Bone Yard

A wild pig skeleton (note the tusks).

Today's search was an incredible learning experience in Human Remains Detection (HRD). I can't give specifics on the case, as it is still active, but it allowed me a great opportunity to get hands-on experience with two of our senior handlers and observe how they worked four different areas of interest in the search for a homicide victim. I got a tutorial on reading the terrain, looking for low spots that could be old graves, looking for new growth which could occur over a gravesite, and reading bones found along the way. We had a few moments where the bones that were found by our human searchers looked promising, but they did not interest the dogs in the least, so were cleared. I learned about the changes in the coloration of the bones with age, environment, and how this potentially affected scent. The darker bone (top left) was in a very wet area, aging it to a dark brown. The vertebrae found were exposed to direct sun and had bleached out over time.

I learned it's good to try, but it is almost impossible to think like a criminal as their mindset is so different than ours. As much as I imagine how I would dispose of a body if I had committed the crime, the logic behind the perpetrator's choices often leads them to very different results. Throw in drug use, adrenalin, and chaos and it is anyone's guess how and why a body might be disposed of. It is still good to use information gathered from those who study the criminal mind, but ultimately it is often a guessing game as to where to look.

I also got a review of crime scene preservation when we came across potential bones or graves. Protecting the evidence from being picked up or trampled upon, as well as backing out of an area of interest until the ground could be probed or dug by law enforcement was stressed. We worked closely with the homicide detective and deputies to clear the areas and determine the origins of the remains that were located.

Some bones were obviously not human.

A doe.

Others required a bit of discussion.

And others were not quite yet dead.

My interest in HRD is heightened after today's searching. I love the mystery of forensics. I realize how much I need to learn, not only about canine training but about anthropology, wildlife, forensics, and crime scene preservation. I am so eager to attend seminars and take additional coursework and can barely contain myself. I am so happy these days and thrilled I have found something that hits so many of my interests in such a profound way.

This case has not been solved yet, but much has been learned. I look forward to additional call-outs to help in the successful closure of this case. This for me was the most interesting search I've been on yet!