Title
The Workings of a Cold Case: How Forensic Anthropology and Other Fields Work Together to Get a Family Answer and How Families React to This News
Document Type
Oral/Panel
Publication Date
5-2020
Disciplines
Anthropology
Abstract
In 2017, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released the uniform crime report revealing that there are 250,000 unsolved murders and is seeing an estimated increase of 6,000 per year (Crisis of Cold Cases, 2019). With the work of forensic anthropology, as well as dentistry and police work, families are able to learn the truth of what happened to their loved ones and find closure. The purpose of this study is to look at what happens between forensic anthropologists, dentists, police officers, and anyone else that is part of the process of events leading up to identifying the body. The study also aims to observe what happens when families are faced with the truth of what happened to their loved one. Through looking at multiple articles and case studies, this study hypothesizes that there will be similarities in cases in how they are solved using these different areas of study as well as how families react to the news of their loved one's death. This study also aims to find a correlation between families who have had their cases solved and changes in their mental health. This research hypothesizes that there will be an observation of a positive reaction to the closing of their family member's cold case.
First Advisor
Saige Kelmelis
Research Area
Anthropology
Recommended Citation
Larson, Katie, "The Workings of a Cold Case: How Forensic Anthropology and Other Fields Work Together to Get a Family Answer and How Families React to This News" (2020). IdeaFest. 79.
https://red.library.usd.edu/idea/79