Identification

Dr. Siew Sheue Feng,

M.B.,B.S. (M.A.H.E.), M. Med. Path. (Forensic)(U.K.M.),
Department of Forensic Medicine,
Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
 Introduction

• The recognition of that person or dead body.

• Based on certain physical characteristics unique
to that individual.
 Introduction

• Positive (Complete) identification:

– The absolute fixation of the individual of a person.

• Presumptive (Partial) identification:

– Ascertainment of only some facts.
– E.g. race, sex, age, stature etc.
 Introduction

• In the living:
– Insurance, pension, inheritance claims, marriage,
disputed sex and missing person, criminal suspects
etc.
 Introduction

• In the dead:
– Very important question to answer in any death
investigation.
– Investigation of the death is greatly facilitated when
the identity of the decedent is known.
 Identification of the Death

• Criminal Legal Proceeding

 Identification of the Death

• Humanitarian
– Relatives want to know/confirm death of next-of-
kin.
– Allows his or her family and acquaintances to grieve
and settle the decedent’s affairs.
 Identification of the Death

• Administration
– Statistics: birth and death.

• Legal claims
– Insurance, property, estate, debts, survivor’s
pension, others.
Can be problematic in …
 Identification of the Death
1. Cases where death occur away from home:
– Where the next of kin may not be available to view the
body.
– No identification is present on the body.

2. A person lives and dies alone.

3. False identification may by present on the body.
4. Injury and/or postmortem changes preclude visual
identification of the decedent.
Points for Personal Identification

• Race • Congenital features

• Religion • Acquired peculiarities
• Sex (deformities)
• Age • Miscellaneous data
• General
development
 Race

Clothing
Complexion
Hair
Eyes
Lips
Religion
 Sex

1. The most certain

– Testes, ovaries

2. The highly probable

– Developed breast, distribution of hair, physical development

3. The presumptive
– External appearance of the individual
 Age

• Up to 20 – 25, age can be estimated by:

– Eruption of the teeth and
– Appearance and fusion of ossification centres and
epiphyses.
Eruption Pattern of the Deciduous Dentition
(in Months)

Central incisor Lateral incisor Canine First molar Second molar

Maxilla 7.5 9 19 14 24
Mandible 6 7 16 12 20
 Eruption Pattern of the Permanent Dentition
(in Years)

Central Lateral First Second First Second Third

Canine
incisor incisor premolar premolar molar molar molar

Maxilla 7–7.5 8–8.5 11–11.66 10–10.33 10.75–11.25 6–6.33 12.25–12.75 20.5

Mandible 6–6.5 7.25–7.75 9.75–10.25 10–10.75 10.75–11.5 6 6.25 11.75-12 20–20.5

Approximate dates (years)
of epiphyseal union.
 Approximate Dates of Epiphyseal Union
(in Years)

Head of femur 16 – 19 Acromion 17 - 19

Greater trochanter 16 – 19 Distal femur 17 - 20
Lesser trochanter 16 - 19 Proximal tibia 17 - 19
Head of humerus 16 - 23 Proximal fibula 16 - 21
Distal humerus 13 - 16 Distal tibia 16 - 19
Medial epicondyle 16 - 17 Distal fibula 16 - 19
Proximal radius 14 - 17 Metatarsals 15 - 17
Proximal ulna 14 - 17 Iliac crest 18 - 22
Distal radius 18 - 21 Primary elements pelvis 14 - 16
Distal ulna 18 - 21 Sternal clavicle 23 - 28
Metacarpals 14 - 17 Acromial clavicle 18 - 21
 Estimation of Age

• After about 25: all bone growth has ceased.

