunities, and boundless exploration of the science of the dead. The Body Farm, begun by Dr. Bass and titled by author Patricia Cornwell, was originally created because forensic scientists – especially those called in to help with crime scenes and dead bodies – truly had limited knowledge about what happens to a body postmortem. The exploration of the effects of death upon a body hadn’t truly been carried out since a Chinese philosopher wrote a book about decaying bodies – nearly one thousand years ago. Since then, limited information had been available to forensic scientists – information that could’ve helped solve innumerable crimes, or release innocent convicts from behind bars. The understanding of dead bodies was so limited, that in fact Dr. Bass even once misdated a body as recently dead, when in fact the body in question was the corpse of a civil war general! When Dr. Bass realized that offhand comments he made about the estimated time of death of bodies were quoted by newspapers, and sometimes used against him to question his integrity and credibility as a scientist, he resolved to create a science lab that would allow him to explore his realm of science so that he could hardly be questioned in the future. Thus, the Body Farm was born. The Body Farm, though, wasn’t created merely for the personal gain of Dr. Bass. His outdoor research lab, though not well received by the public at first, went on to gain the respect of the community as they came to understand just how valuable such research proved in crime solving. Eventually, forensic graduate students at the University of Tennessee were able to use the facility to research everything – from coloration of the body postmortem, to the time intervals at which various species of bugs invade the dead body, as well as how a body will float once dead. All these research topics, though seemingly morbid and bizarre, in fact added much to the field of forensic science, and some graduate thesis papers even went on to help Dr. Bass put criminals behind bars – such as the research paper produced on blowflies, which lay eggs on dead bodies at a specific time, which helps date the time since death on bodies that otherwise are hard to date. Thus, the Body Farm provided the realm of forensic science, as well as the judicial field of crime solving, with much information, and helped further the two immensely. It was extremely interesting to hear how little was in fact known about forensic science when Dr. Bass entered the field, and it was also incredible to hear how entire criminal trials could be determined by a single shard of bone, or some small impression on the flesh of a corpse. Thus, the book Death’s Acre by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson was an incredibly interesting and rewarding read, providing readers with endless knowledge about the field of forensic science. The novel The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell was a page-turner just as much as Death’s Acre, though in a different manner. Although the basis of The Body Farm’s plot was based on forensic research done by Dr. Bill Bass and his graduate students at the University of Tennessee, the novel was fiction, based upon the story of character Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a criminal investigator in Virginia. The novel combined both Dr. Scarpetta’s investigation of a missing girl in the hinterlands of the South and her relationship with her niece Lucy (who functioned more as her daughter). Lucy, an aspiring FBI agent, falls into an emotional relationship with the shady character Carrie, who turns out to be assisting a serial child murderer, and ends up forcing Lucy to reveal confidential FBI information. Meanwhile, Dr. Scarpetta finds herself infinitely entangled with the murder case, as well as the emotions of the two officers she finds herself working with. The really interesting parts of The Body Farm had to do with aspects of criminal investigation, and where they intersect with aspects of forensic science. For example, it was really interesting to learn that sometimes police can have a body exhumed, but only through immense political consideration, and it is even more interesting to learn that forensic scientists can do much with the long-dead bodies, even getting fingerprints, etc. from the decaying hands. Another really interesting aspect of the criminal investigation in The Body Farm was the fact that the officers were able to figure out where the body had lain after death by noticing a small dark stain on the back of the little girl, which ended up being a spot where the body had lain on top of a coin. It was also very interesting to learn about the mother of the girl, and how the human psyche sometimes works in ways that require pity to function.
Lauren's Death's Acre Essay
Throughout the book, Dr. Bill Blass speaks in first person of his experiences with murder cases and deaths, the examination of body, and the ideas that led him to create the Body Farm. Dr. Bill Blass uses a lot of interesting techniques throughout the book, that readers become quite familiar with. Among those techniques are the ways of figuring out who a body is based on the bones. The four most important things to figure out, otherwise known as the “big four,” are sex, age, race, and stature. Sex can be indicated by the size of the bones, if they are larger they are male, if they are smaller, they are the bones of a female. Age can be determined by a plethora of things, for instance, weather or not the sutures of the skull have fused together. Race can be determined by the size of the skull or certain other factors, such as the teeth. The teeth are very important in determining the identity of a body, because along with dental records, prove a body’s identity.
