You can run, but you can’t hide - A bitemark analysis

All names and places have been changed to protect innocent victims in this case report. A young woman was returning home after work when she was accosted by a man wielding a knife. She was dragged into a nearby bush where the suspect attempted to rape her. She put up a substantial fight and was able to flee the scene. She went directly to the nearest police station to report the case. She was asked by the police to accompany them in the hope that she might recognise the suspect at the local taxi rank, which was near the scene of the crime. She did in fact recognise the suspect who was duly arrested. He denied any knowledge of the crime for which he was being apprehended. The victim informed the police that she had remembered biting the suspect on his right shoulder during the attack and ensuing struggle. The suspect was asked to roll up his right sleeve where a possible bitemark wound was observed. The suspect was taken into custody for further investigations. Fortunately, the police officer in charge of the case had attended a lecture on bitemarks given by the second author some weeks before the incident and was therefore well-versed in the protocol for the collection of evidence in a bitemark case. The officer arranged that photographs and impressions of the possible bitemark were taken for forensic analysis. Unfortunately, swobs of the bitemark were not conducted, therefore DNA and ABO blood group antigen analysis could not be performed. Impressions of the victim’s dentition were also taken from which plaster models were constructed. All dental materials used in this case were mixed according to the manufacturer’s instructions and were within their expiry dates. This evidence was submitted to the forensic odontology unit at the University of Pretoria for examination and comparative analysi

Forensic dentistry case book 4 : non-maleficence in dental practice, “primum non nocere”

A light aircraft flying in bad weather collided with the side of a mountain in southern Kwa-Zulu Natal. The pilot and passenger were carbonised in the fire that ensued after the impact. The bodies were brought to the Medico-legal mortuary in Pretoria for identification. Both had intact dentitions with multiple dental restorations, despite being severely burnt .http://www.sada.co.zaam201

Forensic dentistry case book 7 : family photos save the day

The police were summoned to investigate the foul smell coming from a bachelor flat in a high rise building in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. After forcing their way into the flat, they found the body of a severely decomposed male. It was assumed that the deceased was the owner of the flat, but due to the extensive decomposition a visual identification was not possible. The deceased's children were all living aboard and were advised of the situation. From the state of the dentition, it was evident that the deceased had not visited a dentist for some time.http://www.sada.co.zaam2016Oral Pathology and Oral Biolog

Forensic dentistry case book 5 : protective mother leads to miscarriage of justice

An 18 year old girl and her boyfriend were spending the afternoon on the grassy banks of a dam near Beaufort West. They were suddenly overpowered by three young men wearing balaclavas. The young girl was severely beaten in the attack. During the attempted rape she was bitten several times on the neck and facial area.http://www.sada.co.zaam201

Fraudulent records – Grave forensic consequences

Natural disasters, fatal accidents, and violent criminal offences are part of everyday life. All of these may result in fatalities that shatter the lives of the victim’s families and friends. Their trauma is compounded by the fact that all unnatural deaths have to be investigated, and the bodies of the deceased positively identified before they can be released to the families for burial. Bodies of victims of violent crimes, fires, drowning, motor vehicle or aviation accidents, work place fatalities or situations where some time has elapsed since death may be so disfigured that “identification by a family member is neither possible or desirable”. Often the nature or degree of the injury may be so extensive that fingerprinting is also not a viable option. DNA analysis may be considered, however it takes time and is a costly procedure. There are also concerns with maintaining strict control over the chain of evidence during all additional procedures and tests. Thus, in these situations the forensic odontologist may be called in as part of the investigative team