– Dental examination of teeth for wear and
degenerative changes.
– Pubic symphysis changes.
– Cranial suture closure.
Age 18 - 19 Age 20 - 21 Age 22 - 24 Age 25 - 26 Age 27 - 30

Age 30 - 35 Age 35 - 39 Age 45 - 49 Age 45 - 49 Age 50 +

Pubic Symphyseal Analysis

 0 : Open 1 : Minimal Closure

2 : Significant Closure 3 : Completely Obliterated

Suture Closure Scoring System

 Cranial Suture Closure

• Sutures close from their endocranial to

ectocranial aspects.
• The studies of ectocranium have the potential
to underestimate age.
General Development
Congenital Features
Congenital Features
FINGERPRINTS, FOOTPRINTS, MALFORMATION ETC.
Acquired Peculiarities (Deformities)
TATTOO MARKS, SCARS, ACQUIRED DEFORMITIES ETC.
Tattoo Marks

• Designs effected by
multiple small puncture
wounds made through
the skin with needle
dipped in a dye.
Tattoo Marks

• Permanency depends
upon the type of dye,
the depth of
penetration, and the
part of the body
tattooed.
• Lymph node in the
neighborhood always
show a deposit of the
pigment.
Tattoo Marks

• Tattoo may be altered or

eliminated, or a second
one superimposed in an
attempt to conceal
identity.
• Methods:
– Dermabrasion
– Caustic substances or
carbon dioxide snow
– Electrolysis
– Surgery
– Laser beam
 Tattoo Marks

• Medico legal importance:

1. Identification
2. Race
3. Religion
4. Profession
5. Behavioral characteristics
6. Social status
 Identification

1. Unique characteristic/criteria,
2. This characteristic is attached to the body,
3. This characteristic matched the antemortem
record.
 Criteria

• Major characteristic/criteria
– Each criteria on its own can positively confirm an
identity (> 99.9% probability)

• Minor characteristic/criteria
– Each criteria on its own can presumptively support
an identity (< 50% probability)
Methods of Identification

Positive or Presumptive.
 Presumptive Identification

• Relying on non-unique or inconstant factors:

• Visual identification,
• Clothing,
• Physical characteristics,
• Circumstantial evidence, and
• Exclusion.
 Positive Identification

• Scientifically establishing identity through the

presence of known unique characteristics.
 Positive Identification

• Positive methods of identification include:

1. Fingerprints,
2. Dental characteristics, and
3. DNA fingerprinting.
 Positive Identification

• Also include methods such as footprints,

radiographic comparisons and the presence of
certain permanently implanted unique medical
devices.
I. Presumptive Methods of Identification
 1. Visual Identification
• Satisfactorily established by means of viewing the
facial characteristics.
• Most common method.
 1. Visual Identification

• It is the easiest and is rarely incorrect.

• However, this method is not without problems.
 Problems in Visual Identification …

1. Family members may mistakenly identify a person as their loved

one because the authorities have told them that is who the dead
person is supposed to be.
2. Family members have been seen to make visual identification
while their eyes were closed.
3. They may mistakenly not identify their loved one because
emotionally they are in denial about the possibility of his or her
death.
4. Blood, disfiguring injuries and decomposition each make visual
identification hazardous.
5. Misidentification is intentional (fraud).
 Clothing

• Commonly used to make a presumptive

identification or to presumptively exclude identity.
Clothing may decompose along with the rest of the body or
be destroyed if a body is burned.
 Clothing

• A person may not be wearing his or her “regular”

clothes when death occurred or may not be
wearing the same clothing when “last” seen.
 Clothing

• Someone else may have donned the missing

person’s clothing or the missing person may be
wearing the clothing of some other person.
Other Personal Property
 Other Personal Property

• Identification card, passport, driver’s license or

social security card.
 Other Personal Property

• These documents can be borrowed, found or

stolen, their presence should not be sole
determinants of identity.
 Physical Features
• Tattoos, scars, birthmarks, the absence of organs
from surgical procedures and other physical
anomalies are helpful in making identifications.
 Physical Features
• The strength of an identification made on
individual or combinations of physical features will
depend on the relative uniqueness of the
feature(s).
 Circumstances Surrounding Death
• The circumstances in which the remains are
discovered may allow identification to be made.
 Circumstances Surrounding Death
• Identification based on circumstances involves
some risk of error …..
Identification by Exclusion
II. Positive Methods of Identification
 1. Fingerprints

• An impression made by the ball of a finger.

• Principle:
– The skin of the balls of the fingers and thumbs is
covered by ridges and grooves.
– The pattern of which varies between individuals and
makes absolute identification possible.
 1. Fingerprints

• Importance features:
– Present from birth, both on the epidermis and
dermis.
– Remain constant for the life.
– Form pattern that are absolutely individual; no two
sets of fingerprints have ever been shown to be
identical, even those of identical twins.
 1. Fingerprints

• Fingerprint are a unique physical trait.

