Death Along the Tracks: The Role of Forensic Anthropology and Social Media in a Homicide Investigation

Forensic anthropology casework conducted through the California State University, Chico Human Identification Laboratory routinely involves postmortem examination of skeletonized remains from rural outdoor scenes. Over the past decade, decomposed remains cases have comprised a larger proportion of the caseload. These cases are usually examined by a forensic pathologist prior to the anthropological analysis. This case study highlights the importance of using online searches of antemortem decedent information in the identification process and the role of forensic anthropology in detailing perimortem trauma patterns to corroborate witness statements.4