FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY REPORT

WMed Case #: W14-267

Forensic Pathologist: ELIZABETH DOUGLAS, M.D.
Decedent: Unidentified
Agency: Allegan County Sheriff’s Office

On 23 November 2014 at approximately 0900 hours I examined the decomposing remains

recovered on the shore of Lake Michigan in South Haven, Allegan County, Michigan by the
Allegan County Sheriff’s Office and the Allegan County Medical Examiner Investigator. The
purpose of my examination was to generate a biological profile of the unidentified remains.
Prior to analysis the skeletal remains were recovered from the decomposing tissue and
macerated to remove adhering tissue. The examination took place at Western Michigan
University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed) Department of Pathology.

Results of Skeletal Analysis

Inventory: The following skeletal elements were recovered (see skeletal diagram): cranial
vault and basicranium, cervical vertebrae 1 through 4, thoracic vertebrae 10
through 12, lumbar vertebrae 1 through 5, sacrum, right rib 12, left scapula, left
humerus, right and left os coxae, right and left femora, right and left patellae,
right and left tibia, proximal end of the left fibula, right fibula missing distal end,
left and right calcanei, left and right tali, left and right cuboids, left and right
naviculars, left and right medial cuneiforms, left and right intermediate
cuneiforms, left and right lateral cuneiforms, left metatarsals 1 through 4 and
right metatarsals 1 through 3, and two sesamoid bones.

Sex: Male
Based on pubic morphology consistent with a male, including no discernible
ventral arc, wide ischiopubic ramus, lack of a subpubic concavity, a narrow
greater sciatic notch, no discernible preauricular sulcus, triangular shape of the
pubic body, and acute subpubic angle (Buikstra and Ubelaker 1994, France 1998,
Phenice 1969). Cranial features consistent with a male include: pronounced
nuchal crest, large mastoid processes, and thick supraorbital margins (Buikstra
and Ubelaker 1994).

Age: 35 to 60 years
Pubic symphysis: Phase 5 (Brooks and Suchey 1990)
Auricular surface: Phase 5 (Buckberry and Chamberlain 2002)
Cranial suture closure: Vault score = 19 (Meindl and Lovejoy 1985)
Lateral-Anterior score = 14
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WMed Case #: W14‐267 
Decedent: Unidentified 
 
Ancestry: Probable European
The craniometric analysis classifies this individual as a white male using
FORDISC 3 with three-way discriminant function performing at 45.2 percent
correct (posterior probability: 0.473, typicality probability: 0.357) (Jantz and
Ousley 2005). However, other ancestries should not be rejected as facial
measurements could not be taken.

Stature: 5 feet 6 inches to 6 feet 1 inch

The estimate is based on the FORDISC 3 formula for white males using the
maximum length of the calcaneus (94 mm.), femur (485 mm) and tibia (380
mm).

Dentition: No teeth were recovered as the maxilla and mandible were both missing.

Pathologies: Osteoarthritis is present on cervical vertebra one; cervical vertebra two with an
enlarged left inferior articular facet; cervical vertebra three with enlarged left
superior articular facet (corresponding to enlarged facet of C2) with significant
osteophytic lipping; thoracic vertebra ten through twelve, lumbar vertebrae one
and two, lumbar vertebrae three through five on both articular facets and bodies,
and a foot sesamoid bone with significant osteophytic lipping. In addition, the
articular surface of cervical vertebra one and the dens of cervical vertebra two
demonstrate eburnation.

Anomalies: The individual has significant muscle markings suggesting a robust individual.

Trauma: No skeletal trauma was evident.

Postmortem
Damage: There is diffuse postmortem damage consistent with submersion in water and
abrasion from sand particles, including significant abrasion of the inferior surface
of cervical vertebra four and superior surface of thoracic vertebra ten. In
addition, the sacrum has postmortem damage to the distal lateral portions and
the scapula has postmortem damage to the acromion and coracoid processes, the
superior angle, and the subscapular fossa. Skeletal elements that were
incomplete, including the left and right fibula and the cranium demonstrate
smooth margins consistent with abrasion. In addition, the long bones developed
longitudinal cracks after maceration which is a known taphonomic result of the
desiccation process.

Carolyn V. Isaac, Ph.D.

Forensic Anthropologist
Date Reported: 01/21/2015

Attachment
Department of Pathology
1000 Oakland Drive Kalamazoo, MI 49008-8074
PHONE 269.337.6173 FAX 844.337.6001 WEB med.wmich.edu
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WMed Case #: W14‐267 
Decedent: Unidentified 
 
References Cited

Brooks S, and Suchey JM. 1990. Skeletal Age Determination Based on the Os Pubis: A Comparison of the 
Acsádi‐Nemeskéri and Suchey‐Brooks Methods. Human Evolution 5(3):227‐238.   

Buckberry JL, and Chamberlain AT. 2002. Age Estimation from the Auricular Surface of the Ilium: A 
Revised Method. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 119:231‐239. 

Buikstra JE, Ubelaker DH, editors. 1994. Standards for Data Collection from Human Skeletal Remains. 
Fayetteville, AK: Arkansas Archeological Survey. 

France DL. 1998. Observational and Metric Analysis of Sex in the Skeleton. In: Reichs KJ, editor. Forensic 
Osteology, Advances in the Identification of Human Remains. 2nd ed. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas. 

Jantz RL, Ousley SD. 2005. FORDISC 3: Computerized Forensic Discriminant Functions. Version 3.1. The 
University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 

Meindl RS, Lovejoy CO. 1985. Ectocranial Suture Closure: A Revised Method for the Determination of 
Skeletal Age at Death Based on the Lateral‐Anterior Sutures. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 
68:57‐66. 

Phenice TW. 1969. A Newly Developed Visual Method of Sexing the Os Pubis. American Journal of 
Physical Anthropology 30:297‐302. 

Department of Pathology
1000 Oakland Drive Kalamazoo, MI 49008-8074
PHONE 269.337.6173 FAX 844.337.6001 WEB med.wmich.edu
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