• Comparison with antemortem records.

 1. Fingerprints

• Even if an individual did not have fingerprints

record, it may still be possible to do a fingerprint
comparison.
• Fingerprints may be obtained from objects or
surfaces that the person who is thought to be the
decedent has touched.
 1. Fingerprints

• The basic fingerprint ridge pattern resides in the

dermis.
• Even after skin slippage, the dermal ridge pattern
is still available for evaluation.
May be destroyed or appear unusable in charred and
severely decomposed or mummified bodies.
 1. Fingerprints

• In certain cases: slipped off skin can be placed over

one’s own gloved hand or finger and rolled onto a
fingerprint card.
Mummified bodies: rehydration is required.
2. Dental Characteristics
 2. Dental Characteristics

• A comparative technique.

• The dentition of the decedent is compared to dental

records.

• Sometimes the decedent’s teeth are compared to

antemortem written records.

• The most accurate and reliable method: comparison of

ante-mortem and post-mortem radiographs.
 2. Dental Characteristics

• Postmortem dental records:

– The forensic dentist will photograph, perform a
dental exam, chart the teeth and photograph and
radiograph the teeth and jaws.

– Dental radiographs most accurate means of making a

dental identification.
2. Dental Characteristics

Unique characteristics of teeth and jaw bones,

coupled with their durability.
 2. Dental Characteristics

• Most adults and many children have been to the

dentist.
• Antemortem dental records can be difficult to
locate.
• Comparative dental radiography is the most
accurate means of dental identification,
especially dental restorations are present.
 2. Dental Characteristics

• “Explainable inconsistencies”.
3. DNA “Fingerprinting”
 3. DNA “Fingerprinting”

• In 1944, Oswald Avery defined the role of the

cellular component known as DNA
(deoxyribonucleic acid) as the vehicle of
generational transference of heritable traits.
 3. DNA “Fingerprinting”
• Differences in the makeup of DNA of various
persons.
• Excluding the existence of an identical twin, the
DNA of an individual is unique.
 3. DNA “Fingerprinting”
• Postmortem blood or tissue DNA analytic results
can be compared to the results of testing
performed on a known antemortem specimen.
 3. DNA “Fingerprinting”

• Blood collected during autopsy for DNA testing is

also commonly used for other purposes such as the
determination of paternity.
• The postmortem blood DNA pattern can be used to
identify or exclude a parent-child relationship
between two individuals.
 3. DNA “Fingerprinting”

• Mitochondrial DNA is unique in that it is inherited

solely from the mother.
• Its usefulness for identification lies in the fact that
it may be recovered from hair.
• Mitochondrial DNA analysis is a specialized form of
DNA testing and is performed in a limited number
of laboratories.
 4. Radiographs

• Radiographs can be compared to postmortem

studies either by forensic pathologists or
radiologists.
• Skull and pelvic radiographs tend to be the best for
comparison.
 4. Radiographs
• The pattern of the sinuses in the front of the skull
is specific for each individual.

• No two sinus patterns in this region are exactly

alike.
Radiographs depicting unique injuries or
anomalies are also ideal for identification
purposes.
 4. Radiographs

• X –ray can help locate or verify prostheses.

• X-ray of teeth is very useful to detect fillings and
restorations. These are extremely durable!
• Routine chest and abdominal x-rays at hospitals:
readily available for comparison.
5. Other Methods

The presence of a
permanently
implanted medical
device such as an
artificial joint or a
pacemaker is very
useful in making an
identification.
 5. Other Methods

Particularly if a serial number is imprinted on the device and

medical records are available to match the number.
5. Other Methods
 5. Other Methods

• Photographic superimposition:
– Supportive method of identification.

– Antemortem photographs preferably with smiling face.

– Photographs of the skull must be prepared with the same

orientation as that illustrated in the antemortem image.

– Using computer software, the antemortem and

postmortem photographs can be carefully superimposed.
 5. Other Methods

• Photographic superimposition:
– Similar process: comparisons between ante- and
postmortem cranial radiographs, and antemortem
photographs and postmortem cranial x-rays.
Thank you