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Blandine FINAL 12 13 24 with cert.pdf (1.11 MB)

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Establishment of a Pig Body Farm to Study Geophysical and Geochemical Analysis to Help Forensic Law Enforcement Locate Clandestine Graves

Blandine, Tori
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1734716285426914

Abstract Details

2024, Master of Science in Environmental Science, Youngstown State University, Department of Physics, Astronomy, Geology and Environmental Sciences.
This research project is the establishment of a clandestine grave site, known as the “body farm”, for future geophysical and geochemical studies that will examine the long- term influence of seasons and its relationships between geophysical signatures and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from a simulated clandestine grave site that uses buried pig cadavers as human analogues. The objective and motivation of this research is to establish the body farm which will be used in future research that will provide detailed information to government law enforcement agencies that can be used to improve their planning efforts and their ability to locate homicide victims buried in clandestine graves. A simulated clandestine grave site was constructed with 20 graves, five graves were left empty to act as a control, and the other 15 graves contained pig proxies. Given the various scenarios of homicide victims, the different scenarios were simulated at the site involving pigs that are naked, clothed, clothed warped in tarp, and clothed covered in hydrated lime. Future research will conduct seasonal data collection of samples to determine the long term and seasonal relationship between decomposition and geophysical and chemical signatures. Future geophysical data will be collected with geophysical instruments such as ground penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic induction (EMI), and high sensitivity magnetic gradiometer. Future chemical analysis will be collected through constructed piezometers and analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) methods. The outcomes from this research will be used by law enforcement agencies and investigators to analyze changes in the long-term seasonal characteristics of VOC emissions and geophysical signatures associated with decomposing pig cadavers. These findings can be used to further improve law enforcement training and their approaches to locate homicide victims located in the subsurface.
Jeffrey Dick, PhD (Advisor)
Tom Jordan, PhD, PG (Committee Member)
Harry Bircher, P.E. (Committee Member)
Billie Spieler, PhD (Committee Member)
42 p.
Chemistry; Environmental Geology; Environmental Science
Clandestine grave site; geophysical signatures; volatile organic compound; VOC; pig cadavers; homicide victims; chemical signatures; ground penetrating radar; GPR; electromagnetic induction; EMI; high sensitivity magnetic gradiometer

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Blandine, T. (2024). Establishment of a Pig Body Farm to Study Geophysical and Geochemical Analysis to Help Forensic Law Enforcement Locate Clandestine Graves [Master's thesis, Youngstown State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1734716285426914

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Blandine, Tori. Establishment of a Pig Body Farm to Study Geophysical and Geochemical Analysis to Help Forensic Law Enforcement Locate Clandestine Graves. 2024. Youngstown State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1734716285426914.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Blandine, Tori. "Establishment of a Pig Body Farm to Study Geophysical and Geochemical Analysis to Help Forensic Law Enforcement Locate Clandestine Graves." Master's thesis, Youngstown State University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1734716285426914

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ysu1734716285426914
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This open access ETD is published by Youngstown State University and OhioLINK.