Many other interesting techniques are used throughout the book to determine other things such as, how long the body has been dead, and in murder cases, weather or not the person used self defense. An interesting thing that is brought up quite a few times throughout the book is that the body decomposes faster when the body is bloody. That is because maggots and blowflies like to eat away at the bloody spots of the body.
The book Death’s Acre; Inside the Body Farm by Dr. Bill Blass and Jon Jefferson was very interesting in the way that it described different techniques and concepts used by forensic scientists, forensic anthropologists and detectives. The book showed a series of cases that Dr. Bill Blass worked on and how they were solved. It also showed the thought process of the invention of the Body Farm, where a lot of very helpful research to Forensics is conducted. The book also told of many complications that scientists go through.
John's Death's Acre/Body Farm Essay
This summer, I read Death’s Acre by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson and The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell. Both books are similar, because they both deal with a forensic research facility known as the Body Farm, based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Both books do with the subject of crime scene investigation, which is the study of dead bodies – how it happened, who did it, etc.
Death’s Acre focused more on Dr. Bass and Jefferson and what they did as a team. They set out on adventures all around America and studied dead bodies and the subject of time since death, which is the time that has passed since someone actually died. The way that works is kind of hard to explain, but I found it very interesting. That’s one of the many reasons why I enjoyed this book.
The Body Farm is part of Patricia Cornwell’s best-selling Dr. Scarpetta series of books. After reading the book, I considered reading more of the Dr. Scarpetta series. I haven’t gotten around to it, but I will soon. The Body Farm is about Dr. Scarpetta and her crew – consisting of Special Agent Benton Wesley, Captain Peter Marino, and many others – solving a particular amount of cases, the Emily Steiner case being the most popular. Dr. Scarpetta and company interviewed Emily’s parents, and some of that information helped them solve the case.
I really enjoyed both of these books, because when I first decided to take Forensics, I wasn’t into the subject of crime scene investigation, but after reading both books, I now enjoy the subject, and I am looking forward to learning more about it in Forensics this year.
Mdecicco's Death's Acre Essay
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Emma Death's Acre Essay
The Bones of an Eaglet
In this chapter, the reader is introduced to the art of forensic science, which didn’t come into existence until after the mid-century mark. Before forensic science became a legitimate area of study, those who practiced forensics were known as “bone doctors.” Dr. Krogman, who taught at the University of Pennsylvania, was one of these “doctors.” Krogman, along with University of Kentucky professor, Dr. Charles E. Snow, was able to spark Dr. Bill Bass’ interest in forensic. Bass explains that he got involved in the anthropology department at the University of Kentucky, although he had planned to be a councilor. After reviewing the remains of a car accident with Snow, Bass’ interest in forensic science increased. Bass excitedly describes how forensic scientists identify bodies by looking at the skull size, the pelvic opening, the teeth, and the sutures of a corpse. Bass admits that years after studying under Snow and Krogman, he still can feel their presence at a crime scene. Such was the case when he reviewed the bones of Charles Lindbergh’s murdered son in order to clear the convicted murderer’s name.
Dead Indians and Dam Engineers
In this chapter, Bass describes his fourteen summers working in South Dakota, studying Indian remains. Quick excavation of the Indian remains was crucial because many engineers were being brought in to dam up the Missouri River. Once the river was dammed water would cover what was left of the Indian sites. Excavators quickly uncovered the ancient village of the Arikara; however, no graves were uncovered. No one knew where the dead had been buried. Bass was able to find the graves thanks to the loess soil of South Dakota. The loess allows ants to dig deep tunnels. Ants by nature bring up food to the tops of their tunnels. Bass studied the ant hills and found little pieces of Arikara bodies. Bass told the excavators where to dig and by 1965, roughly four thousand bodies were dug up and studied.
