Forensic Analysis of Cremains and Cremains Simulants

Abstract

There have been several cases in recent years involving unscrupulous or fraudulent practices by funeral homes and crematories, including not actually cremating the bodies and then providing families with urns containing material other than ashes. Numerous techniques can be used to differentiate cremated remains (or “cremains”) from materials used to simulate/replace cremains. Here we use analytical approaches commonly used in the disciplines of forensic anthropology and forensic geology to investigate various properties of materials potentially used as cremains simulants to determine which methods can accurately and optimally be used to identify cremains simulants and differentiate them from authentic cremated remains in forensic contexts. Analyses included visual, radiological, X- ray fluorescence (XRF), and X- ray diffraction (XRD). Samples assessed included human and non- human cremains, burned human bone, and a hydroxyapatite standard as “cremains,” as well as concrete mix, bone meal, diatomaceous earth, sand, and volcanic ash as “cremains simulants.” Visually, most cremains simulants differed from cremains based on color, uniformity, and particle size. Radiologically (assessed as radiodensity), concrete mix and sand were similar to cremains, while bone meal and diatomaceous earth were significantly different. Elementally (using XRF), cremains had phosphorus peaks, and the only cremains simulants with phosphorus peaks were bone meal. XRD was able to identify hydroxyapatite as the primary component in the cremains, and no cremains simulants contained hydroxyapatite. None of these analyses is quantitative, and many properties are relative; therefore, if these analyses are performed in forensic cases, known samples should be used as a reference.