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Soilwater conductivity analysis to date and locate clandestine graves of homicide victims

Pringle, Jamie P.; Cassella, John P.; Jervis, John R.; Williams, Anna; Cross, Peter; Cassidy, Nigel J.

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Authors

John P. Cassella

John R. Jervis

Anna Williams

Peter Cross

Nigel J. Cassidy



Abstract

In homicide investigations, it is critically important that postmortem interval and postburial interval (PBI) of buried victims are determined accurately. However, clandestine graves can be difficult to locate; and the detection rates for a variety of search methods (ranging from simple ground probing through to remote imaging and near-surface geophysics) can be very low. In this study, simulated graves of homicide victims were emplaced in three sites with contrasting soil types, bedrock, and depositional environments. The long-term monthly in situ monitoring of grave soil water revealed rapid increases in conductivity up to 2 years after burial, with the longest study evidencing declining values to background levels after 4.25 years. Results were corrected for site temperatures and rainfall to produce generic models of fluid conductivity as a function of time. The research suggests soilwater conductivity can give reliable PBI estimates for clandestine burials and therefore be used as a grave detection method.

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jun 2, 2014
Online Publication Date Jul 17, 2015
Publication Date 2015-07
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal of Forensic Sciences
Print ISSN 0022-1198
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 60
Issue 4
Pages 1052-1060
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.12802
Keywords forensic science, forensic geophysics, conductivity, clandestine burials, PMI, PBI
Publisher URL https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.12802

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