longtimelurker
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I have been reading these posts from the very beginning. As I have a medical background I feel compelled to comment on the autopsy. From my reading I would say that the pathologist felt that NC was strangled probably with some sort of ligature. In these cases it take 10-15 seconds for a person to become unconscious, very little time to fight back! If the ligature was something from the home( not the sports bra) then forensic testing can be performed on the ligature and DNA from the victim may be found, see below(11/14 cases) . If the bra was used this will not be helpful. If the item is something that would not normally have human skin on it and it was found in the home this would be very strong evidence that the strangulation occurred in the home. Although forensic pathology texts say that the fracture of the hyoid bone is uncommon or rare in strangulations there are a number of reports in medical literature stating that the fracture of the hyoid bond is common in ligature strangulation. The victims of this type of strangulation most often evacuate urine and feces. The autopsy said the bladder was empty but did not mention fecal staining on the buttocks or legs, perhaps because this area was too decomposed . There has been at least one case where DNA of the assailant was found under the fingernails of the victim who was strangled. However if NC was caught by surprise, ie assailant was behind her and caught her quickly in the neck with a ligature, she may not have been able to get her fingernails into the assailants skin.
In hanging and ligature strangulation, the noose mostly causes a mark or groove which is formed partly by compression of the skin and partly by abrasion with loss of the upper epidermal layers. The horny scales abraded from the neck may be transferred to the strangulation device or to the interposed textiles where they are sometimes visible at stereomicroscopic examination or even to the naked eye as silvergrey particles. The morphologic features of the epidermal transfer due to hanging and ligature strangulation is demonstrated by 14 case examples. The biological traces may be sufficient for comparative DNA typing by means of PCR-based methods. In 9 out of the 14 cases, genomic DNA typing was successful. Analysis of mtDNA succeeded in another two cases, although genomic DNA could not be detected. Beside the accumulation of solid epidermic particles the paper describes deposition of serous and fatty tissue fluid at the ligature (mainly adjacent to skin ridges).Forensic Science International
Volumes116, Issues 2-3, 15 February 2001, pages 107-115
So I expect they are a. trying to determine what was used as ligature, if it was not the sports bra, they may be looking for Nancys DNA on that, they obviously are looking for
the assailants DNA under her fingernails, evidence of feces/urine in the house/car etc
Another interesting note is that the mud was on the medial aspect of the left leg. Meaning if she was dragged that the inside of the left leg was what got dragged through the mud.
Unfortunately due to the weather, decomposition, time and insect infestation there may have been more evidence or forensic clues that had been there but were not able to be determined by the time the body was found and the autopsy performed.
LL
In hanging and ligature strangulation, the noose mostly causes a mark or groove which is formed partly by compression of the skin and partly by abrasion with loss of the upper epidermal layers. The horny scales abraded from the neck may be transferred to the strangulation device or to the interposed textiles where they are sometimes visible at stereomicroscopic examination or even to the naked eye as silvergrey particles. The morphologic features of the epidermal transfer due to hanging and ligature strangulation is demonstrated by 14 case examples. The biological traces may be sufficient for comparative DNA typing by means of PCR-based methods. In 9 out of the 14 cases, genomic DNA typing was successful. Analysis of mtDNA succeeded in another two cases, although genomic DNA could not be detected. Beside the accumulation of solid epidermic particles the paper describes deposition of serous and fatty tissue fluid at the ligature (mainly adjacent to skin ridges).Forensic Science International
Volumes116, Issues 2-3, 15 February 2001, pages 107-115
So I expect they are a. trying to determine what was used as ligature, if it was not the sports bra, they may be looking for Nancys DNA on that, they obviously are looking for
the assailants DNA under her fingernails, evidence of feces/urine in the house/car etc
Another interesting note is that the mud was on the medial aspect of the left leg. Meaning if she was dragged that the inside of the left leg was what got dragged through the mud.
Unfortunately due to the weather, decomposition, time and insect infestation there may have been more evidence or forensic clues that had been there but were not able to be determined by the time the body was found and the autopsy performed.
LL