. Bare Bones: Forensics 101
Bass explains that between the summers of excavation, he taught at the University of Kansas. Something he always taught he students was that bone remembers everything. Bones can help identify the “big four”: sex, race, age, and stature. In 1962, Bass was given a body found near the Missouri river. The body’s small skull showed that it was either female or a child. The mouth was narrow, the chin pointed, and the forehead gracile; this also characteristic of a woman. Because there were wisdom teeth grown in, Bass could say for sure that the body was that of an adult. The pubic symphysis had smoothed, thus pinpointing the age at somewhere around twenty and thirty. Sutures on the skull were beginning to fuse, Bass concluded the woman had been 28. The body displayed prognathism (“forward jaw”), which is characteristic of negroids. The bones themselves were denser and the nasal opening was broad, both characteristic of negroid bodies. Finally stature had to be identified. Bass used Mildred Troter and Goldine Gleser’s formula. By measuring the femur, Bass was able to determine height. In the end, Bass finally identified the body as Mary Louise Downing, proving the power of bone study.
Greg's Death's Acre Essay
The first book I chose to read was Death’s Acre by Dr. Bill Bass and John Jefferson. Death’s Acre is a book that without being prompted; I would probably never read due to its content. As I began reading, it captivated me. The book begins with Dr. Bill Bass explaining his standing when he first heard of the body farm. He was at a seminar that, over breakfast, demonstrated the new idea of the knowledge acquired from the farm. The book goes on to explain the numerous experiences he has learned from as well as new scientists and with case that crosses his path he explains the techniques he uses to find information where it has been hidden. In the story the actual Body Farm is still in the process of being put together so you are able to see the making of it along with the new studies it will bring with it. The knowledge that is believed will come from this facility makes scientist be able to look past its rather gruesome idea and be able to see the possibilities it will unlock for the scientific community. The more notable cases that crossed Dr. Bass was the disappearances of a girl from her home town in Kansas, the kidnap and murder of an infant, and the story of a young girl murdered by her uncle. The story along with these tragic cases had more extraordinary cases that aroused more of a mysterious feeling such as the case of the charred remains of a corpse in burned down house. There was also was the fact that a good number of the mysterious cases could be all linked to gather by the fact that the same person committed them. Many interesting techniques were discussed in this book of which are the study of maggots. These bugs that grow in bodies after they have begun the process of decomposition. What these little critters do to help is that by their presence one is able to tell the certain time of death, as there is a certain amount of time that passes before they start to grow. Among the other numerous techniques explained are the ability to determine such characteristics as height, sex, race, and age. All of these intrigue me as its all fascination how although something has a tiny as a maggot seems to be useless, it goes to show that something can ending up being the last puzzle piece needed to solve a case. It was an interesting book that has made me look forward to this coming year.
Sam's Death Acre Essay
Schuyler's Death's Acre Essay
The Body Farm essentially takes the bodies of people who have donated themselves to science and performs studies on their decomposition process. Testing the effect of insects, water, and the outside environment is just the beginning for those who study at the body farm. Dr. Bass takes budding forensic anthropologists and gives them some of the best experience they could possibly have, one on one time with a body and the opportunity to design an experiment of their pleasing, some of which have even gone on to be published. One of the most interesting and ambitious projects taken up at the body farm was conducted by Steve Symes, who became the hailed “dismemberment expert” as he took hundreds of legs and arms and set about studying the effects of certain saws and the marks that they make on the bone after having been dismembered. Symes laid the crucial groundwork for advances in police work, making it drastically easier for police to locate specific saws that may be tied to the victim, whereas previous to Symes work it was extremely difficult to determine exact what make/type of saw had been used by the killer.
Dismemberment, already a lot to deal with for the squeamish by far not the worst of what Dr. Bass had come by, as chronicled in his book. One case that truly shook me up was that of the “Zoo Man”. The Zoo Man, otherwise known as Thomas Dee Huskey was one of the most gruesome murderers in the book. He would solicit prostitutes, take them to the woods and rape them and then proceeded to strangle them or cut their throats. He received his nickname after prostitutes spread the word that Thomas, who used to work at the zoo, would take working girls there and rape them, thus he got the name and the warning, “Stay away from the zoo man”. This case especially disturbed me because it Thomas Huskey was the only serial killer mentioned in the book, and with Dr. Bass’s horrified narration of body after body being discovered deep in the woods it became more and more clear how truly sick the Zoo Man was. It was scary to think that it was not a crime of passion, a one time thing, an accident, here was a cold blooded killer who had done it again and again and probably wouldn’t have stopped had one of his victims not escaped and subsequently recognized his car while driving with the cops. It hit close to home that people like this aren’t just in movies or TV shows or a Patricia Cornwell book, there are people this sick in real, everyday life.
