ABSTRACT
Proper identification of a body is one of the key questions to be answered when a body is found and in the investigation of any death and forms the first part of a coroner’s inquest (see Chapter 3, p. 40). If decomposition or post-mortem changes are advanced then visual identification may not be possible and other techniques may be required to confirm identify. If there is substantial injury (e.g. in aircraft crashes or bombings) or deliberate mutilation other techniques will be required to establish identity.
