Pathology and DNA Analysis of Exhumed Human Remains Three-years Post-mortem

In the past three decades after the discovery of DNA fingerprinting, there has been a remarkable growth in the use of DNA evidence worldwide. This paper highlights the value of using a scientific approach in assisting courts of law in resolving disputed parentage or kinship issues. This report describes the use of pathology in verifying the identity of a cadaver via examination and comparison with ante-mortem information of the deceased. Subsequent DNA testing of the skeletal remains – exhumed three years post-mortem – was used to confirm the identity of the woman using a living sibling as reference, and to evaluate the relationship of the deceased with a person claiming to be her offspring. Genetic comparisons at 15 autosomal Short Tandem Repeat (aSTR) regions and the mitochondrial hypervariable regions I and II (mtDNA HVR I and HVR II) of the deceased and her brother confirmed that they were siblings. Conversely, the DNA test negated the statements of the person claiming to be the child of the deceased.