Advancing time-since-interval estimation for clandestine graves: a forensic ecogenomics perspective into burial and...

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Microbial Ecology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Traditional forensic methods for estimating post-mortem interval (PMI) primarily focus on surface depositions, utilizing morphological changes and insect activity.
• Estimating time since burial (post-burial interval; PBI) and time since translocation (post-translocation interval; PTI) are crucial for locating clandestine graves but are under-researched.
• Soil microbial communities in graves offer a potential complementary tool for forensic investigations, aiding in the detection and confirmation of human remains.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the potential of soil microbiome as an indicator for post-mortem time-since-interval estimations, specifically PBI and PTI.
• To present a framework for utilizing PBI and PTI as forensic tools, complemented by massively parallel sequencing (MPS).
• To highlight the need for further research to validate microbial community analysis across diverse biogeographical regions.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of soil microbial communities in graves using massively parallel sequencing (MPS).
• Analysis of microbial community data to estimate PBI and PTI across various decomposition stages (early to skeletal).
• Review of existing literature and development of a conceptual framework for forensic ecogenomics applications.

Main Results:

• Advances in MPS enable high-throughput characterization of soil microbiomes for time-since-interval estimations.
• Soil microbial communities show potential for estimating PBI and PTI, aiding in clandestine grave location and identification.
• The study emphasizes the need for validation across different environments to enhance precision and reliability.

Conclusions:

• The soil microbiome, analyzed via MPS, presents a promising, novel tool for estimating PBI and PTI in forensic investigations.
• This approach can significantly complement traditional methods, particularly for clandestine burials and relocated remains.
• Further research and validation are essential to establish the robustness and widespread applicability of microbial analysis in forensic ecology.