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The estimation of the postmortem interval for skeletal remains is a crucial aspect of forensic anthropology. This paper illustrates the importance of radiocarbon analysis for establishing medico-legal significance and supporting forensic identification, through the analysis of three case studies for which the years of both birth and death were investigated. In Audresselles, Northern France, a partial skull was discovered with no contextual information or identity. Radiocarbon dating yielded an average calibrated calendar age of 4232 BCE (92.5% probability), indicating significant archaeological value but no forensic relevance. In the second case, skeletal remains were found in the flooded underground of a historical fort at Wimereux, Northern France, also with no identity. Radiocarbon dating based on the bomb-pulse curve indicated a calibrated date of death in 1962 CE (37.3% probability) or 1974-1975 CE (58.1% probability), both surpassing the French statute of limitations. Lastly, a skeleton with a suspected identity was discovered near Valenciennes, Northern France, and various biological tissues underwent radiocarbon dating. A bone sample suggested a calibrated date of death of 1998-2002 CE (84.6% probability), differing from a hair sample (2013-2018 CE, 83.3% probability) because of the slower bone tissue remodeling process. DNA analysis confirmed the person's identity, reported missing a decade prior to the discovery of the remains, following the alignment of the radiocarbon results with the individual's year of birth based on dental tissues and year of death. These case studies reveal that traditional radiocarbon dating and bomb-pulse dating are essential tools for estimating the postmortem interval, providing mutual benefits for archaeologists, forensic anthropologists, and the criminal justice system., Key Points: Traditional radiocarbon dating and bomb-pulse dating are essential tools to establish the archaeological relevance or medico-legal significance of human skeletal remains.Bomb-pulse dating enables assessment of an individual's years of birth and death.Bomb-pulse dating helps to narrow down the pool of candidates for identification.Radiocarbon analysis provides mutual benefits for archaeologists, forensic anthropologists, and the criminal justice system., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by OUP on behalf of the Academy of Forensic Science.)

The dating of bruises can be of crucial interest in clinical forensic medicine, but the macroscopic or photographic evaluation of a bruise has not been regarded as reliable. Several methods have thus been regularly evaluated for this purpose, with reflectance spectrometry yielding promising results. The objective of this study is to evaluate the value of a bilirubinometer as a tool for dating bruises on living victims. A clinical follow-up was carried out on patients presenting a bruise with a known onset. Using a bilirubinometer, we obtained daily measurements of the bruise (bili-bruise) and of healthy skin (bili-skin). Potential confounding factors were collected: age, sex, body mass index, trauma mechanism and Fitzpatrick skin phototype. We followed 20 patients for a total of 88 measurements of bruises. Bili-skin values showed significant differences according to skin phototype. Differences between the bili-bruise and bili-skin values (Δ-bili) followed an increase phase, peaking between 3 and 5 days, and then there was a decrease phase. No significant Δ-bili value differences were observed based on the suspected confounding factors. Our results are in favour of a peak Δ-bili value generally at day 4 or 5 post-trauma. Notably, decreasing values were not observed before day 3. Decreasing Δ-bili values would then indicate a bruise resulting from an injury formed at least 3 days before the first measurement. Complementary work confirming such data would enable improvement of the performance of bruise dating in forensic medicine., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The forensic entomology is the use of insects to date the death. The forensic expert assessment is based on the development of necrophagous insects which are growing on the cadaver, to calculate their age and then estimate the Post-Mortem Interval. This development depends on a number of parameters like temperature, species or behavior. The French Forensic Taphonomy unit, the only expert team on the subject in France, works on the biology, physiology and ethology of the necrophagous insects. Their works are focused on thermoregulation behavior and thermal preferendum of maggot masses, aggregation phenomenon and social interaction or on food intake. These works are particularly of interest to understand the pre-social parameters and evolution strategies. More importantly, their aim is to better understand the development of necrophagous insects and, in fine, to improve the forensic expert assessment., (© 2017 médecine/sciences – Inserm.)