Another story that Dr. Bass told, one that I had found actually quite amusing was when he misjudged a corpse by 112 years. Dr. Bass was called to a case where it was thought that a recent murder victim had been buried within the grave of a dead confederate officer. The body seemed relatively new and had everything in place except it was missing its head. Dr. Bass had put the time of death at about two months to a year ago, though when he began to take into account what the corpse was wearing and had received no dental care at all he put the pieces together that the corpse was actually the body of the man who was originally in the grave, Colonel Shy who had died 113 years before. Through extensive embalming methods and a cast iron coffin, Colonel Shy had survived the elements and bugs well enough to make it seem as though he had died only months earlier. It was interesting to learn that such big mistakes can be made quite easily and that there is no simple formula when dealing with the deceased.
I really enjoyed reading the Inside Body Farm, and towards the end couldn’t bring myself to put it down, it was interesting to see what a need there is for experimental areas like the body farm, and what a difference they can make in the field of forensics and police work. What I really enjoyed learning, was the answer to a question I had been asking myself for the entirety of the book; would Dr. Bass donate his body to the body farm? He sounded skeptical but never really gave a firm answer, only to say that his wife opinion was, “Absolutely not”.
Mike's Death's Acre Essay
The author’s Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson introduce forensics in an outstanding way through the writing of Death’s Acre. In each chapter Dr. Bill Bass explains his life’s work in great detail. Throughout the book Dr. Bill Bass also explains the most important techniques a forensics scientist needs to know. For Example, the first thing one should do in order to investigate the remains of a body is to find out “sex, race, age, and stature”. Because of the great detail and well thought out interpenetration of forensics one can learn only so much from Death’s Acre.
Through out Dr. Bill Bass life he exhumed hundreds of body’s and received an answer from all of them using his knowledge as a forensics scientist. Again the first thing that a forensics scientist needs to do before anything else is to determine the “sex, race, age, and stature”. Dr. Bill Bass put this to the test every time he investigates a death of an unknown person. The first thing that one should do is to lay out the remaining’s. Many of the cases Dr. Bill Bass investigated where all just bones. One would think that it would be harder to identify the body if there was no flesh, fingerprints, or blood to help them determine the identity. To determine the sex one can look at the skull and see that if the mouth was narrow and the chin is pointed. This could mean that it belongs to a womens or a young child, or if the mouth was wide and the chin blunt indicates a male. To be certain that the sex was correct one would examine the pelvis. If the pelvis is narrow that indicates that it is a man, if the pelvis were wider it would lean towards a women. Next he would look at the teeth of the skull, if the skull had a full set of teeth that would lead to an adult. The pelvis can also determine the age of the unknown. “The joint at the body’s midline where the left pubis meets the right pubis is an excellent yard stick for measuring the age”. To identify the race again the skull can be used. “Her teeth jutted sharply forward: so did her jawbones in the region where the teeth were rooted. It’s a trait called prognathism even novice anthropologist can readily recognize it as one of the hallmarks Negro skull”. Finally to identify the stature one can simply measure the length of the femur. Dr. Bill Bass has solved hundred of cases’ by using this first technique.
Because of the great detail and well thought out interpenetration of forensics one can learn only so much from Death’s Acre. The first thing one should do in order to investigate the remains of a body is to find out “sex, race, age, and stature”.
Alexa's Deaths Acre Essay
‘Death’s Acre” by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson shows a whole new perspective on death and forensics. This book shows a variety of different cases and murders. Dr. Bass who is a very intelligent scientist brings us into murder crimes and many other different death stories. On a hillside in Tennessee human bodies decompose in the open air. What adds to the decomposition is the bacteria, insects and birds that normally wouldn’t come in contact with dead bodies if the were in coffins and buried properly. These forensic scientists set up these experiments by putting these bodies in different areas and scenarios outside such as under water, buried underground, etc. This all aids to the science lab. It can also help a great deal with solving murders so forensic scientists can figure out exactly what happens to a body. This is why they run these tests first.
