Forensic Science International 241 (2014) e1–e4

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Forensic Science International

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Case Report

A body, a dog, and a fistful of scats

Ignasi Galtés a,b,*, Marı́a Ángeles Gallego a, Dolors Giménez a, Verònica Padilla a,
Mercè Subirana a, Carles Martı́n-Fumadó a, Jordi Medallo a
a
Institut de Medicina Legal de Catalunya, Ciutat de la Justı´cia n8 111, Edifici G, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 08075 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
b
Unitat de Medicina Legal i Forense, Departament de Psiquiatria i de Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Article history: Dogs and coyotes are the most frequently reported canids responsible for scavenging human remains.
Received 28 May 2013 We present the case of a 90-year-old woman whose mummified body was found in her home showing
Received in revised form 18 January 2014 partial destruction of the thorax and extremities and absence of the cranium. The victim lived with a
Accepted 1 April 2014
beagle dog whose dead body was also found, along with abundant scats throughout the house.
Available online 14 April 2014
Scavenging by the decedent’s pet was the proposed hypothesis for the partial dismemberment and
consumption of her body. Forensic analysis revealed that the victim died as a result of an accidental
Keywords:
fracture of the proximal femoral epiphysis. Bone exam showed signs of canine scavenging on certain
Forensic anthropology
bones. Macroscopic and histological analyses of the dog feces revealed the presence of small bone
Animal scavenging
Carnivores fragments within scats. All the collected data supported the hypothesis that the decedent’s pet fed on the
Taphonomy victim following her death. The current case illustrates that forensic anthropology has much more to
offer than personal identification and determining the manner of death. Systematic search and
examination of scat deposits recovered from the scene may be very useful in the medicolegal
investigation, identifying the origin of body mutilation and particularly the animal responsible for any
scavenging.
ß 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction 2. Case report

Postmortem artifacts produced by mammalian and nonmam-
malian animal scavenging on human remains are of particular
relevance to forensic investigation. The most common questions
asked of forensic anthropologists when animal scavenging is
involved are related to how scattered remains may help to define
the search area, how to distinguish scavenger-induced bone
damage from other death- or injury-related trauma, and the use of
scavenging to estimate the postmortem interval [1]. Responding to
all of these questions requires not only the knowledge about
characteristic carnivore tooth marks on soft tissue or bone, but also
the analysis of other faunal evidences such as animal voiding. Thus,
despite scarce references in the forensic literature, carnivore feces
and regurgitations have proven to be of great value to forensic
investigators, mainly with respect to victim identification [2].
* Corresponding author at: Centre de Patologia Forense de Collserola, Institut de
Medicina Legal de Catalunya, Ctra. Nacional 150, Km. 1,5- Montcada i Reixac, Spain.
Tel.: +34 93 575 42 24; fax: +34 93 575 05 65.
E-mail address: ignasigaltes@gmail.com (I. Galtés).
A mummified corpse was discovered in December by a group of
squatters in an apparently empty house. The victim was a 90-year-
old woman who lived alone with a beagle dog. She had a history of
arthritis, recurrent accidental falls, and incipient cognitive
impairment. There had been no news from her since August.
Squatters came into her house thinking it was abandoned. As they
were removing some of the furniture and the body of the dead dog
found in the hall, they became aware of the presence of a woman’s
body and notified the police.
The victim was lying on the floor in her room, partially beneath
the bed and partially covered by a gnawed mattress. The body was
mummified, showing destruction of the pectoral girdle and ventral
thorax. The right upper extremity, right foot, and cranium had been
removed (Fig. 1). At the scene, numerous fragments of clothes and
foam rubber were scattered around the body, and abundant dirt
and dog feces were present throughout the house. In the adjoining
room, a segment of the right humeral midshaft was found below a
cabinet, along with several decaying soft-tissue remains. A police
survey of the house and of an extended area outdoors failed to
recover all the skeletal elements.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.04.007
0379-0738/ß 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
[(Fig._1)TD$IG]
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Fig. 1. External exam. (A) Partial destruction of the mummified body. (B) Superior view of the body, absence of the cranium, and destruction of the pectoral girdle and ventral
thorax. (C) Tooth damage to the right lower extremity skin margin showing characteristic V-shaped canine tooth punctures. (D) Comminute fracture of the right proximal
femoral epiphysis. Bone and soft tissues show a dark reddish-brown discoloration.

