projecting downward behind the ear opening, was impressive.
When articulated, the pelvis had a chunky pubic area, with an acute angle below the point where the two halves meet in front. Laterally, each side curved upward into a deep, narrow notch inferior to the hip blade.
OK. Agreed. 287JUL05 was male.
I made notes then turned to ancestry.
This was tougher, since little facial architecture remained, and the skull was too damaged to yield meaningful measurements. Nevertheless, I could see that the cranium had been moderate with regard to shape, not particularly long and narrow or short and globular. The cheekbones had been tight to the maxilla, the nasal bridge high, the nasal opening quite narrow.
Agreed again. 287JUL05 was white.
I made notes, then turned to age
On the left innominate, or hip bone, the pubic symphyseal face was badly eroded. Damage was less extensive on the right, and detail, though abraded, was observable. Taking the bone to a dissecting scope, I examined the surface under magnification.
And felt a tingle at the back of my neck.
Returning to the skeleton, I selected the fourth and fifth ribs and took them to the scope. At the sternal, or chest end, each rib terminated in a shallow indentation bordered by a smooth, wavy-rimmed wall.
Another tingle.
I made notes, then turned to stature.
After locating an osteometric board, I measured the right femur, tibia, and fibula. I was considering the estimates generated on my laptop with FORDISC 3.0 when Corcoran pushed through the door.
Lord in heaven, girl. Youre still here?
I may have found him.
Youre kidding.
I tipped my head at 287JUL05. Someone with the initials ML examined this skeleton.
Corcoran looked thoughtful, then shook his head. Dont recall an ML. I remember July of 2005, though. I was working a strange one, actually wrote it up for the JFS.
I think
Listen to this. A sixty-eight-year-old female is last seen alive at a family picnic on the Fourth of July. No one hears from her for two weeks. The daughter finally checks, finds a corpse on the living room floor. Needless to say, by this time Mamas not looking too good.
I do the autopsy, find nothing to suggest cause of death, so I sign her out as undetermined. Next thing I know, theres a cop telling me one of the grandkids has admitted to shooting the old lady. Apparently the little creep needed drug money and Grandma wasnt coughing up. Im skeptical, because Ive found no perforated organs, no nicked bones, no bullets or bullet fragments, no metallic trace on X-ray. Nothing.
Uh. Huh. I didnt want to appear rude, but the case held no interest for me.
But old Sherlock here goes back in. And guess what?
I prepared my Im impressed face.
She must have been moving when the kid pulled the trigger. I find a bullet track shooting straight down the muscles paralleling the spine. Even though no vital organ was hit, the vic probably bled out. Corcoran beamed.
Youre a genius. I waited a respectful half second. ML blew it.
What? Oh.
I led Corcoran to the scope.
Take a look at the pubic symphysis. I spoke as Corcoran adjusted focus. That surface undergoes change throughout adulthood. Part of that change involves the formation of a rim circling the perimeter. See that gap on the upper edge?
On the belly side?
Yes.
I see it.
In young adults a hiatus like that is normal. The ventral, or belly, side of the rim is still forming. As adults age, the ends of the circle connect and the rim is complete. Then the rim begins to deteriorate. Thats normal, too.
First the rim forms, then it breaks down.
Exactly. Those with little experience often confuse the two stages. Seeing that gap, ML misinterpreted formation as breakdown. He or she estimated age at thirty-five.
Corcoran looked up
When articulated, the pelvis had a chunky pubic area, with an acute angle below the point where the two halves meet in front. Laterally, each side curved upward into a deep, narrow notch inferior to the hip blade.
OK. Agreed. 287JUL05 was male.
I made notes then turned to ancestry.
This was tougher, since little facial architecture remained, and the skull was too damaged to yield meaningful measurements. Nevertheless, I could see that the cranium had been moderate with regard to shape, not particularly long and narrow or short and globular. The cheekbones had been tight to the maxilla, the nasal bridge high, the nasal opening quite narrow.
Agreed again. 287JUL05 was white.
I made notes, then turned to age
On the left innominate, or hip bone, the pubic symphyseal face was badly eroded. Damage was less extensive on the right, and detail, though abraded, was observable. Taking the bone to a dissecting scope, I examined the surface under magnification.
And felt a tingle at the back of my neck.
Returning to the skeleton, I selected the fourth and fifth ribs and took them to the scope. At the sternal, or chest end, each rib terminated in a shallow indentation bordered by a smooth, wavy-rimmed wall.
Another tingle.
I made notes, then turned to stature.
After locating an osteometric board, I measured the right femur, tibia, and fibula. I was considering the estimates generated on my laptop with FORDISC 3.0 when Corcoran pushed through the door.
Lord in heaven, girl. Youre still here?
I may have found him.
Youre kidding.
I tipped my head at 287JUL05. Someone with the initials ML examined this skeleton.
Corcoran looked thoughtful, then shook his head. Dont recall an ML. I remember July of 2005, though. I was working a strange one, actually wrote it up for the JFS.
I think
Listen to this. A sixty-eight-year-old female is last seen alive at a family picnic on the Fourth of July. No one hears from her for two weeks. The daughter finally checks, finds a corpse on the living room floor. Needless to say, by this time Mamas not looking too good.
I do the autopsy, find nothing to suggest cause of death, so I sign her out as undetermined. Next thing I know, theres a cop telling me one of the grandkids has admitted to shooting the old lady. Apparently the little creep needed drug money and Grandma wasnt coughing up. Im skeptical, because Ive found no perforated organs, no nicked bones, no bullets or bullet fragments, no metallic trace on X-ray. Nothing.
Uh. Huh. I didnt want to appear rude, but the case held no interest for me.
But old Sherlock here goes back in. And guess what?
I prepared my Im impressed face.
She must have been moving when the kid pulled the trigger. I find a bullet track shooting straight down the muscles paralleling the spine. Even though no vital organ was hit, the vic probably bled out. Corcoran beamed.
Youre a genius. I waited a respectful half second. ML blew it.
What? Oh.
I led Corcoran to the scope.
Take a look at the pubic symphysis. I spoke as Corcoran adjusted focus. That surface undergoes change throughout adulthood. Part of that change involves the formation of a rim circling the perimeter. See that gap on the upper edge?
On the belly side?
Yes.
I see it.
In young adults a hiatus like that is normal. The ventral, or belly, side of the rim is still forming. As adults age, the ends of the circle connect and the rim is complete. Then the rim begins to deteriorate. Thats normal, too.
First the rim forms, then it breaks down.
Exactly. Those with little experience often confuse the two stages. Seeing that gap, ML misinterpreted formation as breakdown. He or she estimated age at thirty-five.
Corcoran looked up
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