Forensic dentistry case book 1 : dentures used to convict suspect

An elderly woman was brutally murdered while visiting her deceased husband's grave. At the post mortem it was noticed that her dentures were missing. It was first assumed the dentures had been lost during the violent attack. During the subsequent investigation, a set of dentures was found hanging in the room of one of the suspects. The investigating officer reported the dentures were displayed as a trophy, together with other artefacts. Initially this was noted in the police report, but disregarded as being of major significance. During follow-up investigations, the victim's daughter reported that she had a set of disused dentures belonging to her mother. She had taken her mother to the dentist to fetch her new dentures and had kept the old pair which her mother no longer used or wanted. Both pairs of dentures were brought to the Forensic Dental Section of the Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, University of Pretoria for analysis.www.sada.co.za2015-05-31am201

Forensic dentistry case book 2 : dental identification of severely carbonised remains

A 19-year old adult male was reported missing after he failed to arrive on his scheduled flight, following a working gap year in the United Kingdom. His parents who had been in the arrivals hall for some time, had not seen or received any calls from their son. The next day, a burned out car was found on the N2, with several carbonised bone fragments, including a maxilla, assumed to be from a human corpse. Experts confirmed that accelerators had been used in an attempt to totally destroy any possible evidence in the torched vehicle. The extremely burnt remains were brought to the Medico-Legal mortuary for possible identification (Figure 1).http://www.sada.co.za2015-08-30am201

You can run, but you can't hide : a bitemark analysis

A young woman was returning home after work when she was accosted by a man wielding a knife. She was dragged into a nearby bush where the suspect attempted to rape her. She put up a substantial fight and was able to flee the scene. She went directly to the nearest police station to report the case. She was asked by the police to accompany them in the hope that she might recognise the suspect at the local taxi rank, which was near the scene of the crime. She did in fact recognise the suspect who was duly arrested. He denied any knowledge of the crime for which he was being apprehended. The victim informed the police that she had remembered biting the suspect on his right shoulder during the attack and ensuing struggle. The suspect was asked to roll up his right sleeve where a possible bitemark wound was observed. The suspect was taken into custody for further investigations.https://www.sada.co.za/the-sadjam2022Oral Pathology and Oral Biolog

A systematic review of 3D scanners and computer assisted analyzes of bite marks : searching for improved analysis methods during the Covid-19 pandemic

The global Covid-19 pandemic has forced forensic dentists to improve infection control methods. This search investigated the practical utilization of different 3D scanners to record and to analyze bite marks in the skin- and inanimate objects with this aim in mind. A systematic review of the literature using keywords like “human bite mark”, “bite mark analyzes”, “3D analyzes”, “3D scanning”, “forensic odontology”, and “forensic dentistry” was performed in three scientific databases: MEDLINEOvid®, Pubmed® and Google Scholar. The initial search yielded 263 full-text articles, of which 15 were considered eligible and current within the last 10 years. 3D scanners and computer-assisted human bite mark analyzes showed potential advantages and can be effectively used in forensic odontology on skin and inanimate objects. These technologies minimize the number of people being exposed to pathogens, simplify the chain of evidence, facilitate immediate information exchange between the team members and enable the virtual presentation of the expert witnesses in a court of law.https://link.springer.com/journal/414hj2023Oral Pathology and Oral Biolog

Lodox® digital imaging – a tool for dental identification in single and mass fatality situations

Lodox®Statscan™ is a relatively recent addition to the field of post- mortem radiology and imaging in forensic dentistry and forensic medicine. A number of cases were encountered where victims who could not undergo visual identification were positively identified by comparing their post mortem Lodox® images with their ante-mortem dental records. A brief description is provided of how Lodox®Statscan™ images can be of benefit in cases where visual identification is not feasible or must be validated by another method of post-mortem identification. The digital images also provide a permanent record of the dentition of the deceased for future reference. The emphasis of this article is on the Lodox®Statscan™ as a screening tool for cases which are suitable for dental identification, especially in mini-mass fatality and mass fatality situations, which is a potent new possibility in the field of dental identification. The use of these full body low dosage digital radiographic images for the purposes of dental identification has not been reported in the literature previously.https://www.sada.co.za/the-sadjhj2018Forensic MedicineOral Pathology and Oral Biolog