The assistance of a tool to quickly, easily, and reliably determine the species associated with a bone could save valuable time and resources. Published reports suggest that 25%-30% of a forensic anthropologists’ caseload consists of non-human elements, such as bones and teeth from other species.
That determination is critical if they believe the remains are human, law enforcement must secure the scene and investigate further.
There may be times when someone with less training must decide whether remains are likely to be human. When a law enforcement agency receives a call to investigate skeletal remains, any number of specialists might answer that call, including forensic anthropologists, medical examiners, coroners, crime scene investigators, or death investigators.Īlthough most experienced forensic anthropologists can distinguish human bones from animal bones with relative ease, assigning non-human bones to a particular species can be a bit trickier if the investigator does not have extensive zoological training. $12 M Grant Will Expand the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences (Forensic – ) The University of North Texas did DNA comparison testing, which confirmed the remains as that of Lori Anne Razpotnik. King County detectives contacted Lori Anne’s mother who provided them with a saliva sample. She ran away at some point during that year and her family never saw her again. In 1982, Lori Anne was 15 years old and lived with her family in Lewis County. Now, Bones 17 has ben identified as Lori Anne Razpotnik. In 2012, Bones 16 was identified through DNA testing as Sandra Majors. He plead guilty to murdering these two victims in 2003. Gary Ridgway led investigators to this location in 2002 and admitted to placing victims there. These two victims were not immediately identified and have been referred to as Bones 16 and Bones 17.
During a subsequent search of the area by detectives and search and rescue personnel, a second set of human remains were found. They discovered potential human remains and the Green River Task Force was called in and oversaw the investigation. 30, 1985, employees from the City of Auburn were called to investigate a car over an embankment. After extensive research, they concluded that the victim was Lori Anne Razpotnik. Parabon Nanolabs was contracted to do forensic genetic genealogy testing on “Bones 17.” Due to advancements in DNA technology, they were able to develop a new DNA profile to begin the forensic genetic genealogy process. Ultimately, the family tree led investigations to identify the human remains as Roger Dale Parham.īut when investigators went to follow up on the lead, they were surprised to find Parham listed as wanted by the FBI for a crime committed 25 years earlier. The private lab succeeded in identifying a close relative of the victim. Then, in 2023, Kentucky State Police enlisted Othram to see if forensic genetic genealogy could provide a lead. Despite extensive efforts using DNA technology, dental examinations, forensic pathology, and other advanced forensic testing, the victim remained unidentified. In 2016, his body was exhumed in hopes that further examinations would help make an identification. He had gold crowns and a permanent bridge, wore an extra-large T-shirt with a “No Fear Sports Bar” logo, a Dallas Cowboys’ windbreaker and 10 1/2 wide Voit tennis shoes.ĭespite the physical description, investigators at the time were unable to identify the victim using traditional investigative techniques. The autopsy report described the man as a brunette between 35 and 50 years old, and between 5-foot-6 and 6-foot-1 at 235 to 255 pounds. On May 6, 1999, two fishermen found the body of a man in Lake Barkley, Lyon County, Kentucky, wrapped in heavy tire chains and anchored with a hydraulic jack. A body found wrapped in tire chains at the bottom of a lake in Kentucky in 1999 has now been identified as a man wanted by the FBI after an arrest for the alleged rape of a minor child one year earlier.