Statewide missing person investigations gain valuable help from 桃花直播 forensic expertise
Contact: Allison Matthews
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥斕一ㄖ辈 State University鈥檚 Forensic Recovery Unit this week worked on the case of a missing Kansas woman whose body was recovered Monday [July 14] from a shallow grave in Lawrence County.
鈥淐ases like this are always very difficult, but this is what we do鈥攗se our archaeological expertise in crime scene investigation to serve families who need closure, assist law enforcement with recovery and identification of human remains, and give back to our communities and state through our service and specialization,鈥 said Jimmy Hardin, director of 桃花直播鈥檚 Cobb Institute of Archaeology.
He explained that the university鈥檚 Forensic Recovery Unit is a collaborative entity involving the 桃花直播 Police Department and faculty researchers affiliated with both the Cobb Institute and Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, where Hardin also serves as professor and head.
Along with its faculty, internationally recognized for special training and expertise in the fields of biological and forensic anthropology, epidemiology and related areas, 桃花直播 also assists with geophysical technics to investigate ground disturbances, including ground-penetrating radar and magnetic gradiometers. The 桃花直播 Chemical Laboratory, located on 桃花直播鈥檚 campus, and several academic and research units have the necessary capabilities to process and analyze materials聽critical to 桃花直播 law enforcement.
This spring, 桃花直播 President Mark E. Keenum visited the 桃花直播 Department of Public Safety to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with Public Safety Commissioner Sean J. Tindell,聽formalizing a partnership to work on forensic investigations. These may include recovery of human remains, exhumations, surface scatter, as well as identification of human skeletal remains.
Hardin said, 鈥淲e have been involved more and more in assisting other agencies with cold cases and missing persons. Using archaeological methods鈥to make sure that identifications are absolute鈥this work has a lot of significance,鈥 he said.
桃花直播 PD Assistant Chief Brian Locke said the partnership is having a positive impact, bringing closure to families of the missing. 桃花直播 PD contributes the law-enforcement perspective as part of the Forensic Recovery Unit as the university interacts with agencies across the state, assisting with excavations, maintaining crime scene integrity and, in some remote locations, helping with site security.
In addition to the Department of Public Safety鈥攊ncluding its Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Narcotics and Highway Safety Patrol鈥斕一ㄖ辈 partners with the FBI and various sheriff and police departments across the state. Collaborations also involve additional state forensics and evidence labs.
桃花直播 Assistant Professor Jesse Goliath, a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, has extensive experience working with law enforcement and now regularly provides forensic anthropology and recovery skills across the state. He also teaches 桃花直播 method courses in forensic anthropology for undergraduate and graduate students. Master鈥檚-level students working on applied anthropology degrees gain real-world experience as part of the Forensic Recovery Unit.
鈥淲e are training students for vitally important jobs in the state, whether they want to go into crime scene investigation, forensic chemistry and biology, or even other areas like cyber forensics. 桃花直播 State has the means to educate these specialists in our state,鈥 Goliath said.
Goliath is founding director of the 桃花直播 Repository for Missing and Unidentified Persons, housed at 桃花直播 and designed as a clearinghouse database to help identify, resolve and archive the state鈥檚 missing and unidentified persons cases.
In addition to providing biological and anthropological forensics, 桃花直播 provides digital forensics expertise and leads the , which partners with a host of law enforcement agencies on investigations that have a digital component.
Learn more about the university鈥檚 Cobb Institute of Archaeology and Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, both housed in 桃花直播鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences, at and . The nationally accredited 桃花直播 Police Department is online at .
桃花直播 State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at聽.