This book brings us into old crimes such as the Lindbergh kidnapping and the case of the headless corpse. By all the tests these scientists have ran by letting bodies decompose in the open air it gives scientists and detectives new theories on how previous murder cases happened or give clues to who did it. This book also brings us really into Dr. Bass’s life not only in science but personally. He dedicated himself to forensic science and is a very determined man who knows what he wants to accomplish in life. Bass helps aid the police into solving some of the most famous and gruesome murders of our time. Bill Bass started the body farm in the 1980’s and from then on it has only been a severe help to solving crimes.
In “Death’s Acre” it also shows the reader pictures of different bodies being discovered. This was very attention-grabbing. It makes the reader feel more involved in the book that they can now see some of the things that the book has been talking about. We see pictures of skulls that have been shattered which help forensic scientists come to the conclusion of possible murder by thinking they could have been hit over the head. All of the scientists would find thousands of bones in all different types of graves and debris that they came across. In South Dakota scientists would come across Indian graves and bones. They would even come across a skeleton jaw filled with teeth. The teeth and jaws can tell a lot about an unidentified body. It can be determined the age and race of the individual or even the identity by dental records.
Those people who dedicate their bodies to help with scientific and forensic studies are a superior help to science. The fact that they allow scientists to use their bodies and see how their bodies decompose in different surroundings is helping solve crimes all around the world and it gives forensic scientists much better knowledge about the different situations. All of this wouldn’t be possible it wasn’t for Dr. Bill Bass who started and thought of the body farm all on his own.
Megan's Death Acre Essay
The lab like Dr. Bass's works his cases is truly one of a kind. His lab or work lies on a hillside in Tennessee where the human bodies decompose in the open air. At the Body Farm life takes its course with corpses buried in shallow graves, submerged in water, and locked in trunks of cars. For thirty years, Dr. Bass's research has molded the field of forensic science, particularly by pinpointing time since death in murder cases. In his riveting tale, he investigates real cases and leads readers on an unprecedented journey behind the locked gates of the Body Farm. A master scientist and engaging storyteller, he is able to share his most intriguing cases, such as his revisit of the Lindbergh kidnapping and murder fifty years later, the mystery of a headless corpse, whose identity astonished police, and the telltale bugs that finally sent a murderous grandfather to death row and many more.
An interesting factor within the work of this scientist is how he is willing to admit to mistakes, because that’s in fact how the whole thing began. He illustrates how learning from his errors, some of which still haunt him, was the original inspiration for the plot of land at University of Tennessee at Knoxville. After he miscalculated a time of death by 113 years, he describes how he was able to reason with the university administration to allow him to conduct his anthropology experiments. During Bass’s stint as an anthropologist in Kansas, he had examined many human remains in skeletal form, but when he went to Tennessee in 1971, he was invited to serve as the forensic anthropologist for the state medical examiner's office. The police informed him to tell them how long the remains had been there. "I didn't know anything about maggot-covered bodies," Bass said once in an interview, "so I looked at the literature and found that there wasn't much there."
The field of forensic pathology is very intriguing and requires a lot of knowledge and thought in order to be successful in the field. Dr. Bill Bass is considered by many as the “founding father” of this particular field due to his excellence in deciphering the time and place of death. In his book “Death’s Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead do Tell Tales,” he reveals his stories and conquests proved interesting to all readers.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Martin's Death's Acre Essay
It's hard to imagine a forensic anthropologist more dedicated than Dr. Bass. After all, how many people have the stomach to spend their lives studying dead bodies and how they decay. He has observed corpses decaying outdoors in winter and summer, and indoors in homes and in the trunks of cars. He's also observed what happens to a body when insects and bacteria invade the flesh and skin slips off bones.
Dr. Bass tells interesting stories about some of his tougher cases, and it's amazing to find out how much he has advanced his science. For example, by measuring a thigh bone, he's able to find out the sex, race, approximate age, and the height of the victim. He once even took a murder victim's head home and boiled the decaying flesh off her skull to help identify her.