Forensic anthropological analysis revealed that the remains
belonged to a Caucasoid female, more than 60 years old, with a
living stature of 154–155 cm. Antemortem skeletal pathology was
characterized by severe osteoarthritis, mainly at the spine, and
consolidated fractures of the left distal radial epiphysis, right-sided
pubic rami, and several left-side rib fractures. These data were
concordant with the antemortem data of the homeowner.
A perimortem fracture of the proximal epiphysis of the right
femur was identified. Cause and manner of death of the victim
were considered to be related to this fracture, which suggested an
accidental fall. Femoral fragments and soft tissues showed a dark
red-brown discoloration; however, tissues were too autolyzed to
permit histological detection of blood infiltration (Fig. 1).
[(Fig._2)TD$IG]
Detailed body exam revealed the removal of skin and muscle
from extremities, thorax and neck, and the absence of neck organs.
V-shaped punctures were present on skin margins of these defects.
Bone exam revealed signs of animal scavenging on certain bones
(Fig. 2). The T10 vertebral body was chewed and the cancellous
bone exposed. The T10 to T12 transverse and spinous vertebral
processes had crushed and splintered margins. Similar features
were noted on the anterior arc of left and right ribs 7–12.
Destruction and depressed fractures, associated with splintering,
pits, and punctures, were also noted on the head of the left
humerus and the distal ends of the right tibia and fibula. The right
humerus survived as a ‘‘cylinder’’ with both articular ends
destroyed; pits and scoring were noted on the surface.

Fig. 2. Carnivore damage on bones. (A) Gnawing damage on the T10 vertebral body. (B) Gnawing damage with splintered margins on distal end of the right fourth rib. (C, D, E)
Destruction and deep furrowing associated with puncture marks (arrowhead) on the head of the left humerus, distal ends of the right tibia, and fibula, respectively. (F)
Cylinder of the right humerus showing pits and scoring on the cortical surface.
[(Fig._3)TD$IG] I. Galtés et al. / Forensic Science International 241 (2014) e1–e4
Fig. 3. Dog feces analysis. (A) Several dog scats recovered from inside the house. Note the presence of numerous hairs and foam rubber. (B) X-ray of dog feces containing small
bone fragments. (C) Detail of a bone fragment showing softened appearance and sharp edges. (D) Scat histological analysis showing an amorphous pigmented matrix and
digested bone fragments with loss of cellularity and low capacity to retain the stain (HE).
As part of the anthropological study, analysis of the dog feces
was performed, scanning them under an X-ray machine, rehydrat-
ing for 3 days with a 0.5% solution of trisodium phosphate, and
finally recovering various detritus to perform a histological study
using hematoxylin–eosin stain (Fig. 3). Scat samples were also
taken for genetic analysis; unfortunately, DNA useful for identifi-
cation analysis could not be retrieved due to the co-purification of
PCR inhibitors. Initial X-ray suggested the presence of small bone
fragments within scats, which were confirmed once they were
rehydrated and screened. Additionally, several fragments of
clothes, cellulose, and foam rubber, and numerous dog hairs were
recovered by stereomicroscope scanning. Detailed examination of
the bone fragments revealed a softened appearance with sharp,
thin edges. Histological study of the scats confirmed the presence
of these components, mainly cellulose, hairs, and an amorphous
pigmented matrix with large fibrillar bundles.
3. Discussion
Among mammalian animals, carnivores are the most common
scavengers of human remains [3]. Their scavenging results in soft-
tissue modification and consumption, dismemberment, bone
modification, and scattering of remains. In forensic investigations,
the implications of scavenging are related to the ability of animals
to destroy or scatter body parts, alter or destroy indicators related
to the cause and manner of death, create postmortem artifacts, and
make personal identification difficult. Additionally, carnivores can
e3
alter the scene and evidence, so as to complicate the medicolegal
investigation of death [4].
In the case presented, scavenging by the decedent’s house pet
was proposed as a hypothesis explaining the partial dismember-
ment and consumption of the body. Forensic analysis allowed us to
conclude that the victim died as a result of a fracture of the
proximal femoral epiphysis, suggesting the victim had died from
an accidental fall, which was consistent with her clinical history of
recurrent falls and incipient cognitive impairment. The corpse
would have been lying on the floor of her room, exposed to a hot,
unventilated environment during the summer months that could
explain its mummification. Investigators concluded that the
squatters may have unknowingly removed the missing parts of
the body while cleaning the house. Unfortunately, the dog carcass
had been removed and this hypothesis could not be definitively
confirmed.
Dogs and coyotes are the most frequently reported canids
responsible for scavenging human remains. Characteristic damage
to skin may be evident along the margins of uneaten skin or muscle
as V-shaped defects from canine tooth punctures, as was seen on
the right lower extremity in the present case. Bone damage ranges
from crushed edges at damaged areas to broken off skeletal
portions, tooth marks, and bone elimination as a result of canid
ingestion [3,5]. In this case, crushing and fragmentation were
observed mainly at the axial skeleton, such as vertebras and rib
arcs. On the other hand, tooth marks were observed in the
remaining parts of the upper and lower limb elements. Based on
e4 I. Galtés et al. / Forensic Science International 241 (2014) e1–e4
the pattern of tooth marks inflicted on the bone surfaces,
postmortem skeletal damage was likely made by a small or
medium-sized dog, which is consistent with the size of the
decedent’s beagle. According to Haynes [5] and Binford [6], four
types of carnivore tooth marks are recognized: punctures, pitting,
furrows, and scoring.
Punctures and pitting are indentations in the cortical produced
by the tips of teeth as the animal bites down, causing puncture
when bone collapses under a tooth and pitting when there is
insufficient strength to penetrate the surface. The size of punctures
and pits is related to the size of the dog [7]. Upper and lower
extremities showed these typical marks. Furrows are channels in
bone produced by the repeated jaw action of either canine or
carnassial teeth. Extreme furrowing was observed at the long shaft
ends, which involved the removal of the cancellous tissue and
licking out its contents from open-ended shafts. Finally, scoring is
produced when a carnivore’s teeth slip and drag along the bone
shaft, and often appears as sets of parallel scratches running
perpendicular to the long axis of the bone. Scoring was observed at
the right humerus, with extreme furrowing at the articular ends
and the survival of the distal shaft as a scratched cylinder that had
been removed to the adjoining room. ‘‘Bone cylinders’’ have been
attributed to canids and are often found scattered from the original
site [8]. The ability to move a carcass is independent of the relative
size and strength of the scavenger, particularly as scavenging
progresses and more soft tissue is removed [9,10]. Therefore, the
small size of the decedent’s dog did not exclude the possibility of
its removal of the skeletal segments.
Variables related to scavenging of human remains include the
freshness of soft tissue, architecture of the bone, cortical thickness,
ratio of compact bone to cancellous bone, and positioning or
accessibility of the body [11]. In the present case, even though the
corpse was partially covered, the small to medium size of the dog
may have facilitated its access to the body parts, especially the
uncovered upper half and right side of the body. Haglund [12]
described the stages of sequential disarticulation due to canid
scavenging by examining 46 partially to fully skeletonized human
remains. His observations suggest that dog scavenging of human
remains takes place in a relatively consistent sequence, especially
when the body is scavenged before any advanced decomposition or
insect activity. With an estimated postmortem interval of 4–5
months, the condition of the case presented is in consonance with
Stage 2 disarticulation (2–4.5 months), defined as thorax destruc-
tion and total or partial removal of extremities. By contrast, the
reported absence of the cranium would be unusual. However, this
may be explained either by its greater accessibility or by the
circumstances of death, if associated with vomiting or other
secretions that would make this area more desirable to the
scavenger [1,13].
In forensic investigation of animal scavenging on human
remains, one of the least-reported areas is the analysis of carnivore
voiding. Although the value of excrement examination has been
widely recognized in archeological studies, its use in forensic
science is scarce. Carnivore feces have proved to be of great value in
suggesting a postmortem interval, defining the search area,
identifying the species involved in scavenging, and particularly
in identifying the victim [2,14]. Several studies have reported the
presence of hair, teeth, finger or toe parts, and small bone
fragments in carnivore feces [2,15–17]. The methodology includes
radiological study and macroscopic and microscopic evaluation.
Rehydration of the dried feces by 0.5% solution of trisodium
phosphate allows optimum stereomicroscope scanning without
damaging the content [18]. By this methodology, bone fragments
and other detritus such as clothes and foam rubber were observed
in the recovered scats. Bones appeared softened and thinned with
sharp, thin edges due to corrosive damage caused by the action of
gastric acids [19,20].
In summary, in this unusual case all the collected data strongly
supported the hypothesis that the decedent’s pet ate a large
portion of the victim following her death, which was caused by an
accidental fall. Although the forensic anthropologist is expected to
address questions related to personal identification and the
manner of death through skeletal analysis, this case provides
evidence that the field has much more to offer. Systematic
examination of scat deposits recovered from the scene may be very
useful in the medicolegal investigation, identifying the origin of
body mutilation and particularly the animal responsible for the
scavenging.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their
comments and suggestions on the manuscript. Thanks are due to
the staff of the Centre de Patologia Forense de Collserola (IMLC) for
their technical assistance and to Eduard Aizpun de la Escosura and
Elaine M. Lilly, PhD, for English language revision of the
manuscript.
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