Problems of Recovering Partial Human Remains at Different Times and Locations: Concerns for Death Investigators

Abstract

Examples of cases where partial remains of the same individual were recovered at different times and from separate locations are presented. Such remains raise unique problems for coroner/medical examiners and police because their discovery has the potential to confound identification and disrupt investigative continuity. Recovered partial human remains highlight the need for their proper documentation and raise the question of their release for burial or retention for evidence.