Speaking of DNA/forensics, I was looking through some old reports today & remembered this interesting info & I've bolded the parts which are interesting although he may be just speaking generally about bodies in water.
May 01, 2012
Now forensic investigators must try to determine what killed her and how - something made much more challenging by
the 11 days her body has spent submerged in water.
With the weekend's heavy rain prompting concerns the body had washed downstream to its final resting place, it has almost certainly suffered through harsh environmental conditions.
One of Queensland's leading forensic experts, Dr Paul Bennett of Queensland University of Technology's clinical school, said the biggest obstacle for officers was the body's level of decomposition.
He said that even though the case was now being treated as a homicide, all potential causes of death must be considered.
"The body's got to get there one way or another so there's always an entry point and an exit point," he said.
"That's really where a lot of it will start. The scenes-of-crimes officers will spend a good deal of time breaking down the natural environment to look for the entry and exit points -that's very critical.
"Typically, there'll be attempts to look at the site for trace evidence in and around it."
Dr Bennett, who works for Queensland Police Service as a forensic consultant and was involved in the Daniel Morcombe case, said the investigation would take weeks, possibly months, to conclude and the water temperature would make it more difficult.
"Part of the reason the body's put in the water is to conceal as much trace evidence as possible," he said."
But then getting in and out of the scenes where evidence is going to be left - everywhere from the premises to the scene and in between - will be assessed pretty much.
"Any of those investigations are going to take a period of time for the pathologist to really analyse the body and get a really good understanding of the cause of death.
"Sometimes it's obvious and other times it's painstakingly slow."
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/...lison-baden-clay/story-e6freoof-1226343152532