Materials for the study of the locus operandi in the search for missing persons in Italy

Geographic profiling,or locus operandi,is a scientific approach that has been applied to forensic investigations for several years.However,it has never been applied to a phenomenon as complex as the search for missing persons.This article presents three Italian case studies in which geographic profiling was used to narrow the areas to search for missing persons.The geographical data were mapped and processed on a geographic information system platform using computational geometry analysis.However,these disappearances occurred during the Italian lockdown period,imposed to address the COVID-19 outbreak,which made the searches slower and more complex than usual.

Personal identification and missing persons initiatives in Santa Catarina state,Brazil:forensic perspectives from 2019 to 2021

Santa Catarina is a small,developed,and relatively safe state in South Brazil.Despite having positive social economic indicators,it still faces multiple challenges regarding forensic practices for personal identification.The objective of this paper is to discuss the recent advances and current challenges in the region,from the perspectives of anthropological and dental postmortem human identification,missing persons,and disaster victim identification(DVI)from 2019 to 2021.The recent creation of a Forensic Anthropology Sector(SAF)in the state’s official forensic institution(Polícia Científica-PCI)has significantly improved identification of unidentified remains and optimised resources available for DNA analysis.However,SAF is still quite understaffed,which negatively affects the recovery of skeletal material,its preparation,and the time needed for filing reports.Santa Catarina has passed legislation for missing persons in 2015,4 years prior to the sanction of federal laws implementing the national policy for the disappeared.Nonetheless,a lack of integration between stakeholders remains a problem that PCI has tried to circumvent with the Conecta Programme,a multidisciplinary and integrated initiative between families of the missing persons,police agencies,and the Public Ministry.The programme aims to collect not only reference DNA samples,but also relevant anthropological and dental data.It also offers facial progression services in cases of disappearances that occurred many years ago.Despite a history of disasters in the state,PCI still needs to implement international DVI standards at an institutional level.Recent training on Phase 1 DVI procedures,integrated with other responding institutions,indicates better preparation for future disasters.There are many challenges ahead for Santa Catarina’s forensic institution and professionals that have yet to be addressed,but the overall situation on routine personal identification,missing persons initiatives,and DVI has improved over the last 2 years.

Dataset of Large Gathering Images for Person Identification and Tracking

This paper presents a large gathering dataset of images extracted from publicly filmed videos by 24 cameras installed on the premises of Masjid Al-Nabvi,Madinah,Saudi Arabia.This dataset consists of raw and processed images reflecting a highly challenging and unconstraint environment.The methodology for building the dataset consists of four core phases;that include acquisition of videos,extraction of frames,localization of face regions,and cropping and resizing of detected face regions.The raw images in the dataset consist of a total of 4613 frames obtained fromvideo sequences.The processed images in the dataset consist of the face regions of 250 persons extracted from raw data images to ensure the authenticity of the presented data.The dataset further consists of 8 images corresponding to each of the 250 subjects(persons)for a total of 2000 images.It portrays a highly unconstrained and challenging environment with human faces of varying sizes and pixel quality(resolution).Since the face regions in video sequences are severely degraded due to various unavoidable factors,it can be used as a benchmark to test and evaluate face detection and recognition algorithms for research purposes.We have also gathered and displayed records of the presence of subjects who appear in presented frames;in a temporal context.This can also be used as a temporal benchmark for tracking,finding persons,activity monitoring,and crowd counting in large crowd scenarios.

Forensic data management and database systems in forensic investigations for cases of missing and unidentified persons in Brazil

Forensic investigations,especially those related to missing persons and unidentified remains,produce different types of data that must be managed and understood.The data collected and produced are extensive and originate from various sources:the police,non-governmental organizations(NGOs),medical examiner offices,specialised forensic teams,family members,and others.Some examples of information include,but are not limited to,the investigative background information,excavation data of burial sites,antemortem data on missing persons,and postmortem data on the remains of unidentified individuals.These complex data must be stored in a secured place,analysed,compared,shared,and then reported to the investigative actors and the public,especially the families of missing persons,who should be kept informed of the investigation.Therefore,a data management system with the capability of performing the tasks relevant to the goals of the investigation and the identification of an individual,while respecting the deceased and their families,is critical for standardising investigations.Data management is crucial to assure the quality of investigative processes,and it must be recognised as a holistic integrated system.The aim of this article is to discuss some of the most important components of an effective forensic data management system.The discussion is enriched by examples,challenges,and lessons learned from the erratic development and launching of databases for missing and unidentified persons in Brazil.The main objective of this article is to bring attention to the urgent need for an effective and integrated system in Brazil.

Improving witness interviewing for the investigation of disappeared persons due to armed conflict

Investigating missing persons who are presumed dead in conflict contexts almost always involves witness interviews.Interviews can be critical both to locating burial sites and to positively identifying bodies that are located.Despite the importance of interviews,the authors have found that investigators in these contexts seldom have formal training on interviewing.This article highlights three principal problems that the authors have experienced relative to interviewing as part of missing persons investigations in armed conflict contexts:that interviewing is not treated as a professional activity;the tendency to overvalue technical tools in the search for burial sites;and a lack of awareness about cultural and contextual factors that impact interviews.The article concludes with five recommendations on how to improve witness interviewing.

The need for a complete dental autopsy of unidentified edentulous human remains

In December 2017,a decomposed unidentified body was found near the river Tronto in Teramo,Italy.The corpse was found without any identifying documents or specific personal belongings,except for a packet of cigarettes.The medical examiner determined a gastric perforation from the intake of hydrochloric acid to be the cause of death.A jar of muriatic acid found near the body led to suicide being considered the manner of death.The Penal Court in Teramo appointed two forensic odontologists to complete the postmortem assessment and collect dental data for personal identification.The corpse was found wearing a complete set of upper and lower dentures.The dental autopsy and 42 periapical X-ray images helped generate a biological profile of a man totally edentulous with upper and lower dentures,as well as an osteosynthesis with two plates and screws in the left ascending ramus of the mandible.In March 2018,the sister of a missing person reported the disappearance of her brother,and a presumptive identification was performed through visual recognition of the decomposed body.The sister confirmed the presence of two dentures and the location of the maxillo-facial surgery for the treatment of the fractured mandible.A complete dental autopsy was able to establish his identity without any DNA comparison needed.This case highlights the importance of performing a complete dental autopsy inclusive of dental radiographs,and its value in the identification of all unknown human remains even when totally edentulous.A complete dental autopsy should be performed in all cases of human identification.

When identity is not reached:two cases from Brasilia

When human remains are examined,three questions always need to be answered:who is the deceased,what was the cause of death,and when did the death occur,the former question being the most relevant.The identification of half or fully skeletonized human remains is a complex process and always requires the use of methods that allow individualization beyond any reasonable doubt.However,no matter how vigorous the search for identification,this is not always achieved.Here,the author presents two cases in which identification was exhaustively attempted but not achieved despite the existence of an osteo implanted device in one case and the presence of documents in the other.In one case,we could not find a potential identity for the deceased,while in the other we found a possible identity but not a family member to provide antemortem data to confirm it.Although the scientific literature tends to favour the publication of cases with favourable outcomes,one should also learn from failures,which is the reason why the author decided to publish his unsuccessful experiences.The reasons for the failures are discussed,as well as methodological improvements for future cases.