Geophysical monitoring of simulated clandestine burials of murder victims to aid forensic investigators

Davenward, Ben; Mirosch, Natalie; Spencer, Francesca; Jervis, Jon R.; Pringle, Jamie K.; Stimpson, Ian G.; Wisniewski, Kristopher D.; Heaton, Vivienne

doi:10.1111/gto.12344

Geophysical monitoring of simulated clandestine burials of murder victims to aid forensic investigators

Davenward, Ben; Mirosch, Natalie; Spencer, Francesca; Jervis, Jon R.; Pringle, Jamie K.; Stimpson, Ian G.; Wisniewski, Kristopher D.; Heaton, Vivienne

Authors

Ben Davenward

Natalie Mirosch

Francesca Spencer

Jon R. Jervis

Dr Jamie Pringle j.k.pringle@keele.ac.uk

Ian Stimpson i.g.stimpson@keele.ac.uk

Kristopher D. Wisniewski

Vivienne Heaton v.g.heaton@keele.ac.uk

Abstract

Locating murder victims buried within clandestine graves is one of the most important and difficult challenges for forensic search teams. This article details how applied geoscientists have been geophysically monitoring simulated clandestine burials, using pig cadavers as human proxies, for over 10 years, in order to discover the best geophysical methods to detect cadavers and how this might change over time. Low frequency ground penetrating radar and electrical resistivity methods could both locate the burials throughout the survey period, with winter/spring surveys producing better data and the style of burial also found to be important.

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Feb 25, 2021
Online Publication Date	Mar 31, 2021
Publication Date	Mar 31, 2021
Journal	Geology Today
Print ISSN	0266-6979
Publisher	Wiley
Volume	37
Issue	2
Pages	63-65
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1111/gto.12344
Keywords	clandestine burial, geophysics, GPR, resistivity, forensic
Publisher URL	https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652451