•  
  •  
 

GIS ANALYSIS OF FORENSIC BODY DUMP SITES ACROSS GEORGIA OVER A TEN-YEAR PERIOD**

Abstract

One goal of forensic anthropology is the successful recovery of the remains of individuals in clandestine locations; often dumped by perpetrators. While law enforcement can use investigative measures to help ascertain the location of missing persons, it can be a fruitless task, wasting resources and straining financially strapped local organizations. Prior geospatial studies show relationships between roadway proximity, physical limitations and possibility of discovery, and terrain with located bodies. To this date, there has yet to be an analysis of the geospatial patterns of body dump locations in Georgia. The state has diverse landscapes, ecological systems, topography, and human-made structures. The socioeconomic and demographic statistics have changed rapidly, particularly in urban areas. Because Georgia has its own unique human and geographic profile, it is critical that anthropologists and investigators be aware of any patterns in dump sites. This could not only decrease the time to discovery but prevent advanced decomposition of the body which decreases the chances of identification. In addition to geocoding, manual digitizing on top of the aerial photography was used for mapping the body dump sites in ArcGIS Pro. The location layer was merged with a detailed attribute data to prepare a complete geodatabase. Secondary data on topography, geomorphology, landcover, roads and transportation infrastructure, and various other environmental and socio-economic variables were derived from the USGS, Census Bureau and the ArcGIS Pro data archive. We applied various geoprocessing tools to analyze the patterns of site location in relation to these secondary variables. With over ten years of recovery site data, it was hypothesized that GIS analysis will not only demonstrate relationships between dump sites and factors previously identified in the literature, but also illuminate patterns distinct to Georgia’s landscape and demographic distribution.

Acknowledgements

Kennesaw State University Department of Geography and Anthropology Interdisciplinary Research Initiative

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS