DISASTER VICTIM IDENTIFICATION THROUGH FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY

Introduction 

Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) encompasses the processes employed to confirm the identities of deceased individuals in incidents involving multiple casualties.

Forensic anthropology involves the application of physical anthropology's principles and methods to address issues of medicolegal importance. Its primary objectives are to aid in the identification of human remains and to analyze what occurred to those remains, particularly in cases where foul play is suspected.

In a disaster, the identification of victims becomes a critical concern for investigators. The identification of human remains involves a legal determination made by scientifically comparing information about missing individuals with unidentified human remains.

INTERPOL has established comprehensive guidelines for the investigation of mass disaster cases. These guidelines aim to ensure that justice is served not only to the living but also to the deceased. The identification process is composed of three essential stages: conducting a background investigation, recovering the remains, and performing laboratory analysis followed by reconciliation.

Despite the frequent occurrence of mass disasters globally and the growing significance of disaster victim identification (DVI), forensic anthropologists are rarely involved in DVI operations. Their work is traditionally focused on individual cases, where they assist coroners or forensic pathologists in identifying specific remains. This is particularly evident in the United Kingdom, where there is no legal mandate requiring forensic anthropologists to investigate deaths. According to the Coroner and Justice Act 2009, when a coroner's statutory duty to investigate a death is initiated, they may request a post-mortem examination, which is typically conducted by a histopathologist or forensic pathologist, depending on the circumstances. Forensic anthropologists, however, are generally consulted in cases involving complex identifications, such as those with fragmented, burned, or skeletal remains.

The Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) process is comprised of five distinct phases:

• Phase 1: Visit to the scene of occurrence

• Phase 2: Postmortem data collection

• Phase 3: Collection of ante-mortem data

• Phase 4: Reconciliation

• Phase 5: The debriefing stage These phases encompass the period immediately following the disaster through to the successful identification of the deceased.

Phase 1: the disaster scene the initial phase of an investigation involves visiting the scene of the incident and ensuring that all items with potential evidentiary value are systematically identified and collected from the location.

At disaster sites, the urgency to locate and recover remains for timely identification often occurs amidst chaotic conditions and constrained resources. In such demanding settings, practical experience has demonstrated the critical importance of meticulously mapping and documenting bodies, body parts, bones (whether intact or fragmented), and associated evidence to ensure accurate and efficient recovery efforts. The initial assessment of the condition and preservation of remains at the scene plays a crucial role in shaping the logistical planning for the thorough documentation and recovery of human remains, as well as influencing the subsequent phases of the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) process.

The INTERPOL DVI guide recommends employing a gridding system to map disaster scenes and using printed recovery labels to tag all bodies or body parts discovered at the site. While this approach is particularly advantageous in low-technology settings, more advanced techniques have emerged in recent years. The integration of electronic mapping tools, such as total stations, drones, and handheld GPS devices, has become standard practice in forensic archaeology, allowing DVI teams to efficiently and accurately map disaster sites.

Phase 2: At the Mortuary This stage encompasses both external and internal examinations of the deceased within the mortuary, with the primary objectives being the determination of the cause of death and the identification of distinguishing characteristics of the individual. The involvement of forensic anthropologists during the mortuary phase is largely determined by the state of preservation of the deceased. In mass disaster investigations, forensic anthropologists have played a pivotal role by contributing to a variety of analytical processes:

• The distinction and separation of osseous material from non-osseous material, which may be conducted either at the disaster site or within the mortuary.

• The differentiation and segregation of human remains from non-human materials and nonbone substances.

• The categorization of fragments into recognizable remains and unidentifiable fragments for DNA analysis.

• Providing a biological profile, which involves estimating an individual's ancestry, sex, age, and stature, along with other potential identifying features such as evidence of prior fractures, pathological conditions, or unique anatomical variations.

• Assisting in the reconstruction of the manner of death by analyzing factors such as bullet trajectories or identifying the presence and location of shrapnel within the remains.

Phase 3: Collection of ante-mortem data This process involves gathering historical information about the deceased to facilitate identification. This includes collecting personal data, such as official documents, and conducting interviews with presumed family members. The primary objective is to obtain detailed antemortem information about the deceased. The collection of antemortem data has been extensively explored in the literature. Key concerns for investigators include the establishment of mobile mortuaries at the site of the incident to address delays in transporting victims from the scene to a permanent mortuary, developing a systematic approach for identification, and ensuring the proper preservation of evidence encountered during the process.

Phase 4: Reconciliation According to the INTERPOL DVI Guide, identification standards rely on the comparison of antemortem and postmortem data, requiring at least one primary identifier. For fragmented remains, DNA is typically the primary method of identification, while other primary identifiers, such as dental records or fingerprints, are less commonly applicable. Although many jurisdictions accept a single primary identifier, it is considered best practice to support this identification with secondary identifiers, including contextual evidence like clothing, tattoos, or scene-related materials. In cases where resources are constrained, DNA samples from cases identified through other primary methods can be preserved in frozen storage without immediate processing. This ensures that the sample remains available for future testing if questions arise. Additionally, DNA from a fragment identified through dental analysis can serve as a direct reference for associating other fragments, bypassing the need for extensive familial DNA testing and simplifying statistical matching processes.

Phase 5: Debriefing This process follows the identification phase and involves notifying the family of the deceased and transferring the remains to them in accordance with the laws and regulations outlined under INTERPOL's disaster victim protocols. Forensic anthropologists contributed to pathology reviews by providing insights to support or refute the reassociation of body parts for their eventual release to families. This process involved reviewing individual cases using scene photographs, pink Interpol DVI post-mortem forms, and reports from pathologists and radiologists. However, the absence of an independent anthropology report during the initial mortuary examination was later identified as a critical oversight during the debriefing. The importance of standalone anthropology reports in Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) contexts lies not only in facilitating immediate case reviews but also in enabling future analyses to refine and enhance forensic anthropology methodologies.

Case study 

(Terrorist attack on World Trade Center New York) On September 11, 2001, nine terrorists hijacked passenger planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, and crashed them into the north and south towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Within two hours, both towers collapsed, resulting in the deaths of nearly all civilians, first responders, and emergency personnel inside. The disaster site spanned an area of 64,500 m², reached a depth of 43 m, and contained three “hot spots” that burned for nearly three months. These fires were intermittently extinguished using brackish water from the nearby East River. It required approximately nine months to sift through the debris field, during which around 22,000 fragments of human remains were recovered. The remains were highly fragmented, decomposed, burned, and commingled. Finalizing the list of missing persons took over three years. By August 2019, 14,696 human fragments had been identified and linked to 1,637 of the 2,749 victims. Primary mortuary operations, conducted over approximately 11 months, involved a multidisciplinary team comprising medical examiners, a forensic anthropologist, New York Police Department fingerprint experts, forensic odontologists, X-ray technicians, medicolegal investigators, DNA analysts, and numerous volunteers. Following initial mortuary analyses, quality control procedures and reanalysis spanned an additional six months, with DNA testing and resampling efforts still ongoing.

Conclusion 

The role of forensic anthropologists continues to evolve daily with advancements in techniques and methodologies. In mass fatality disasters, victim identification remains a primary challenge, requiring a complex and meticulous process. This process is most effective when employing interdisciplinary approaches, with forensic anthropology serving as a critical component and valuable asset in achieving successful outcomes.