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Geophysical monitoring of simulated clandestine burials of murder victims to aid forensic investigators (2021)
Journal Article
Davenward, B., Mirosch, N., Spencer, F., Jervis, J. R., Pringle, J. K., Stimpson, I. G., …Heaton, V. (2021). Geophysical monitoring of simulated clandestine burials of murder victims to aid forensic investigators. Geology Today, 37(2), 63-65. https://doi.org/10.1111/gto.12344

Locating murder victims buried within clandestine graves is one of the most important and difficult challenges for forensic search teams. This article details how applied geoscientists have been geophysically monitoring simulated clandestine burials,... Read More about Geophysical monitoring of simulated clandestine burials of murder victims to aid forensic investigators.

Ethical considerations for creating a Human Taphonomy Facility in the UK (2020)
Book Chapter
Williams, A., Cassella, J. P., & Pringle, J. K. (2020). Ethical considerations for creating a Human Taphonomy Facility in the UK. In Ethical Challenges in the Analysis of Human Remains. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32926-6_16

Human Taphonomy Facilities are outdoor laboratories where forensic scientists investigate and monitor the decomposition of donated human cadavers in a variety of conditions. The use of human cadavers for this purpose is potentially controversial, as... Read More about Ethical considerations for creating a Human Taphonomy Facility in the UK.

The Ethical Considerations for Creating a Human Taphonomy Facility in the United Kingdom (2020)
Book Chapter
Williams, A., Cassella, J. P., & Pringle, J. K. (2020). The Ethical Considerations for Creating a Human Taphonomy Facility in the United Kingdom. In Ethical Challenges in the Analysis of Human Remains (367–384). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32926-6_16

Human Taphonomy Facilities are outdoor laboratories where forensic scientists investigate and monitor the decomposition of donated human cadavers in a variety of conditions. The use of human cadavers for this purpose is potentially controversial, as... Read More about The Ethical Considerations for Creating a Human Taphonomy Facility in the United Kingdom.

Testing Application of Geographical Information Systems, Forensic Geomorphology and Electrical Resistivity Tomography to Investigate Clandestine Grave Sites in Colombia, South America (2019)
Journal Article
Martin Molina, C., Wisniewski, K. D., Drake, J., Baena, A., Guatame, A., & Pringle, J. K. (2020). Testing Application of Geographical Information Systems, Forensic Geomorphology and Electrical Resistivity Tomography to Investigate Clandestine Grave Sites in Colombia, South America. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 65(1), 266-273. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.14168

Colombian forensic investigators required assistance locating clandestine burials of missing persons related to human right atrocities from 14 years ago. Geoscientific search methods were trialled, including a predictive spatial statistical model, us... Read More about Testing Application of Geographical Information Systems, Forensic Geomorphology and Electrical Resistivity Tomography to Investigate Clandestine Grave Sites in Colombia, South America.

The use of geoscience methods for aquatic forensic searches (2017)
Journal Article
Ruffell, A., Pringle, J., Cassella, J., Morgan, R., Ferguson, M., Heaton, V., …McKinley, J. (2017). The use of geoscience methods for aquatic forensic searches. Earth-Science Reviews, 171, 323-337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2017.04.012

There have been few publications on the forensic search of water and fewer still on the use of geoforensic techniques when exploring aqueous environments. Here we consider what the nature of the aqueous environment is, what the forensic target(s) may... Read More about The use of geoscience methods for aquatic forensic searches.

Discovery of a mass grave from the Spanish Civil War using GPR and forensic archaeology (2016)
Journal Article
Fernández-Álvarez, J., Rubio-Melendi, D., Martínez-Velasco, A., Pringle, J. K., & Aguilera, H. (2016). Discovery of a mass grave from the Spanish Civil War using GPR and forensic archaeology. Forensic Science International, 267, e10-e17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.05.040

An estimated 500,000 people died from all causes during the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939, with a further 135,000 killed after the war ended. There are currently over 2,000 known mass burial locations throughout Spain but many more are unkn... Read More about Discovery of a mass grave from the Spanish Civil War using GPR and forensic archaeology.

Semblance analysis to assess GPR data from a five-year forensic study of simulated clandestine graves (2015)
Journal Article
Booth, A. D., & Pringle, J. K. (2016). Semblance analysis to assess GPR data from a five-year forensic study of simulated clandestine graves. Journal of Applied Geophysics, 125, 37-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jappgeo.2015.11.016

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys have proven useful for locating clandestine graves in a number of forensic searches. There has been extensive research into the geophysical monitoring of simulated clandestine graves in different burial scenario... Read More about Semblance analysis to assess GPR data from a five-year forensic study of simulated clandestine graves.

