Methods of Identification in

Forensic Medicine
dr. Yudha Nurhantari, Ph.D., Sp.F
Department of Forensic Medicine
Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada
University

Introduction
People

die due to natural or unnatural

death
Unnatural death : disaster,
transportation accident, criminals,
accidents, etc
Not all of the died people are known
/identified need identification

The important of identification

1.

2.

3.

Respect of death person for official,

statistical, and legal purposes
Discharge legal claims and obligation
in relation to property, estate, and
debts.
To facilitate police enquiries into
overtly criminal or suspicious deaths.

Identification
Comparison

of the evidence with

references
Biological Evidences human body
- complete: fresh, decomposed
- incomplete: mutilated, skeleton, part
of human body (blood stain, semen,
hair, fingerprints etc)

 Non

biological evidence:
documents : ID card
properties: cloths, shoes, accessories
scene

Deceased identification
Post mortem
data

Ante
mortem data

Examination
of Cadaver

Medical record
Family,etc

Identified

Unidentified

Biological evidences
Characteristics

for

Identification
Facial appearance
Age, sex, Racial and ethnic
characteristics, Posture , Skin color,
Hair, Nevus pigmentosus, Tatto, Scar

Anthropology forensic
Human/non
Race
Sex
Age
Posture

human

Odontology Forensic
Every

body has a characteristic

of the teeth
Use dentition by comparing am
pm data
Comparison of dentition with
bite marks
Obtaining DNA to assist the
identification of suspects

5.Fingerprints
Long

history, China 2000 yrs ago

Friction ridge of skin hills , valleys

Blood typing
Use

multi systems:
- ABO
- Rh
- Mn
- Lewis
- Duffy

DNA fingerprints

DNA fingerprinting for forensic

purposes was developed by Alec
Jeffreys in 1985

DNA

is a powerful investigative tool

no two people have the same DNA
DNA evidence collected from a crime
scene can be linked to a suspect or can
eliminate a suspect from suspicion

We Inherit DNA characteristics

AA

P1

2nd gen

aa

X
A

a
A

1st
Gen

Aa

Aa
X

AA
Aa

a
Aa
aa

25%:50%:25%

Thousands of identical DNA

sequences in each strand of DNA
The number of repetitive sequences
- are different for each person,
- but constant for a given individual
- transmitted from parents in a
regular
fashion

STR (short Tandem Repeat) DNA

Multiple copies of identical base sequences ,

arranged in tandem, one behind another.
Like a gene, a loci of STR can have multiple
allele. 6, 5, 7, 8

DNA analysis
DNA

extraction
Amplification
Electrophoresis
Genotyping

DNA analysis
C

F1

F2 F3
8
7
6
5
4
3
2

Matching the evidence

vs the suspect
E

3
8
7
6
5
4
3
2

E=2

Mutilated body
L1 L2

L3 A1

A2

B1

8
7
6
5
4
3
2

1: L1.L2,A2

2: L3,A1,B2

Combined DNA Index System

Combined DNA Index system
(CODIS)
is a nationwide electronic
database of
DNA profiles.
Cities are collecting DNA samples
from
crimes, performing DNA profiles,
and
submitting the results to CODIS

Mitochondrial DNA

mtDNA is non nuclear DNA

Structure : circular
The cell contain thousands
mitochondria
Inherited solely from mother
Cannot differentiate between
individuals of the same maternal line.
The transmission of mtDNA is
consistent over many generations.

 Mt

DNA analysis
- DNA extraction
- amplification by PCR
- sequencing
Mt DNA sequences compared with a
standard mtDNA reference, the
Anderson sequence family

Anderson ~ctgattcgtagtccatgtaggtgtcagt~
Evidence ~ctgattagtagcccatgtaactgtcagt~

Family ~ ctgattagtagcccatgtaactgtcagt~

 Resultant

report is made up of :
- the number of the positions different
from the Andersons sequence
- the different bases at these positions

 What

kind of sample ?

Blood
Teeth
Sper
m
Hair
Urine
Bone
Muscl
e

5. Prove claim for life insurance contract,

survivors pensions
6.

Legal aspect
Identification

will legally describe the life

or the death of a person
Human Rights and social Welfare
WHO: the Right to Health care (1949)
and Declaration Health for all (2000)
Indonesia : KUHAP artc. 120(1), 133 (1).
Identification : Police medical staffs
certificate

personal identification

comparison

References
Ante mortem data
Parents
Family members

Characteristics for Identification

Facial appearance
Vs family/relatives
a.m. photographs
Ro superimposed

 Age,

sex
Racial and ethnic characteristics
Posture
Skin color
Hair : color, structure
Nevus pigmentosus
Tatto
Scar

3. Cloth, Accessories, Property

- size
- Brand
- Motifs
- Material

Arch

Loop

Whorl

7. Biological Fluid
1.

Semen
- contains uniquely high level of
acid phosphatase SAP
- pubertty stimulates SAP by
secretory epithelial cells that line
the prostate glands
- source: swab, cloth

- identification of sperm
- Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)
in the absent of sperm
- secreted into seminal plasma by
prostate gland 300 ng /ml
- may contain in sweat,serum and
urine of male Low level

2. Saliva
3. Urine
4. Feces

Genetic Markers in blood

ABO systems surface antigens of RBC

Group Antigen

Sugar specific

B
AB
0

B
A,B
H

N-acetylgalactose
amine
D-galactose
N-aa & D-a
L- fucose

Antibody

Pop.Freq

anti-B

40%

anti-A
none
anti-A &
anti B

10%
45%
5%

 Secretors

secrete ABO antigen into

body fluids 80% of population
Non secretor 20% of population
Antigen on the surface of RBC : ABO, Rh,
MNS, Kell,Duffy,Lutheran, Lewis, Kidd,
HLA
Not in the surface : Gm, Gc,Hp
Enzyme : Adenilat siklase, PGM, GPT,
PKE

 RBC

intact aglutination test

RBC damage/lysis determine aglutinin
and antigen:
- inhibition
- absorption elution
- mixed aglutination

 For

identification the more

examination of blood types, the higher
probability
case
baby 1
baby 2
A
O
F
O
AB
M
O
O

blood type
Baby
B MNS Rh +
M
A MNS Rh +
F1
AB MNS Rh +
F2
O
MS
Rh +
F3
A
MNS Rh +
exclude F2, F3 , but not F1

Mendel`s Law
F type A (Aa)
M type B (BB)
Probability the child :
A
a
B AB
aB
B AB
aB
Blood type of child : AB 50% B 50%
A 0%
O 0%

Lewis System (Le)

Absorbed

on the surface of the RBC from

plasma
Provide a secretor status indicator
Le (a-b+) ABH secretor 72%
Le (a+b-) ABH non secretors 22%
Le (a-b-) cant be stated
80%secretor
20% non sec.

Rhesus System (Rh)

The

genes are responsible for an

aglutinogen on RBC surface which has
two or more antigenics specifities
identifiable with specific antisera
Wiener (rh-hr)
Fisher-Race (C,c,D,E,e
Rosenfield (Rh:1,Rh:2, Rh:3 etc)

Reference
1.

2.
3.

Forensic Science, an introduction to

Scientific and investigative technique.
Stuart H. James. Jon Nordby
Forensic Pathology. Bernard K.
Forensic Pathology. VJ Dimaio, D.
Dimaio

8. DNA fingerprint