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UF lab examined remains in search for Haleigh Cummings
Experts determined a bone wasn't of the missing girl, but was a Native American's.
"Snip" http://www.ocala.com/article/20100621/ARTICLES/6211007/1402/NEWS?p=3&tc=pg
Erica Brough/The Gainesville Sun
By Cindy Swirko Staff writer
Published: Monday, June 21, 2010
( page 3 of 3 )
As it turns out, human remains were found in the St. Johns River by law enforcement scuba divers searching for Haleigh Cummings in April - but they weren't those of Haleigh.
They were a lot older, as in an American Indian who lived along the river hundreds of years ago - a determination made by the experts in bones at Human Identification Lab.
"Those divers found a human bone, it just wasn't (Haleigh)," said Mike Warren, the lab's director.
The lab has been involved in high-profile criminal cases including those of Haleigh Cummings and Caylee Anthony.
Warren says he has memorized the dental structure of Tiffany Sessions, a University of Florida student who disappeared in 1989, so he can easily identify her should remains be found.
"We treat all of our cases as high-profile cases," Warren said. "They are still the remains of somebody who had family."
A human body has 206 bones - more or less in some cases - and Warren can identify all of them. So adept is Warren that he can pick out the most minute ear bone from the ashy remains of a cremated person.
The lab receives human remains that are skeletonized, decomposed or are burned or fragmented beyond recognition.
For three days in April, divers and deputies searched for remains of Haleigh off a boat ramp in the St. Johns River.
Most of what the divers found was easily identified, most notably a deer skeleton that was erroneously reported to be a human skeleton by some television media.
"We look at bones for thousands and thousands and thousands of hours. We know what every little piece of human bone looks like. If I can't recognize it, it's not human," Warren said. "A lot of it is an experience type of thing. There are some twists - if you don't smell any decomposition, you could put a flame under (a bone) and if you smell hair burning, that means there is collagen in the blood. In Florida, that takes about a year to leech out."
Warren said the lab was involved with earlier searches for Haleigh Cummings.
Sheriff's Lt. Johnny Greenwood said having the lab nearby is a big asset to law enforcement, saving local agencies time and money.
"They are very helpful to be able to identify bones very quickly to eliminate us from having to take the time to send them off to a lab," Greenwood said. "When they do respond to a scene, it expedites the search. You can rule out animal bones very quickly."
Experts determined a bone wasn't of the missing girl, but was a Native American's.
"Snip" http://www.ocala.com/article/20100621/ARTICLES/6211007/1402/NEWS?p=3&tc=pg
Erica Brough/The Gainesville Sun
By Cindy Swirko Staff writer
Published: Monday, June 21, 2010
( page 3 of 3 )
As it turns out, human remains were found in the St. Johns River by law enforcement scuba divers searching for Haleigh Cummings in April - but they weren't those of Haleigh.
They were a lot older, as in an American Indian who lived along the river hundreds of years ago - a determination made by the experts in bones at Human Identification Lab.
"Those divers found a human bone, it just wasn't (Haleigh)," said Mike Warren, the lab's director.
The lab has been involved in high-profile criminal cases including those of Haleigh Cummings and Caylee Anthony.
Warren says he has memorized the dental structure of Tiffany Sessions, a University of Florida student who disappeared in 1989, so he can easily identify her should remains be found.
"We treat all of our cases as high-profile cases," Warren said. "They are still the remains of somebody who had family."
A human body has 206 bones - more or less in some cases - and Warren can identify all of them. So adept is Warren that he can pick out the most minute ear bone from the ashy remains of a cremated person.
The lab receives human remains that are skeletonized, decomposed or are burned or fragmented beyond recognition.
For three days in April, divers and deputies searched for remains of Haleigh off a boat ramp in the St. Johns River.
Most of what the divers found was easily identified, most notably a deer skeleton that was erroneously reported to be a human skeleton by some television media.
"We look at bones for thousands and thousands and thousands of hours. We know what every little piece of human bone looks like. If I can't recognize it, it's not human," Warren said. "A lot of it is an experience type of thing. There are some twists - if you don't smell any decomposition, you could put a flame under (a bone) and if you smell hair burning, that means there is collagen in the blood. In Florida, that takes about a year to leech out."
Warren said the lab was involved with earlier searches for Haleigh Cummings.
Sheriff's Lt. Johnny Greenwood said having the lab nearby is a big asset to law enforcement, saving local agencies time and money.
"They are very helpful to be able to identify bones very quickly to eliminate us from having to take the time to send them off to a lab," Greenwood said. "When they do respond to a scene, it expedites the search. You can rule out animal bones very quickly."
