Common and much less common scenarios in which botany is crucial for forensic pathologist and anthropologists: a series of eight case studies.
Concealment locations
Dendrochronology
Forensic botany
Murder weapon
PMI
Skeletonised human remains
Journal
International journal of legal medicine
ISSN: 1437-1596
Titre abrégé: Int J Legal Med
Pays: Germany
ID NLM: 9101456
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
May 2021
May 2021
Historique:
received:
01
06
2020
accepted:
05
11
2020
pubmed:
21
12
2020
medline:
24
7
2021
entrez:
20
12
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
It is commonly accepted that crime scene recovery and recording are key moments of any judicial inspection in which investigators must decide on the correct strategies to put into place. Complex outdoor scenarios, presenting partially or entirely skeletonised remains, can benefit more than others by the intervention of environmental specialists (forensic anthropologists, archaeologists, entomologists and botanists). These experts are capable of singling out, correctly recording and recovering environmental evidence that can lead to a more comprehensive reconstruction of a given criminal episode. If human remains are discovered in an outdoor scenario, the on-site presence of a botanist will guarantee a correct approach to the identification, recording and recovery of any botanical evidence. If an on-site botanist is not available, the operators must be capable of both the botanical evaluation of a scene and the implementation of correct botanical sampling protocols.The following collection of unusual case histories that aim at underlining the efficacy of forensic botany will examine the determination of post mortem or the post depositional interval, evidence for a victim's post mortem transfer, evidence for the identification of a primary crime scene and evidence for the identification of a victim's dismemberment site. In another two cases, one, we will illustrate the important role that forensic botany played in the discrimination between botanical material used to voluntarily conceal a victim and vegetation that had grown naturally above a disposal site, whereas the other will highlight the protocols implemented for the identification of a murder weapon.
Identifiants
pubmed: 33341910
doi: 10.1007/s00414-020-02456-0
pii: 10.1007/s00414-020-02456-0
pmc: PMC8036206
doi:
Types de publication
Case Reports
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
1067-1077Références
Bajerlein D, Wojterska M (2015) Grewling Ł, Kokociński M. Forensic botany: current state of knowledge and possible applications in investigative practice. Issues of Forensics. Science. 283:72–83
Coyle MH (2005) Forensic botany: principles and applications to criminal casework. CRC Press, Boca Raton
Margiotta G, Bacaro G, Carnevali E, Severini S, Bacci M, Gabrielli M (2015) Forensic botany as useful tool in the crime scene: report of a case. J Forensic Legal Med 34:24–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2015.05.003
doi: 10.1016/j.jflm.2015.05.003
Coyle MH, Lee CL, Lin WY, Lee HC, Palmbach TM (2005) Forensic botany: using plant evidence to aid in forensic death investigation. Croat Med J 46(4):606–612
Aquila I, Ausania F, Di Nunzio C, Serra A, Boca S, Capelli A, Magni P, Ricci P (2014) The role of forensic botany in crime scene investigation: case report and review of literature. J Forensic Sci 59(3):820–824. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.12401
Aquila I, Sacco M, Ricci P, Gratteri S (2018) The role of forensic botany in reconstructing the dynamics of trauma from high falls. J Forensic Sci 64(3):920–924. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.13934
doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.13934
pubmed: 30332508
Lane MA, Anderson LC, Barkley TM, Bock JH, Gifford EM, Hall DW, Norris DO, Rost TL, Stern WL (1990) Forensic botany: Plants, perpetrators, pests, poisons, and pot. BioScience 40(1):34–39
doi: 10.2307/1311237
Quatrehomme G, Lacoste A, Bailet P, Grevin G, Ollier A (1997) Contribution of microscopic plant anatomy to post-mortem bone dating. J Forensic Sci 42(1):140–143. https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS14084J
doi: 10.1520/JFS14084J
pubmed: 8988589
Brown A, Smith A, Elmhurst O (2002) The combined use of pollen and soil analyses in a search and subsequent murder investigation. J Forensic Sci 47(3):614–618. https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS15302J ISSN 0022–1198
