ABSTRACT
For the family and friends of those killed in disasters, an important measure of dignity awarded them is manifested in the process of identifying the remains of the deceased. Because this process happens without the family’s direct involvement, the forensic and mortuary responders are granted a fragile trust. Families demand that remains be identied and returned to them quickly, and that they be kept informed throughout the process. e decedent’s family and friends also expect that responders share the desire to quickly and accurately identify the dead (Slater and Hall 1997; Final Report 1997; Sledge 2005).
