ABSTRACT
For the purposes of this book, a forensic exhumation is the legally sanctioned act or process of disinterring or digging up a previously lawfully buried human body for law enforcement–associated forensic purposes. This form of exhumation may be undertaken at the direction of a court order or, in some cases, may result from consent by those persons with standing to give such sanction. Normally, these would include close family members. A forensic exhumation is normally conducted at the grave site within a cemetery or in a mausoleum under the auspices of law enforcement, forensic personnel, medical examiner or coroner personnel, and cemetery representatives. During a forensic exhumation, the search for evidence is usually more specifically focused, and this focus underlies the legal procedure preceding and governing the exhumation process.
