Recent content by BlackholeSeason

Contrary to popular opinion, some research has shown that quicklime may actually delay decomposition in soft tissue, preserving tissue longer. But I am unaware of its potential effects on bone, and whether it would produce a discoloration that would mimic sun bleaching.

These are all just guesses for the sake of providing examples, but I suppose it could have been in a protected location (for example in a shed/barn/outbuilding with windows or open roofing) or in an open-lidded "container" (think barrel, box, etc), or it could have simply been in an outdoor area...

I'm not sure about two shallow graves; it decomposed above-ground long enough to get bleached (depending on season, environment, and climate it can take many weeks to months to bleach), and then it was buried in a shallow grave after the bleaching already occurred. I don't know enough about the...

I believe her remains were recovered from a "shallow burial," but I don't know the actual depth. Shallow burials typically range from 1 to 3 feet or so (there is no agreed upon standard). Even at the shallowest depth of say a foot, as long as the remains are covered with soil they are not...

It's unclear to me what is meant by the lack of "insect activity" since I haven't seen the forensic anthropological report, but I would interpret that it means that there weren't any pupa casings from fly larvae present in the clothes or associated materials, which you might find even after a...

In the context of forensic anthropological investigations, "bleached" bones specifically refers to sun exposure and subsequent bleaching (lightening) of the bones. Bleaching on bones tells you that for some period of time, the bones were on the surface (as opposed to buried), were likely...

Hi Paul, can you tell us some "current" unsolved cases that have you concerned for public safety, in the sense that the circumstances of the crime might could indicate that the perpetrator is still potentially a high threat?

"Authorities now believe Rouns may have been thrown off her horse amid strong winds on Friday, and fell into the river. She did not know how to swim, Dutton told the Independent. 'We believe something happened that spooked the horse to get it into the waters. We just don't know what yet,' the...

One of the things to keep in mind is depending on the decomposition level of the soft tissues and the absence of clear perimortem trauma, there may be no clear indicators of either cause or manner of death (e.g., in the case of accidental drowning).

Yes, common in cases of bodies deposited on the surface, but it can also occur with shallow burial situations (~2 feet or less, give or take), since animals are still able to smell the byproducts of decomposition leaching out into the air as a result of the shallow depth. Canids (dogs, wolves...

The first thing they will need to do is figure out the context of the human remains. Are they archaeological? Are they historic (e.g., from an old unmarked cemetery)? Or are they modern, and thus potentially of forensic/prosecutorial significance? Additionally, I have no insight into the...