Examination of Human Remains Encased in Concrete: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

While fortunately relatively uncommon, law enforcement and death investigators may encounter decedents who have been deliberately concealed in some elaborate fashion. This may involve a body buried in a shallow grave, a body placed into a container such as a drum or suitcase (sometimes after dismemberment), or a body encased in concrete. Regarding the latter, while occasionally one may read about such cases in the media or fictional stories, there is a relative paucity of such cases reported in the forensic literature. This can be problematic when one encounters such a case, as there are several unique issues to navigate, including handling and examining what may be a large, heavy mass of concrete, accessing the body, obtaining appropriate radiological studies, and certifying the death (which may be challenging if extensive decomposition is present). We present a case of a 2-year-old child who was killed and then entombed in concrete within a trash barrel for over a month before the body was discovered. This report includes a detailed description of our approach of the examination and handling of the remains and a literature review to identify similar cases with a focus on the most commonly reported causes and manners of death. We then conclude with a brief discussion of using the terminology “homicidal violence” or “homicide by unspecified means” in cases such as the one presented.