Micro-computed tomography (μCT) provides micrometric 3D images and has been used in forensic studies for anthropology pubis measurement or insect description for post mortem interval estimation. Studies have suggested using registration, a superimposing images method between a reference and a target. This technique avoids positioning bias and increase the precision of μCT. However, no clear study has reported the precision with μCT analysis before or after registration in a forensic field. One fresh post mortem sample of a human cranial vault was collected. Two successive μCT acquisitions (resolution 10μm) of it were performed without repositioning. The data from the second acquisition were copied and registered by two trained operators (operators 1 and 2). Operator 1 performed a second registration process after 1 week (operator 1 bis). The images were analysed. The bone volume (BV), bone surface (BS), number of trabeculae (TbN), trabecular thickness (TbTh) and mean trabecular distance (TbSp) were compared before and after registration. The mean (±SD), the coefficient of variation (%CV), and the precision error of the standard deviation absolute value and of the coefficient of variation between operators 1 and 2 (inter-subject variability) and between operator 1 and 1 bis (intra-subject variability) were calculated. We also collected the second phalanx of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers on the hands of a second individual. Two successive scans (resolution 27μm) were performed without repositioning. A comparison (mean±SD of BV, BS, TbN, TbTh, TbSp) was made between the first and second scans with and without registration, and an ANOVA repeated measures procedure was performed. For the vault, we show that after 30 registrations for each operator (1, 2 and 1 bis), the mean and %CV were very close for each variable and between operators. For BV and BS, the difference in the mean value was approximately 0.01 (mm 3 and mm 2 , respectively). The precision error was higher in the inter-subject registrations for each variable. The precision error magnitude for all variables was very low (<0.01) in absolute value and of %CV. For the fingers, the difference between the first and second scans may be approximately 50% without registration. We found that the second scan without registration is significantly different for BV (p=0.006), BS (p=0.007), TbN (p=0.019) and TbSp (p=0.002). Knowing the precision of the device (with and without registration) is important to ensure that the accuracy of the μCT results., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

To date, the study of collective behaviour has mainly focused on intraspecific situations: the collective decision-making of mixed-species groups involving interspecific aggregation-segregation has received little attention. Here, we show that, in both conspecific and heterospecific groups, the larvae of two species (Lucilia sericata and Calliphora vomitoria, calliphorid carrion-feeding flies) were able to make a collective choice. In all groups, the choice was made within a few minutes and persisted throughout the period of the experiment. The monitoring of a focal individual within a group showed that these aggregations were governed by attractive and retentive effects of the group. Furthermore, the similarity observed between the conspecific and heterospecific groups suggested the existence of shared aggregation signals. The group size was found to have a stronger influence than the species of necrophagous larvae. These results should be viewed in relation to the well-known correlation between group size and heat generation. This study provides the first experimental examination of the dynamics of collective decision-making in mixed-species groups of invertebrates, contributing to our understanding of the cooperation-competition phenomenon in animal social groups., (© 2016 The Author(s).)

Three modeling methods were used to estimate the time for laying of Lucilia sericata eggs (Diptera, Calliphoridae) after measurements of hatching times at several constant temperatures. These models were tested first under controlled conditions with 19 profiles of fluctuating temperatures, and on the other hand under field conditions on mice. All three models were allowed to determine the time of laying within a period of about 2h, and consequently this determines the time of death, as this species lays immediately after death under favorable conditions. Rearing of eggs sampled on a corpse may therefore contribute to the determination of a short post-mortem interval (PMI).

In response to a recent article published in this review, we present in this paper, an unusual case of fatal salt water intoxication. In this case, we point out three special features, the type of water ingested, the physiopathologic consequences of the ingestion and the very strange context of occurrence. This complex case allows us to point out complications due to salt poisoning and others caused by water intoxication.

Digoxin analysis in blood is an essential tool for therapeutic drug monitoring in cardiology because compliance with the treatment is a critical issue for the patient. Unfortunately, in postmortem cases blood digoxin concentration is of poor quality because there is a possible drug redistribution in the corpse and because of digoxin-like factors present in some people's blood. On the other hand, no biological fluid can be obtained at the autopsy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of an immunological method to determine digoxin in hair, in order to confirm that hair analysis can provide information on digoxin use before death. We studied 35 elderly patients who had been taking digoxin (60-250 micrograms/day) for 1-5 years. Two decontamination procedures were tested: washing by dichloromethane or by water and methanol. Three extraction procedures were compared: crushing in a ball mill and chloroform/acetone: crushing and methanol; enzymatic digestion. Immunoassays were performed by a microparticulate enzyme immunoassay. Serum digoxin levels were also assayed when sampling hair. The best results were obtained after decontamination with water and methanol followed by enzymatic digestion. Hair digoxin concentrations range from 3.6 to 11.4 pg/mg. Those very low concentrations are probably due to low and narrow range serum digoxin levels (0.3-1.4 ng/ml). No correlation was found between hair and blood digoxin. A forensic case is presented with 5 pg/mg digoxin in hair.