All That Remains: A Renowned Forensic Scientist on Death, Mortality, and Solving Crimes

by Sue Black

as long as there are people who want to read about gruesome deaths there will always be insensitive journalism.

dehumanising sequel were textbook examples of defensive dismemberment: a furious argument fuelled by drugs; assailant and victim known to each other; death occurring in the home of the victim; dismemberment undertaken by the assailant, unresearched and unplanned; the body being separated into the typical six pieces, wrapped in plastic, transported in holdalls and suitcases, disposed of in water close to the murder site and easily accessible.

That he used the unsuccessful blade on only one part of her body told us that he was learning how to do this as he went along.

You choose your words very carefully in these circumstances, being only too aware that relatives are in the room. The last thing you want to do is to add to the monstrous pain and grief they have already experienced.

are largely removed from the immediacy of the grief and distress of family and friends.

But he was not looking for anything from me. This was about him completing a task he felt it was his responsibility to fulfil.

He was performing the last service he could for his lovely daughter: thanking the people who had enabled the truth to be told by playing their part in convicting his own son.

the depth of that man’s love for his daughter – and indeed for his son – will remain with me as a beacon of how humanity and compassion can triumph even amid the most appalling adversity.

do fear that information fatigue is in danger of leaving us with the sense that the world holds little that can surprise us.

an example of a well-known forensic problem called confirmation bias, in other words, a tendency to seek out evidence that fits a pre-existing hypothesis.

If what we do see and hear is disturbing, you can bet your bottom dollar there will be a whole lot worse happening on the ground.

But it was still ‘somewhere else’, somewhere foreign, and someone else was taking care of it.

Forensic anthropologists have little forewarning of when their assistance might be required in an international crisis, if it will be required, and if it is, how long they might be away.

Peacekeeping troops were sitting across Kosovo’s borders, aware of the murders, rapes and torture taking place and desperate to receive the signal to enter. But nothing could be done until there was UN agreement

The appropriate international protocols had to be observed and, while there were clear reasons for that, they seem to make no sense when you know that every single day of inaction will result in innocent people being butchered or driven from their homes.

That such intensity of emotion could persist so close to the surface in both communities so many centuries later is an indication of the almost genetic imprint of the hostility with which each group viewed the other.

on the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo, Milosevic made reference to the possibility of ‘armed battles’ in Serbia’s future national development.

genocide.

it took an activation order from NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) for both a limited air strike and a phased air campaign over Kosovo to secure agreement to a ceasefire.

bombings, ambushes and murders specifically targeting refugees trying to flee across the border

The aerial bombardment continued, almost unabated, for nearly two months before Milosevic finally succumbed to international pressure and accepted the terms of an international peace plan.

I was terribly ignorant about the way this kind of operation would function in the field.

was in a foreign country where I didn’t speak the language and my mobile phone didn’t work. I had no idea what I would do if nobody turned up to claim me like a pathetic piece of lost luggage.

Drivers were armed and radio communications were tense:

A flood of relief washed over me. It was ‘one of ours’.

I acknowledged willingly and gratefully that it was the British flag that brought me a sense of protection, safety and belonging and calmed my growing fears.

These soldiers were efficient, they were polite and they were putting their lives on the line so that we could do our work unmolested.

They had no alternative but to head for the Albanian border in a refugee convoy, even though they knew they were at risk of robbery, torture, rape and murder.

It was claimed that over forty men and boys lost their lives that night.

The principal criterion for designating a scene as an indictment site was the existence of strong information, perhaps from a credible eyewitness, indicating the time and location of the incident, the demography of those involved and what had allegedly happened.

As well as retrieving all body parts and personal effects such as clothing, identity papers, jewellery or other items that might be identifiable by family and friends, it was vital that we collected all evidence relating to the crime,

bullets and casings, as it might be possible to link them at a later date to a specific weapon and from there to the person who fired it,

I related my concerns to our SO13 explosives expert, who was an absolute gem. He said the best thing I could do if I came across anything at all that worried me was just stand up, call it in and leave the space.

He also advised me not to delve into the pockets of clothing as there had been reports of razor blades and hypodermics being placed there, again with the aim of causing injury rather than killing.

I spot the glint of metal.

I was ribbed mercilessly for days by my team-mates. If a bowl of soup was delivered at mealtimes, mine would come with four spoons. I found spoons in my kit bag and even in my bed.

I bore the jibes with good humour because they were a sign I’d been accepted into the fold. These were good, kind men and if they went to the bother of teasing you, it showed they liked you.

It horrified my husband. But it was this kind of nonsense that kept us all going, even at the most sombre moments.