Lucina Hackman

• Doctor of Philosophy
• PI at University of Dundee

Mass disasters often claim many lives, and it is the response of the disaster victim identification team to recover and identify the deceased effectively in order to bring closure to the families and to reduce the time and cost of the operation. However, the role of forensic anthropologists in mass disasters is not often recognized during the early...

Fatal fires pose complex challenges for responders due to the requirement to investigate all aspects of the fire using methods that maximize evidence recovery and integrity, including optimal and respectful recovery of the deceased. In this article, the authors consider the value of the inclusion of both forensic archeologists and forensic anthropo...

Using anatomical feature comparison to consider potential matches from hand images to identify or eliminate suspects in an investigation, commonly relating to those involved in the production of images of child sexual abuse, is an emerging forensic methodology that has become increasingly utilized by police forces within the United Kingdom. This ar...

This study investigates the trends within the published research up to 2019 in relation to skeletal and dental age estimation in living individuals by using a novel bibliometric analysis which utilizes a specialist, open‐source R script. The analysis was performed on a total of 644 papers (627 articles, fifteen conference papers, and two reviews) r...

The analysis of knuckle creases is part of the multifactorial assessment of digital images of the hand used to assist in the identification of perpetrators captured in images depicting child sexual abuse and other offending behaviours. To quantify the impact of finger flexion on the appearance of the dorsal knuckle creases associated with the proxi...

Crime scene investigation is a multidisciplinary response that involves the identification and securing of physical and trace material that may have evidential AQ1 value. In this context, accurate documentation of the scene(s) is fundamental, when subsequent analysis is required for comparison and evaluative purposes. This technical note reports a...

Conference paper available at: Rinaldi, V., Hackman, L., & NicDaeid, N. (2022). Virtual Reality as a Collaborative Tool for Digitalised Crime Scene Examination. Springer Nature Switzerland AG, 185, 154–161. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15546-8_14 - *Abstract* A virtual reality framework was developed in Unity 3D targeting a low-cost Virtual...

In a courtroom, it is essential that the scientific evidence is both understandable and understood, so that the strengths and limitations of that evidence, within the context of a legal case, can inform decision making. The Evidence Chamber brings together entertainment, public engagement with science and research into a public performance activity...

In recent decades the use of forensic science in investigations and therefore its subsequent presentation within the courts has increased exponentially, fuelled by an increase in scientific advances, development of databases and greater access to scientists and their expertise. This explosion in the use of forensic evidence has not been limited to...

Scientists are increasingly becoming better prepared to communicate science in a variety of different settings, yet significantly less attention has been paid to communicating science in the courtroom, a setting which carries major societal impact. This article explores key issues surrounding science communication in the courtroom. We outline a con...

The communication of forensic science within the criminal justice process has been highlighted as an issue in a series of high profile reports dating back more than a decade. A forensic scientist has to be able to effectively communicate complex scientific ideas across multidisciplinary borders including the police, lawyers, and jurors, while concu...

Biological sex determination from skeletal human remains is crucial in archaeological and forensic settings. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the presence of sexual dimorphism in seven (C1C7) cervical vertebrae dimensions and to further establish a reliable sex estimation method using C1C7 for a White Scottish population. In this st...

This pilot study examines the applicability of osteometric models for addressing commingled remains, which were originally developed for dry specimens, on 3-Dimensional bony elements in relation to a modern cadaveric population. A total of 70 bony elements (humeri, radii, ulnae, femora, tibiae and fibulae) were segmented and virtually reconstructed...

Introduction: Age estimation is an important aspect in forensic anthropology, as it can aid in the identification of the deceased, and can be used in cases of immigration, child abuse and criminal prosecution in living individuals. Dental age estimation is considered reliable and accurate, since tooth development is least affected by environmental...

Forensic anthropological knowledge has been used in disaster victim identification (DVI) for over a century, but over the past decades, there have been a number of disaster events which have seen an increasing role for the forensic anthropologist. The experiences gained from some of the latest DVI operations have provided valuable lessons that have...

This study was developed from the growing need of techniques able to satisfy the standards of reliability, validity and objectivity required by forensic anthropologists to conduct their analyses in a sound scientific way. The pursuit of these principles can be even more challenging when dealing with commingled scenarios, with a high level of fragme...

Direct comparison of dermal and epidermal fingerprints may be vital to the identification of bodies that have been in water for long periods of time and epidermal skin layer is no longer available. Epidermal desquamation occurs during the fixation of body in Thiel embalming fluid. The desquamation process provides an opportunity to compare dermal a...

It is generally accepted that the primary role for a forensic anthropologist in the investigation of any suspicious death is to assist with the identification of the remains. This usually manifests through the provision of a biological profile that can be utilized subsequently to search missing persons’ databases or be released to the public in an...

