ABSTRACT
Although every forensic case is different, each case goes through many of the same phases. Each phase requires its own procedures and expertise. Throughout each phase, the chain of evidence must remain intact. The first phase usually is the discovery of the case. As likely as not, discovery is made by accident. The second phase is recovery of the remains and evidence. This and future phases require professional help. Next, laboratory analysis and research on the remains and evidence proceed. At some point, all of the data from the different labs and investigators comes together and is synthesized into the case report. Although changes may be made, this synthesis is the formal interpretation of the data and provides the most logical explanation or reconstruction of the events and the identification of the remains.
