Forensic identification of severely decomposed bodies

Aim: The decay of a body is defined as decomposition in the field of forensic medicine. In this study, it is aimed to examine the sociodemographic data in severely decomposed bodies and identify the biological materials that can be collected for identification.
Materials and Methods: In this study, the files of cases autopsied at the Forensic Medicine Institute in Şanlıurfa between 2018-2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Severely decomposed cases were identified.
Results: Of the cases, 18 were male and 3 were female. 11 cases occurred in summer, and 4 in spring. 10 of the cases were suspicious deaths found at home or in the field while 8 were bodies recovered from water. Blood samples could only be taken from 9 cases for identification procedures. Muscle tissue samples were taken from 12 cases, bone tissue from 18 cases, and 2 cases each had dental and hairy skin samples collected. The psoas muscle was selected as the muscle tissue, while sternum samples were collected from 15 cases and femur samples from 3 cases.
Conclusion: Identification in cases of severe decomposition is as important as determining the cause of death. In situations where medical identification can’t be performed, forensic identification becomes extremely significant. The biological samples to be taken in forensic identification, the number and quality of these samples, and the preservation of these samples for Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) analysis are important considerations.