[Forensic Medicine Life] Identification of Identity

[Asia Economy] One of the intriguing disorders encountered in mass media is prosopagnosia, which, excluding congenital cases, occurs when the fusiform gyrus, located on the outermost lower part of the cerebrum, is damaged due to disease or trauma, causing individuals to be unable to recognize or distinguish even their own or others' faces. Recent psychological experiments have shown that human facial recognition is highly inaccurate and easily influenced by others, highlighting how unreliable eyewitness identification of criminals can be, as introduced in TED talks and other sources.

In forensic autopsies, the identity of the deceased is usually confirmed by the police beforehand. However, when severe decomposition has occurred or only skeletal remains are left, identification becomes the most critical role of forensic science. In fact, forensic textbooks describe identification as the primary duty of forensic medicine. It is no coincidence that the opening theme of the American TV drama 'CSI: Las Vegas' is 'Who Are You.'

The amount of waste discarded at garbage (waste) disposal sites is beyond imagination. Occasionally, animal carcasses or, more rarely, human bodies are found there. A worker at a disposal site discovered a body by chance while pushing waste downward. Only the head remained. Decomposition had advanced to the point where only skin dangerously clung to the face. It was unclear whether the person was male or female. The police requested the remaining head for examination. Identification was absolutely necessary. Radiographic images of the face were taken to measure its shape, and analysis of dental wear suggested the individual was a woman in her 40s. The forensic odontologist found something unusual: several teeth had restorations and prosthetic treatments, such as gold fillings or crowns, in multiple areas. From this point, the police investigation gained momentum, conducting inquiries at dental clinics in the presumed area where the body had been transported, eventually confirming the identity of the deceased. Subsequently, the suspect related to the woman was relatively easily apprehended.

Traditional methods of identification mostly rely on family or relatives confirming facial or bodily features, but as mentioned earlier, this is impossible in cases of decomposition or skeletal remains. Therefore, the FBI in the United States designated fingerprints, DNA, and dental records as the three most important elements for identification. Recently, scientific research for determining gender, age, and identity has been continuously progressing in forensic science. In 2016, the author proposed age estimation based on the ossification stage of the clavicular cartilage, and researchers in genetics have been publishing results that estimate age and morphological traits (such as eye and hair color) solely from DNA.

These studies are not only applied to deceased individuals but also utilized in biological evidence such as bodily fluids or hair left at crime scenes. If unification occurs in the future, these methods will undoubtedly be used as crucial evidence for identification (age and kinship verification).

Finally, forensic medicine is a discipline that reveals the cause of death to prevent unjust deaths. To determine the cause of death, the most fundamental step is to know who the person was. Even today, forensic scientists closely observe decomposed or skeletal remains, contemplating whether there are wiser and more scientific methods for identification and determining the cause and type of death.

Yuseongho, Forensic Scientist

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