Development of a Computer-Assisted Forensic Radiographic Identification Method Using the Lateral Cervical and Lumbar Spin

• NCJ Number: 248841
• Date Published: January 2015
• Author(s): Sharon M. Derrick, Michelle H. Raxter, John A. Hipp, Priya Goel, Elaine F. Chan, Jennifer C. Love, Jason M. Wiersema, Shastry Akella
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Award: Novel Computer-Assisted Identification Method Using Radiograph Comparison

Annotation

Six validation tests measured the repeatability, reliability, and sensitivity of the computer-assisted decedent method for medical examiners’ identification of fleshed decedents, and the effects of age, sex, and number of radiographs in array composition.

Abstract

Medical examiners and coroners (ME/C) in the United States hold statutory responsibility to identify deceased individuals who fall under their jurisdiction. The computer-assisted decedent identification (CADI) project was designed to modify software used in diagnosis and treatment of spinal injuries into a mathematically validated tool for ME/C identification of fleshed decedents. In the current study, CADI returned a 92–100 percent success rate in identifying the true matching pair of vertebrae within arrays of five to 30 radiographs. Further development of CADI is expected to produce a novel identification method for use in ME/C offices that is reliable, timely, and cost-effective. (Publisher abstract modified)