A University of Tennessee forensic anthropologist said forensic science will play a crucial role in the investigation of the death of Chandra Levy following the discovery and identification of her body in Washington D.C.’s Rock Creek Park.
Murray Marks, associate director of the Forensic Anthropology Center and UT associate professor, said forensic techniques used to identify human remains and investigate crimes could determine if Levy died where she was found or if her body was moved after her death.
“The forensic crime scene specialist can discern soil changes, arrangement of bones and entomological evidence, to tell if a body decomposed in that location,” Marks said. “A search of the entire location will provide an idea of the relationship between bones and soil, leaf litter and other debris that will indicate the relation of the body to the surrounding area.”
“The fact that the location was searched numerous times by humans and cadaver dogs hints that this may be a secondary deposit,” he said.
Marks said forensic investigators also can distinguish damage to Levy’s body caused after death from injuries that occurred before she died.
“Antemortem, or before death, trauma and post-mortem, or after-death trauma, are readily distinguished from the skeleton,” Marks said. “The crime scene will help dictate what the remains have been exposed to.”
Marks said cut marks, gunshot wounds, blunt force trauma or other potential causes of death can be discerned from examining bones.
“Also, the condition of the remains will tell us what has happened in the perimortem time frame, which is around the time of death,” he said.
Marks said there was a shortage of trained forensic anthropologists to investigate cases such as Levy’s. He said only UT and the University of Florida offer doctorate programs with specific emphasis on forensic anthropology.
“Criminals are becoming more astute in covering up and disposing of remains,” Marks said. “It is possible to murder someone without leaving any skeletal evidence if death is from a soft tissue event, such as an overdose, slashed throat or stabbing between the ribs, but it is difficult to kill someone without leaving a bullet hole, cut marks or caved-in bone.
“Marks said there was not enough board-certified forensic anthropologists. There is plenty of demand for forensic anthropologists, but “the job isn’t for the fragile.”
Levy, 24, had been missing for over a year and was an intern for U.S. Rep. Gary A. Condit, D-California.