Detection and characterisation of Black Death burials by multi-proxy geophysical methods (2015)
Journal Article
Dick, H. C., Pringle, J. K., Sloane, B., Carver, J., Wisniewski, K. D., Haffenden, A., …Cassidy, N. J. (2015). Detection and characterisation of Black Death burials by multi-proxy geophysical methods. Journal of Archaeological Science, 59, 132-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2015.04.010

The construction of the new Crossrail railway discovered 25 well preserved skeletons shallowly buried in Central London in 2013. Subsequent carbon dating and aDNA analysis confirmed the archaeological age and presence of the Yersinia pestis “Black De... Read More about Detection and characterisation of Black Death burials by multi-proxy geophysical methods.

Preliminary results of sequential monitoring of simulated clandestine graves in Colombia, South America, using ground penetrating radar and botany (2014)
Journal Article
Martin Molina, C., Pringle, J. K., Saumett, M., & Hernández, O. (2015). Preliminary results of sequential monitoring of simulated clandestine graves in Colombia, South America, using ground penetrating radar and botany. Forensic Science International, 248, 61 -70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.12.011

In most Latin American countries there are significant numbers of missing people and forced disappearances, 68,000 alone currently in Colombia. Successful detection of shallow buried human remains by forensic search teams is difficult in varying terr... Read More about Preliminary results of sequential monitoring of simulated clandestine graves in Colombia, South America, using ground penetrating radar and botany.

The use of magnetic susceptibility as a forensic search tool (2014)
Journal Article
Pringle, J. K., Giubertoni, M., Cassidy, N. J., Wisniewski, K. D., Hansen, J. D., Linford, N. T., & Daniels, R. M. (2015). The use of magnetic susceptibility as a forensic search tool. Forensic Science International, 246, 31 -42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.10.046

There are various techniques available for forensic search teams to employ to successfully detect a buried object. Near-surface geophysical search methods have been dominated by ground penetrating radar but recently other techniques, such as electric... Read More about The use of magnetic susceptibility as a forensic search tool.

Search protocols for hidden forensic objects beneath floors and within walls (2014)
Journal Article
Ruffell, A., Pringle, J. K., & Forbes, S. (2014). Search protocols for hidden forensic objects beneath floors and within walls. Forensic Science International, 237, 137 -145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2013.12.036

The burial of objects (human remains, explosives, weapons) below or behind concrete, brick, plaster or tiling may be associated with serious crime and are difficult locations to search. These are quite common forensic search scenarios but little has... Read More about Search protocols for hidden forensic objects beneath floors and within walls.

Geophysical Monitoring of Simulated Clandestine Graves Using Electrical and Ground-Penetrating Radar Methods: 0–3 Years After Burial (2012)
Journal Article
Pringle, J. K., Jervis, J. R., Hansen, J. D., Jones, G. M., Cassidy, N. J., & Cassella, J. P. (2012). Geophysical Monitoring of Simulated Clandestine Graves Using Electrical and Ground-Penetrating Radar Methods: 0–3 Years After Burial. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 57(6), 1467 - 1486. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2012.02151.x

This study provides forensic search teams with systematic geophysical monitoring data over simulated clandestine graves for comparison to active cases. Simulated "wrapped" and "naked" burials were created. Multigeophysical surveys were collected over... Read More about Geophysical Monitoring of Simulated Clandestine Graves Using Electrical and Ground-Penetrating Radar Methods: 0–3 Years After Burial.

Geophysics and the search of freshwater bodies: a review (2010)
Journal Article
Pringle. (2010). Geophysics and the search of freshwater bodies: a review. Science and Justice, 141 -149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scijus.2009.09.001

Geophysics may assist scent dogs and divers in the search of water bodies for human and animal remains, contraband, weapons and explosives by surveying large areas rapidly and identifying targets or environmental hazards. The most commonly applied me... Read More about Geophysics and the search of freshwater bodies: a review.

Electrical resistivity survey to search for a recent clandestine burial of a homicide victim, UK. (2010)
Journal Article
Pringle. (2010). Electrical resistivity survey to search for a recent clandestine burial of a homicide victim, UK. Forensic Science International, e1 - e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2010.04.023

This case report details an electrical resistivity survey to assist the search for a suspected 1-year-old clandestine burial of a murder victim in North Wales in the UK. Conventional search techniques (victim recovery dogs and probing) proved unsucce... Read More about Electrical resistivity survey to search for a recent clandestine burial of a homicide victim, UK..