Reliability and Analysis of Changes in Bite Marks at Different Time Intervals and Temperature Ranges
Journal Title: Arab Journal of Forensic Sciences & Forensic Medicine - Year 2017, Vol 1, Issue 5
Abstract
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess time-dependent changes in the morphology of bitemarks and to investigate the utility of matching bitemarks on both perishable and non-perishable objects with the passage of time at different temperatures. Subjects and Methods: The study was conducted at Maharana Pratap College of Dentistry and Research Centre, Gwalior, India. 20 volunteers were asked to bite 6 items each. These included perishable and nonperishable items. Perishable items were apple, banana and Burfi, (a milk-based popular sweet confectionary) while non-perishable items included wax, clay, and rubber. Photographs were taken with a digital camera at 0-hours and 24-hours after biting these objects at temperature ranges of 24 ºC to 28 ºC and 36 ºC to 40 ºC, respectively. Life-size photographs of these bitten objects were printed on transparent overlays and compared to hand drawn transparencies prepared from suspect dentition using an X-ray viewer. The comparison of all the 960 transparencies was done by two researchers, independently. Results: All objects gave a positive identification of the biter on matching just after biting. After24-hours, all items also showed positive matching except banana and apples. Conclusion: This proposed method is simple, reliable and less technique sensitive. It narrows down the subjectivity of interpretation. It highlights that due to decomposition changes occur in perishable food items and more so in apples and bananas, making bitemarks less reliable evidence.
Authors and Affiliations
Parul K. Sinha, Rakesh K. Gorea
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP246631
- DOI 10.26735/16586794.2017.016
- Views 129
- Downloads 0
Age, Sex and Stature Estimation from Footprint Dimensions
Objectives: The present study was carried out to evaluate the utility and reliability of footprint dimensions in age, sex and stature determination in the North Indian population. Materials and Methods: This study was c...
Enhancement of Handwritings on Selected Charred Documents using Video Spectral Comparator (VSC)
Questioned documents are documents whose authenticity is disputed. Documents are destroyed by fires and other means to conceal criminal activities. Charred or burnt documents are a type of questioned document that are li...
Awareness on Digital Drugs Abuse and its Applied Prevention Among Healthcare Practitioners in KSA
Digital drugs abuse, also known as I-dosing, has recently emerged as a danger to Middle Eastern teenagers through different media channels. This study aimed to investigate the level of knowledge of digital drug abuse am...
Extraction Strategy for DNA Recovery from Putrefied Teeth and Skull Bone
Forensic samples are commonly exposed to harsh environmental conditions which affect the degree of sample (DNA) preservation and subsequent genetic profiling. The aim of this study was to develop a better strategy for DN...
Postmortem Biochemistry and Toxicology
The aim of postmortem biochemistry and toxicology is either to help establish the cause of death, or to gain information on events immediately before death. If self-poisoning is suspected, the diagnosis may be straightfo...