The Identification of a Murder Victim Using a Comparison of the Postmortem and Antemortem Dental Records

Abstract

Since the murder victim could not positively be identified by fingerprints, facial appearance, or personal effects, dental techniques of identification were requested by the police and carried out at the city morgue. An exam of the deceased incorporated dental X-rays, models of the maxillary and mandibular teeth, and a written and taped description of the dental structures. Comparing the antemortem with the postmortem dental records, a positive identification was confirmed. When other methods of identification have been exhausted, dental techniques can be employed to identify positively an individual and should be regarded as efficacious as fingerprints.