I have seen alot of episodes of "CSI," and it's clearly not as fascinating as this book. I guess what they say is true-truth is stranger than fiction.
Kelly's Death Acre Essay
The first thing I thought was very interesting was Bill Bass’ rise in success and renown. He started off small and worked his way up and tried and studied to get where he is today. His work and discoveries have helped solve case after case and put criminals in jail, as well as put families at ease. His book is also easily read; everything is defined and there are charts to reference in the back of the book.
Another thing I enjoyed in the book was the unveiling of stereotypes of forensics. I have seen television programs like Bones and CSI. They make everything look so simple; every case is solvable in sixty minutes on television. In real life, Bass makes it clearly apparent that the teams of “bone men” as they were called, do not always have a quick fix, fancy technology, or even an answer to the problem at hand. Bass shows that even bone men are stumped at times, and that it takes years of education and effort to be able to do what looks so easy on prime time television.
Thirdly, what I found interesting were the differentiations in body structure based on ethnicity. I can understand identifying age and identity through dental records and gender through hip structure, I didn’t realize that ethnic groups have distinctive bone structure. You can tell the differences between someone of “Caucasian” decent as opposed to “Negroid” decent just by looking at them, but what is truly interesting is actually discovering the structural differences between the two faces, what makes them different in reality as opposed to just knowing there is a difference between the two.
In general, Bass’ book expelled myths about forensic anthropology and opened the reader to a new world, a more factual, tangible, and interesting world that he has been a a part of for over forty years.
Lauren's Death's Acre Essay
Alex's Death's Acre Essay
Over the years, Bill Bass and his colleagues had developed and perfected numerous techniques to aid them in forensic dilemmas. In one case, Bill Bass and his team were requested to aid in the identification of a cremated corpse. Bill Bass could not confirm whether the ashes were even human. Bill had the ashes sent to a commercial lab where they went through a spectrographic test, “ICP-OES.” During the procedure the ashes were burned at ~18,000 degrees Fahrenheit, while the spectrograph captured the wavelengths of light emitted from the material. This chemical “fingerprint” was then matched to known elements, particularly silicon. The test revealed that the ashes contained nearly five times the amount of silicon normally found in cremated corpses, proving the ashes were not human. Instead they were actually composed of concrete and powdered limestone. Technology has come a long way to aid forensic science thanks to Bill Bass and his development of the Body Farm.
This is a fantastic novel not just because it shows how fascinating and important forensics is, but also because of how much this particular field has developed thanks to the important contributions of Dr. Bill Bass and his Body Farm.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Thomas' Death's Acre Essay
In this book, Dr. Bill Bass, takes the reader through his interesting life as a forensic anthropologist, and how he came to form the Body Farm, while he was teaching at the University of Tennessee. Beginning as an undergraduate, Dr. Bass grew a great interest in anthropology, and developed close relationships with his teachers and mentors. One of his first experiences with this type of work, was with one of his teachers, while examining a car crash victim’s body, and identifying whose it was. This sparked an immediate interest that would lead Bill Bass towards his new life journey. Another one of his cases was re-examining the Lindbergh child’s bones, at the request of the widow of the accused kidnapper. This was interesting how easily he was able to extract clues and other information such as age, so quickly, as he confirmed the child’s age at 20 months. Even more intriguing was how Dr. Bass, taught his students to identify the sex, race, age, and stature of the remains in order to set a good basis for further investigation. He was able to determine all of this from a femur, and a skull with a jaw. Based on his observations of the shape and other characteristics of the skull, as well as the length of the femur, Bass was able to conclude that this murder victim was a black woman, about 5 foot six, in her early thirties. With this information police were able to conclude that these remains were Mary Louise Downing’s, who was reported missing in the area. Although Dr. Bass deals with corpses in such a routine and ordinary manner, he does hold great respect for the bodies he works on, and even thinks about Mary Louise often, for he now uses her skull, everywhere he teaches as a precedent, to show others how to solve murder puzzles elsewhere in the world. It was moments like these, along with his passion for his work, that made him continue his career, and expand his field at the University of Tennessee, and later create the humble beginnings of the worlds only Anthropology Research Facility, Death’s Acre.
