Investigation of cremations and severely burned bodies

Abstract

Among the most difficult cases for law enforcement and medicolegal investigators to investigate are those in which victims have been deliberately burned to cover up a crime, or those in which cremation has resulted from an accident or suicide. This difficulty arises from the fact that the bodies may be destroyed or fragmented. The major objective in these investigations are twofold: The first task is to identify the body using every means available, including the aid of such experts as forensic pathologists, forensic anthropologists, dentists, toxicologists, and serologists as well as fire investigators, who can contribute to the investigation by providing information about the course of the fire.