Identifying the body...
If a homicide victim is identified through fingerprinting, is it still necessary to have someone like next of kin formally identify her?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by James Roberts on
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Depends on the jurisdiction, the, uh, state of the remains, and/or the ability to find knowledgeable next of kin.
I suspect if police are using fingerprints, it's because no other identifiers are present -- personal effects of a drivers license, for example, or there's been no similar subject reported missing in the area.
One system that's used is the repository run by the FBI, IAFIS. According to the FBI website, if the subject has been submitted to IAFIS, they can turn around an identification in between two and 24 hours.
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Permalink Reply by Kait Nolan on
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In this particular case, there were no personal effects. The body is still...erm...in tact, though considerably battered. The face is not damaged. She's a state employee in the legal system, so her prints are on file. They've gone to notify her husband, so I was trying to figure out if he has to formally ID the body.
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With those facts, I'd say yes. There can be errors made processing and retaining prints; people do make mistakes. So in this situation, I suspect the officers would ask him to come in to identify the remains. Secondly, he is a suspect. Even if he's miles away with a room full of judges, the homicide detectives are going to want to have him make the identification and will also want to check his reaction to the fact the wife has been killed.
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That's pretty much what I figured, but thought I'd check. Thanks!
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