NCJ Number
231655
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 55 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2010 Pages: 1102-1104
Date Published
July 2010
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The 2007 exhumation of three children's graves, located in rural upstate New York and dating to 1979 and 1980, was warranted as their mother had come under suspicion for the death of a child she had been babysitting in late 2006.
Abstract
The local March weather conditions had been wet, and heavy rains fell during the 2-day process of casket removal. The extremely wet soil and the poor preservation of two wooden caskets increased the likelihood of damage to evidence. After remains' transport to the forensic center, an indoor wet-screening station was established so that skeletal elements could be (i) separated from soil matrix and (ii) preserved carefully for analysis. Not only were the remains relatively small and fragile in comparison with those of an adult, but two of the three remains were known to be fire damaged, thus the use of special laboratory preparation techniques was crucial. (Published Abstract)