Could you catch a traitor in your life?

I am a big fan of The Traitors TV show. My friend and collaborator Kelda Stagg actually competed in the Swedish version of the show recently! As an anthropologist and avid people-watcher, I love watching how difficult it is for the Traitors not to give themselves away, or how the Faithful turn on their own when searching for anything remotely suspicious. It also intrigues me how people can and do justify their behaviour to themselves - for the sake of the TV show, they can remind themselves "it's just a game", "we've got to play the game", but in real life, of course, such treachery can have very different outcomes. That got me thinking about treacherous forensic cases, and I found one that, I think, shows how victims often cannot see what is happening to them until it is too late. I made a little video about it here. Do you think you would recognise this if it was happening to you in real life? Could you catch a traitor in your life?

Premature Burial

Hi there! Sorry for the lack of posts recently! I can only say that I have been working hard. For Christmas, I received a beautiful, hard-bound copy of The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe.

One of his most famous horror stories, "The Premature Burial", eloquently described how this was a real fear for people in Victorian times, and reminded me of the elaborate contraptions that were invented at the time to prevent this horrific fate from occurring. I recorded a short video about the fear of 'vivesepulture' (being buried alive), which you can see here.

I am excited to be attending the American Academy of Forensic Sciences meeting next week in Baltimore, not only because of the exciting forensic science that I will be sharing and absorbing, but also because I will get to visit Edgar Allan Poe's grave, and learn more about this genius of the detective mystery genre. 

The Case of the Body in the Cellar workshop

 Hello! Sorry again about the lack of posts recently - it's a sign I am working hard!

I wanted to tell you about an exciting workshop that we are running at UCLan this half-term. It is called The Case of the Body in the Cellar, and it is an interactive, immersive workshop where attendees play the role of detectives and forensic scientists as a case unfolds in real time. The workshop is specially designed for 15-18 year olds, to inspire interest in a range of careers in forensic science, but it is open to anyone over the age of 12 who likes problem-solving, mysteries and real crime. 

The workshop is running from 09.30-16.00 on Wednesday 23rd October, at the Young Scientist Centre, Darwin Building at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston campus. It costs £35, and attendees should bring their own packed lunch and drink, but some refreshments will be provided. 

Over the course of the workshop, attendees will learn how to distinguish between animal and human remains, look at real human skeletal remains and work out age, sex and stature of skeletal remains, and use dental and DNA evidence to make a positive identification. Along the way, there will be curveballs, red herrings and intrigue!

Please spread the word about this workshop to anyone you think might be interested in attending - if you know a budding sleuth, this might be just the thing for half-term!

Click here to book!

Lecture video and podcast

Hiya! I'm embarrassed that I haven't posted for so long. Just been busy, you know, working! But, I have a few little nuggets to update you with. 

Firstly, the video of my (relatively) recent keynote lecture at the Question. Explore. Discover. conference in Manchester in September 2023 has just been uploaded to Youtube, so you can watch it here. I was posing the question I often pose, 'Does the UK need a 'body farm'?'. I think you can guess my stance on it, but hopefully the video will answer any questions you have. If this sparks your interest, whatever your opinion, please do fill in the HTF4UK survey here. We're still very keen to get a grasp on public opinion. If you have already filled it in, please spread the word to your family and friends. The more responses we get, the more we know what we have to do to improve people's opinions of Human Taphonomy Facilities. 

Secondly, I was recently invited to contribute to the Listening to the Dead podcast, hosted by the brilliant Lynda La Plante and Cass Sutherland. I was particularly thrilled because I have been a fan of Lynda La Plante's writing for a long time. She uses the podcast to find out more about all aspects of forensic science to use in her writing. You can find out more about the podcast here. The episode I feature in should be available to listen to in late August or early September. I will keep you posted!

Appeal for PhD funding

Hello there, peeps! Sorry for the long delay since my last post. This post is a little different, as for once, it is not about me. Well, not directly..

Last year, I was contacted by Sarina Riechmann, a brilliant German student wanting to do a PhD in forensic anthropology. We had several long discussions about her potential research, and so she applied to UCLan, had an interview and we were delighted to offer her a place. Unfortunately, there is no university funding to offer, and so Sarina would have to fund her studies herself. I am very excited about her research ideas and her potential, and am very keen for her to come to UCLan to undertake her PhD under my supervision. We already have collaborations in place that would make this PhD something special. The research is very likely to make real-life improvements to the lives of families of missing people or victims of homicide or disaster. 

