USF Scientist Aids Study Of Skeleton Dug Up In Seffner

By MIKE WELLS The Tampa Tribune

Published: Sep 27, 2007

SEFFNER - Her name is still a mystery.

For possibly 15 years or more, her bones remained wrapped in a blanket, buried in the sandy soil of east Hillsborough County.

Tampa's urban sprawl uncovered her Monday on a plot of land destined for a convenience store.

Who was she? When did she die? Who or what killed her?

Anthropology professor Erin Kimmerle is trying to answer at least the first two questions. The University of South Florida educator and scientist specializes in forensic anthropology and was asked to help identify the skeletal remains found at U.S. 92 and North Parsons Avenue.

Because she is participating in the investigation, Kimmerle could comment Wednesday only in general terms about her work on cases like this one.

Usually, unearthed human remains turn out to be prehistoric natives from a time before Europeans arrived in North America, Kimmerle said.

Not this time, though, investigators said.

Hillsborough County sheriff's homicide detectives said a construction worker found the skull while using a front-end loader to dig 1 to 3 feet into the soil.

The remains did not include clothing or jewelry but at one point had been wrapped in a blanket. The victim had shoulder-length auburn hair and two gold teeth in the lower jaw.

A preliminary examination indicated she was white and perhaps in her early 30s. There were indicators of possible foul play, investigators said.

The first thing Kimmerle looks for when called to examine remains are characteristics for ethnicity and gender. She usually studies the remains for about a day.

The skull and pelvis help investigators determine a victim's sex. Ribs, vertebrae and the pelvis help determine age.

"I prefer to go to the scene," Kimmerle said, "and so if that's an option, I'll certainly do that. I'll use the morgue otherwise."

Standard archeological methods are used to dig the body out and keep the integrity of the scene, including soil probing, grid mapping and ground-penetrating radar, Kimmerle said.

To determine how long the bones were buried, investigators look for things such as bone warping, what kind of plant material was under the bones and an analysis of the soil under the body, she said.

Sometimes, the length of burial can be approximated by examining the victim's dental work.

Wet soil quickens decomposition, and so that's a factor, too, Kimmerle said.

DNA isn't always the answer, she said. Investigators generally come up with a short list of potential victims before DNA testing is requested because there is no mass database of everyone's genetic coding, she said.

"You need to have an idea who you're looking for with DNA," she said. "It'd be nice if we could [conduct blind tests], but realistically we're not there yet."

Identification is often dependent on getting information about the body to the public and somebody coming forward, Kimmerle said.

"There's a hope that DNA is always the answer, and it can be very helpful, but there's a long process before that," she said. "People who knew the victim, reaching them, are what makes positive identification possible in the end."

Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said detectives spent Wednesday at the medical examiner's office compiling dental charts on the victim. That information will be dispensed to other law enforcement agencies for comparison to their missing-person cases.

The sheriff's office is asking anyone who had a loved one go missing within the past 15 years who matches the description to call (813) 247-8000.

Investigators have been searching missing-person records and hope to compare dental records from other missing-person cases through a National Crime Information Center database.

Reporter Mike Wells can be reached at (813) 259-7839 or mwells@tampatrib.com.