Christie's Death's Acre Essay
Death’s Acre is narrated by Dr. Bill Bass, as he tells how he worked his way up to eventually become the
The four things that one must identify, as Dr. Bass explains, are sex, race, age, and stature. This can help narrow down the possibilities when identifying a body. There are many techniques used to identify these, for example the pubic bone, as well as the teeth, can help determine age. How fused the joints are in the cranium is also an indicator of age. By using a body’s teeth, dental records can be matched to them, and the body can be identified more quickly. Another interesting fact is that in a fire, arms and legs flex because water evaporates and muscles and tendons shrink. If a burned body is not found in this position, it is an indication that the person was tied up when they were killed. Insects can also give clues to what happened to a victim. If a person has been stabbed, the flies lay their eggs there because they are attracted to the blood. If there are injuries, such as stab wounds, to a body, the body will be more decayed in areas other than the face, which has moist crevices the insects are also attracted to. A very interesting way to obtain fingerprints was also described, by fuming the body with superglue, and then dusting with ultraviolet powder.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Morgan's Death's Acre Essay
Finally, Dr. Bass also goes into detail about the four major stages of human decomposition. The body goes through the fresh stage, the bloated stage, the decay stage, and the dry stage. In the fresh stage hair and skin begin to decompose, along with the teeth. During the bloated stage bacteria begin to consume the stomach and intestines. The abdomen will begin to bloat due to the release of waste gases from microbes. In the decay stage hair and skin continue to disintegrate and most of the bones become exposed. Finally, in the dry stage any remaining skin dries out and shrivels, similarly to fallen leaves. This is an important note because the dried skin could often be confused for leaf litter at a crime scene.
Through Dr. Bill Bass’s intricate description of forensic science, I have come to realize how important every detail is. To successfully solve a crime, no matter how simplistic it may appear, it is imperative to take each detail into account.
Joe's Death's Acre
Death’s Acre by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson Summer Reading
Death’s Acre by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson was a novel of intriguing personal events experienced by Bass through the fields of forensic anthropology. Each chapter represented a different experience for Bass as he described each one individually with detail not meant for the queasy. The title of the novel says it all, death being the key word. Bass goes through a lot of horrifying situations that would even make the reader upset. But, one has to remember that Bass is a terrific man, doing his best to identify the dead and put the killers in a “coffin” of their own. On the cover page “Where the Dead Do Tell Tales” is written perfectly describing the job of a forensic anthropologist, telling the tales of the dead to people who are unable to read them. (I also noticed that Patricia Cornwell was mentioned at the top as well as many notes to her throughout the novel. I haven’t read her book The Body Farm yet but I will next.) Fortunately for us, Bass walks us through his process early in the novel.
Bass describes the big four: sex, race, age, and stature. He teaches his students about the important of the big four and walks them through his thought process on determining how to identify a corpse. He uses teeth, the skull, pelvic bones, hands, feet, anything that is given to his disposal. Sometimes, Bass is without a head and must make do with what he is given. But, Bass is a professional at his job and doesn’t jump to any conclusions unless he has a 100% identification on a corpse.
Some events that stick out in the book include how Bass found a positive match on a girl using a photograph and some teeth he collected down a river bank who was supposedly killed by her uncle. It amazes me how Bass improvises and is so good at what he does noticing a defect on her front teeth. Another situation that sticks out is how he tried to identify a horribly burned body without a head. He goes on to describe in grave detail what happens as the body is burned, starting with the fat and the skin being melted right off. I also remember how he explained how burned bodies are often found in the same position because the muscle flexors are forced to flex putting the person into a “boxing stance” almost. The one event that takes out the most was the chapter on the “Zoo Killer”. He was a man who used to work in the zoo who preyed on women often tying them up in the woods and leaving them for dead. Bass has a very difficult job but his whole life was once put on pause after heart failure.
My favorite chapter was the last one describing Bass’ near death experience. He heart gave out and woke up lying down after being shocked by the doctor to jump his heart. It shows some irony that he had seen so much death in his lifetime that he once stared death in the face. Bass is a terrific author as well as a forensic anthropologist. And although some chapters were more easily read than others, I still enjoyed this book and learned a lot based on Bass’ experiences and how his writing style perfectly captivated his point of views.