Age estimation in the living is a growing issue in the modern world. This chapter discusses the state of research in relation to methods which are utilized to undertaken age estimation in the living. Methods rely on changes that are observed as an individual moves from childhood through to maturity and include examination of soft tissue changes and...

The role of the forensic anthropologist in a missing persons case can often be both invaluable and extensive, stretching from the search phase, through location and recovery to assist in identification of the individual. Forensic anthropologists play a strong role in these cases in both the domestic sphere and in humanitarian investigations and mas...

Comparison of epidermal and dermal fingerprints in Thiel-embalmed cadavers of elderly individuals: a pilot study.

It is imperative that all methods applied in skeletal age estimation and the criteria on which they are based have a strong evidential basis. The relationship between the persistence of epiphyseal scars and chronological age, however, has remained largely untested. To assess the relationships between the level of persistence of the epiphyseal scar...

The use of radiographic imaging in the estimation of chronological age facilitates the analysis of structures not visible on gross morphological inspection. Following the completion of epiphyseal fusion, a thin radio-opaque band, the epiphyseal scar, may be observed at the locus of the former growth plate. The obliteration of this feature has previ...

This study examines the accuracy of the Pyle and Hoerr radiographic atlas technique in an effort to document the extent of normal variation associated with developmental timings in the knee for purposes of age estimation. The atlas has been previously tested; however, accuracy rates were produced from a dataset, which spread in age from mostly 7-16...

The Colombian armed conflict has been catalogued not only as the longest civil war in the western hemisphere, but also as having one of the highest indexes of missing persons. Among the several challenges faced by forensic practitioners in Colombia, the commingling of human remains has been recognised as one of the most difficult to approach. The m...

The continuous movement of people across borders has resulted in an increase in children who are unable to prove their age when challenged by authorities. The use of the left hand-wrist radiograph for age estimation, especially in younger children has been shown to be an effective method of assessing skeletal age. This study looks at a population o...

A mass fatality event may involve a small number of deceased or it may run to a toll of hundreds of thousands. Correct identification of the deceased is vital to fulfill both judicial and humanitarian requirements. Unfortunately, there is little uniformity of process between countries. The integrating role of Interpol is vital, although not yet ful...

Estimation of chronological age from skeletal material is dependent upon estimation of maturational stage observed. Following completion of epiphyseal fusion, a transverse radio-opaque line, termed "epiphyseal scar", may be observed in the region of the former growth plate. According to the literature, this line is likely to become obliterated shor...

This study examines the reliability of age estimation utilizing the Pyle and Hoerr atlas in relation to a modern Scottish population. The knee radiographs of 442 individuals (168 females, 274 males) were age assessed using the Pyle and Hoerr atlas. Analysis showed that there was a strong correlation between chronological age and estimated age (fema...

Radiographs of 277 living individuals were assessed via a numerical scoring system to determine the timing of appearance and degree of fusion between the proximal epiphysis of the fifth metatarsal and its diaphysis. The epiphysis was observed to first appear in females at 8 years and 10 years in males and fuse by 14 years in females and 15 years in...

The identification of human remains is a process which can be attempted irrespective of the stage of decomposition in which the remains are found or the anatomical regions recovered. In recent years, the discovery of fragmented human remains has garnered significant attention from the national and international media, particularly the recovery of m...

The Hoerr et al. atlas was published in 1962 and provides a standard for the age estimation of juveniles through radiographs of the feet. This study examines the accuracy of this atlas when used as an age estimation method on a modern Scottish population. A total of 403 left foot/ankle radiographs (175 female, 228 male) were age assessed using the...

This study examines the reliability of age estimation utilizing the Greulich and Pyle atlas in relation to a modern Scottish population. A total of 406 left-hand/wrist radiographs (157 females and 249 males) were age-assessed using the Greulich and Pyle atlas. Analysis showed that there was a strong correlation between chronological age and estimat...

Within the literature pertaining to skeletal age estimation, there is a paucity of statistically validated methods of age estimation from the foot. Given the prevalence of recovery of pedal elements in isolation, it is critical that methods exist to facilitate the estimation of age from this anatomical region and that those methods be tested to ens...

Age estimation is routinely undertaken by comparing radiographs of the individual in question to published reference samples of individuals of known age. This study examines the reliability of age estimation utilizing the Greulich and Pyle atlas in relation to both left- and right-hand/wrist radiographs and explores whether reversing right-hand/wri...

Background Fetal AgeBirthJuvenile/ChildAge Estimation from the Skeleton in Living AdultsMedial ClavicleSternal Ribs and Costal CartilagesPelvisSkull Sutural ClosureLaryngeal CartilagesOther General Ageing FeaturesSummaryReferences

A mass fatality event may involve a small number of deceased or it may run to a toll of hundreds of thousands. Correct identification of the deceased is vital to fulfill both judicial and humanitarian requirements. To avoid errors, the process must adopt the highest standards of forensic and scientific rigor. Unfortunately, there is little uniformi...