But she can say it better:

"My name is Sarina Riechmann (25 years old) and I would like to tell you about my childhood dream. Since my school days I have been fascinated by the science of living matter and learning about animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and humans. Subjects such as heredity and the teaching of the development of all living things have encouraged me to further develop my scientific curiosity and areas of interest. Studying Biology and specifically Human Biology at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich allowed me to gain my first insights into Forensic Anthropology and impressed me so deeply with the age and sex determination of human bone and skeletal remains that I went on to further study in Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology at Cranfield University and am now pursuing a PhD in Forensic Science at the University of Central Lancashire to fulfil my career goal in the context of Criminalistics.

 

The topic of my PhD, Identifying and Tracking Scavengers of Remains in a Forensic Context, focuses on the identification and tracking of animal scavengers in a forensic context. The goal of my PhD work at UCLan, beginning in September 2023, is to develop a simplified and improved analysis of scavenger-induced wound tracks on human and animal remains, as well as to gain an understanding of the geographic distribution of scattered bodies and body parts. Police search advisors and crime scene investigators (CSIs) will learn the ability to detect scavenger tracks on human remains, identify possible scavengers, and track scattering patterns of scavengers in order to adjust search strategies for missing persons accordingly. Ultimately, the research results will be used to provide concrete conclusions and advice to police agencies and forensic institutions to optimize the applied search strategies for fatalities, resulting in higher recovery rates and shortened search times. The critical issue to address is that the entrainment of bodies and body parts by animals into their dwellings complicates the retrieval of all scattered body parts. However, it is paramount to the identification and ethics of many cultures to recover as many body parts and body tissues as possible. Knowing where body parts were taken from scavengers is essential for accurate search strategies by police forces and for survivors.

 

A PhD abroad at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), England, means a mountain of costs that include aspects such as tuition, research fees, and living expenses. The university doesn't have funding options for my research project, and I cannot get student loans or a scholarship either, as this is a purely international PhD. This means that I have to cover the costs of the PhD abroad and thus the tuition, research fees, and living expenses on my own. However, my savings have already been depleted by my Master's in Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology at Cranfield University, England, which I had to fund on my own. Shortly before I started my Master's degree, my father suffered a brain haemorrhage and has been in a nursing home ever since. That was two years ago now, and not a day goes by that I don't shake and cry when I think of him or the moment of the brain haemorrhage. My mother has to pay for the costs of the nursing home and therefore cannot support me financially. For me, there is no support or financial relief from assistance programs, loans or family. Alone, I can not realize the foreign doctorate and my childhood dream - a profession in the field of criminology. Therefore I would like to ask you for your support. Every little contribution counts and can make a big difference! Your support in realizing my PhD abroad in Forensic Science and thus also in realizing my childhood dream can give me the courage to continue pursuing my hopes and dreams. Your generosity, warm-heartedness and energetic contribution can turn a wish or a future goal into reality and thus make a dreaming and hoping heart smile.

 

With a big smiling thank you,

Sarina Riechmann"

What is that bone?

So, posts are like buses - nothing for over two years, and then two turn up on the same day!

I wanted to tell you about a course we have running at the Lancashire Forensic Science Academy. 

This half term, on 26th October 2022, we are running our famous 'What is that bone?' course. It is aimed at young people (from 12 years up), and is a fun and interactive workshop about animal and human skeletons. If you have ever been out walking and found a bone or two, and thought to yourself, 'What is that bone?', then this is the course for you! It will help you to distinguish between animal and human bone, and to identify some of the most common British animals that you might encounter when out walking. You'll also get to hear about how the ability to determine whether a bone is human or animal can help forensic investigations, and hear about real cases where this has been done by forensic anthropologists. All this, with a chance to learn from real-life experts, gain hands-on experience, and lunch and refreshments are included! In addition, it all takes place in our exclusive facility on the Lancashire Constabulary Head Quarters site just outside Preston. You can book your place here. Please let me know if you have any questions about it. 

Hello there, strangers!

I can't believe how long it has been since my last post - about two and half years!! Well, suffice to say, a lot has changed since then! I have moved across the Penines, from Yorkshire to Lancashire, to join the University of Central Lancashire as Professor of Forensic Science, and Manager of the Lancashire Forensic Science Academy (LFSA). I joined in January 2021, in the middle of the pandemic, so I am no longer a newbie, but all I can say is that I have been very impressed with UCLan so far. Everyone is very friendly, dedicated to their job, knowledgeable, and supportive of forensic taphonomy. I feel that I have finally found 'my people'. I hope that this feeling lasts. 

On a more personal note, my husband and I have now moved to Lancashire, and have found a nice house out in the countryside. It is a bit of commute into Preston, but we are loving the scenery, how welcoming our village has been, and the variety of walks that we can go on in the vicinity. And we have a new addition to our family - a Bernese/Retriever cross called Tobermory. He loves the countryside walks and the proximity to the seaside. 

So, I will endeavour to write more frequently, and tell you what I'm up to at UCLan and the LFSA. More posts to come!