1

Unidentified Human Remains in a Medical Examiner /

Coroner Context

Coroner Michael Murphy, M.B.A., D.B.A.

Clark County, NV

The TRUTH waits for those who SEARCH …

Medicolegal Death Investigations

Clark County 8,060 Sq. milesPopulation ≈ 2 Mil

(75% of State)

Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner

2

CORONER (1)

ASSISTANT CORONER (1)

FINANCEManagement Analyst II (1)

COMMUNITY RELATIONSManagement Analyst II (1)

Admin. Secretary (1)ADMINISTRATION

Principal Management Analyst (1)

Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner

Office Services Supervisor (1)

INVESTIGATIONCoroner Investigative

Forensic Supervisor (3)

PATHOLOGYLead Medical Examiner (1)

FORENSICSCoroner Investigative

Forensic Supervisor (1)

Office Specialists (4)Forensic Med Trans (1)Office Asst. II PTH (5)Forensic Med Trans PTH (2)

Coroner Investigators (10)Coroner Investigator P.I. (3)Coroner Investigator PTH (16)

Forensic Path Tech I/II (5)Forensic Assistant (1)Forensic Assistant L.P. (3)Forensic Path Tech PTH (2)Forensic Assistant PTH (1)

Medical Examiners (4)Sr. Forensic Path Tech (1)

Effective 07/01/08

Administration

Investigation

3

ForensicReceiving

Medical Examination

Digital Photography

4

John “#02-4970” Doe

Forensic Artist

Postmortem Identification v. Autopsy PhotographsArtist Dalene Nielson

Histology

Radiology

Digital radiographs• Full body• Dental

5

Forensic Odontology

Mideo System

• Forensic Biology • Drug Chemistry • Questioned Documents • Trace Evidence • Crime Scene • Investigation • Latent Prints

Coroner/Medical Examiners, Law Enforcement, Crime Labs, Forensic Nursing, Biomedical, Industry, Educational Institutions

Forensic Toxicology

6

Forensic Entomology

Forensic Anthropology

“What we do in life,echoes in eternity.”echoes in eternity.

The Gladiator

7

CostsTimeStaffingStaffingServicesImpact

Exhumation

Price $$ 3000.003000.00

CCOCME #95-00050

03/13/2008

8

Postmortem Examination

Price$$ 2500.002500.00

Specimen Collection, Preparation & Submission

Price$$ 100.00100.00

WhatmanFTA Card

DNA Archiving

Price $$ 2.502.50

9

UNT Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI)

DNA (nuclear DNA & mtDNA)Forensic Anthropology

Price $$ 0.000.00

Identification of UHR

$$ PRICELESS !!!PRICELESS !!!

1. Visual

3 Radiographs

2. Fingerprints

Identification Protocols

4. Dental

3. Radiographs

5. DNA (nuclear DNA & mtDNA)

10

Clark County Coroner/Medical Examiner

Investigative Follow-Up

Clark County Coroner/Medical Examiner

Forensic Tracking

UNT Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI)

CCOCME submissions:

7 UHR cases in the past 18 months⇒ 1 UHR case profile entered into CODIS

CCOCME #05-1603

⇒ 4 UHR cases in progressCCOCME #80-01221, #89-01179, #95-00050, & #08-00675

⇒ 2 UHR CASES IDENTIFIEDCCOCME #01-02621 & #06-04662

11

CCOCME Case #06-04662

Ruby Estelle Dorman, a 78 year old Caucasianfemale, was a resident of Laughlin, Nevada andshared an apartment with an elderly friend.

On 4/20/03 Ruby’s daughter had stopped by andbriefly visited. For reasons unknown, Ruby leftwith her daughter. The roommate witnessed thewith her daughter. The roommate witnessed thetwo drive away in the daughter’s vehicle andRuby never returned.

The roommate filed a missing person’s reporton 4/23/03 and the daughter was suspected inRuby’s disappearance. LE interviewed thedaughter and obtained a buccal swab.

CCOCME Case #06-04662

On the afternoon of 6/9/06, a hiker was walkingin a desert wash near Laughlin and saw whathe thought was a rock with holes butdiscovered it was a skull and delivered it to thesub-station.

• skull examination, dental and anthropologyconsultationsconsultations.

• numerous searches resulted in the discovery offurther remains on 9/13/06 and 9/16/08.

• further examinations, dental and anthropologyconsults.

• remains submitted to local DNA which weresubsequently sent to UNT w/ daughter’s sample.

• 4/14/08 – ID’d and LE investigation in progress.

NCIC reports the number ofHigh-Risk Missing Persons in 2008

25,830

12

National Missing Persons Program

Unidentified Human Remains SubmissionsSubmissions

National Missing Persons Program

Family Reference Submissions

13

November 3, 2003

UNIDENTIFIED “JOHN & JANE DOE” WEBSITE

182http://www.co.clark.nv.us/coroner/unid.htm

JOHN & JANE DOESDating back to 1967

31 Identified

Cold Case & Website Outcome

Identifiedas of 06/24/08

151 Doe Cases Currently Active

http://www.namus.gov/index.htm

November 3, 2003

Next of Kin Search:• Standardization

interagency reporting of hospice deaths

MISSING PERSONS’ WEBSITE

http://www.co.clark.nv.us/coroner/namesearch.asp

p• Web-based (Internet)

reporting

14

P. Michael Murphy, M.B.A., D.B.A

Coroner

Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical ExaminerCoroner/Medical Examiner1704 Pinto LaneLas Vegas, NV 89106(702) 455-4310

MUR@co.clark.nv.us