Methodological proposal for the forensic approach of cadavers in a state of adipocire
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60007/antistio.4556Keywords:
adipocire, forensic medicine, forensic anthropology, decomposition, multidisciplinary approachAbstract
Adipocire has been defined as a complex decomposition phase of soft tissue that is characterized by presenting variation of colouring in-between greyish and yellowish, a soft and greasy texture, and because of its capacity of preserving different types of evidence. Although, multiple researches developed in the last century have allowed to understand that it’s formation is related to taphonomic characteristics that imply environmental conditions - like warm temperatures, high humidity, alkaline soils, and anaerobic conditions- nowadays it has not been possible to establish with certainty when the process began and it’s stages of development.
Given the high frequency of cadavers in adipocire state of decomposition that are analyzed in the Colombian National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (INMLCF), we present a methodological proposal for the forensic approaching of these cases, with the purpose to optimize the appropriate report and preservation of the evidence that appears in each process. This proposal suggests mainly human and physical resources, methods and general aspects that need to be taken into account to avoid potential omissions related with the process of the identification and trauma analysis and other osteológical alterations.
Author Biographies
Juan Manuel Guerrero, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses. Bogotá, Colombia
B.Sc. Grupo Nacional de Patología Forense, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses, Bogotá, Colombia.
Carlos Villalobos, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses. Bogotá, Colombia
B.Sc. Grupo Nacional de Patología Forense, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses, Bogotá, Colombia.
Aníbal Isrrael Navarro, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses. Bogotá, Colombia
M.D. Grupo Nacional de Patología Forense, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses, Bogotá, Colombia.
César Sanabria Medina, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses. Bogotá, Colombia
Ph.D. Grupo Nacional de Patología Forense, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses, Bogotá, Colombia.
References
Forbes S.L., Stuart B.H., Dadour IR, Dent B.B. A. preliminary investigation of the stages of adipocere formation. J. Forensic Sci. 2004; 49:566-574. https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS2002230
Haglund W.D. Disappearance of soft tissue and the disarticulation of human remains from aqueous environments. J. Forensic Sci. 1993; 4:806-815. https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS13476J
Sanabria M.C. Antropología forense y la investigación medicolegal de las muertes. Bogotá, Colombia: Editorial Rasgo y Color; 2008:151.
Aufderheide A. Soft tissue taphonomy: A. paleopathology perspective. International Journal of Paleopathology. 2011; 1:75-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2011.10.001
Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses. Circular N° 08-2011-D.G. Abordaje de casos complejos de patología forense. Bogotá, Colombia; abril 13 de 2011.
Forbes S.L., Stuart B.H., Dent B.B. The effect of the burial environment on adipocere formation. Forensic Sei. Int. 2005; 154:24-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.09.107
Ubelaker D., Zarenko K. Adipocere: What is known after over two centuries of research. Forensic Sei. Int. 2011; 208:167-172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2010.11.024
Wilson A.S., Janaway RC, Holland A.D., Dodson H.I., Baran E, Pollard A.M., Tobin D.J. Modelling the buried human body environment in upland climes using three contrasting field sites, Forensic Sei. Int. 2007; 169:6-18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2006.07.023
Aturaliya S., Lukasewycz A. Experimental forensic and bioanthropological aspects of soft tissue taphonomy: 1. Factors influencing postmortem tissue desiccation rate, J. Forensic Sei. 1999; 44:893-896. https://doi.org/10.1520/JFS12011J
Forbes S.L., Stuart B.H., Dent B.B. The effect of the method of burial on adipocere formation, Forensic Sei. Int. 2005; 154:44-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.09.109
Takatori T. The mechanism of human adipocere formation, Leg. Med. 2001;3:193-204. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1344-6223(01)00036-0
Aufderheide A. Soft tissue taphonomy: A. paleopathology perspective. International Journal of Paleopathology. 2011; 1:75-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2011.10.001
Pinheiro J., Cunha E. Forensic investigation of corpses in various states of decomposition. A. multidisciplinary approach. En: Schmitt A., Cunha E., Pinheiro J. Forensic Anthropology and Medicine: Complementary Sciences From Recovery to Cause of Death. Totowa, N.J.: Humana Press Inc.; 2006.
Pinheiro J., Cunha E. Forensic investigation of corpses in various states of decomposition. A. multidisciplinary approach. En: Schmitt A., Cunha E., Pinheiro J. Forensic Anthropology and Medicine: Complementary Sciences From Recovery to Cause of Death, Totowa, NJ: Humana Press Inc.; 2006.
Patiño U.A., Sanabria M.C., Jimenez G. Restos humanos sepultados o expuestos. En: Morales R.M. Manual para la práctica de autopsias médico legales. Bogotá, Colombia: Editorial Panamericana; 2001. Cap. 19:176.
How to Cite
Downloads
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Antistio: Revista del Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses de Colombia

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

