Identification of Bodies from Fires

Abstract

Fire and associated injuries complicate the task of identification by: Making a body unrecognizable or difficult to identify visually; Destroying clothing and documents; Distorting or destroying external physical features such as hair, skin bearing scars, tattoos or other blemishes and skin from fingers (prints); Causing extensive loss of tissue such that whole members may be missing and internal organs completely destroyed. The most helpful means of identification of bodies from fires, therefore, tend to be: Personal property of metal or other fire-resistant material; X-rays; Dental evidence. The way in which the relative value of various means of identification is influenced by the special circumstances of each accident was demonstrated, and the problems that arise and the ways in which many are solved were exemplified by case histories of a number of aircraft accidents and house fire victims, the majority of which have been previously published.