doi: 10.1520/JFS15302J
pubmed: 12051347
Brown AG (2006) The use of forensic botany and geology in war crimes investigations in NE Bosnia. Forensic Sci Int 163(3):204–210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2006.05.025
doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2006.05.025
pubmed: 16806772
Montali E, Mercuri AM, Trevisan Grandi G, Accorsi CA (2006) Towards a "crime pollen calendar" - pollen analysis on corpses throughout one year. Forensic Sci Int 163(3):211–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2005.11.020
doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2005.11.020
pubmed: 16412597
Caccianiga M, Bottacin S, Cattaneo C (2012) Vegetation dynamics as a tool for detecting clandestine graves. J Forensic Sci 57(4):983–988. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2012.02071.x
doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2012.02071.x
pubmed: 22390405
Mildenhall DC (2006) An unusual appearance of a common pollen type indicates the scene of the crime. Forensic Sci Int 163(3):236–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2005.11.029
doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2005.11.029
pubmed: 16406423
Mildenhall DC (2006) Hypericum pollen determines the presence of burglars at the scene of a crime: an example of forensic palynology. Forensic Sci Int 163(3):231–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2005.11.028
doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2005.11.028
pubmed: 16406430
Wiltshire PE, Hawksworth DL, Webb JA, Edwards KJ (2015) Two sources and two kinds of trace evidence: enhancing the links between clothing, footwear and crime scene. Forensic Sci Int 254:231–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2015.05.033
doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2015.05.033
pubmed: 26187768
Aquila I, Gratteri S, Sacco M, Ricci P (2018) The role of forensic botany in solving a case: scientific evidence on the falsification of a crime scene. J Forensic Sci 63(3):961–964. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.13639
doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.13639
pubmed: 28886225
Zaya DN, Ashley MV (2012) Plant genetics for forensic applications. Methods Mol Biol 862:35–52. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-609-8_4
doi: 10.1007/978-1-61779-609-8_4
pubmed: 22419487
Wiltshire PE (2006) Hair as a source of forensic evidence in murder investigations. Forensic Sci Int 163(3):241–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2006.06.070
doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2006.06.070
pubmed: 16901670
Willey P, Heilman A (1987) Estimating time since death using plant roots and stems. J Forensic Sci 32(5):1264–1270. https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS11177J
doi: 10.1520/JFS11177J
Courtin GM, Fairgrieve SL (2004) Estimation of postmortem interval (PMI) as revealed through the analysis of annual growth in woody tissue. J Forensic Sci 49(4):1–3. https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS2003419
doi: 10.1520/JFS2003419
Lancia M, Conforti F, Aleffi M, Caccianiga M, Bacci M, Rossi R (2012) The use of Leptodyctium riparium (Hedw.) Warnst in the estimation of minimum postmortem interval. J Forensic Sci 58(S1):S239–S242. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.12024
doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.12024
pubmed: 23181480
Caccianiga M, Compostella C (2009) Botanica e zoologia forense. In: Intini A, Picozzi M (eds) Scienze forensi: teoria e prassi dell’investigazione scientifica. UTET, Torino, pp 230–257
Cardoso HF, Santos A, Dias R, Garcia C, Pinto M, Sergio C (2010) Establishing a minimum postmortem interval of human remains in an advanced state of skeletonization using the growth rate of bryophytes and plant roots. Int J Legal Med 124:451–456. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-009-0372-5
doi: 10.1007/s00414-009-0372-5
pubmed: 19714355
Caccianiga M, Conforti F, Lancia M (2014) Forensic botany: the use of mosses in criminal investigations. In: Mohamed J (ed) Moss: classification, development and growth and functional role in ecosystem. Nova. Science Publisher, New York, pp 221–232
Coyle MH, Ladd C, Palmbach T, Lee HC (2001) The Green Revolution: botanical contributions to forensic and drug enforcement. Croat Med J 42(3):340–345