Death is a puzzle - at least when it comes to determining what causes it.
With the recent discovery of two bags containing human remains in the Red Cedar River, the Ingham County medical examiner and a team of forensic scientists are trying to piece together the mystery behind the disassembled body parts.
Police are waiting on DNA tests to confirm how many people's remains were recovered, said Sgt. Roy Holliday, of the Ingham County Sheriff's Department.
The science behind death is more commonplace than most people think, Ingham County Medical Examiner Dean Sienko said.
If a death is ruled as being suspicious, the body or bodies recovered from a scene undergo an investigation, he added.
"My job is to determine the cause and manner of death," Sienko said, adding that if it is sudden or suspicious, further tests and an autopsy might be conducted.
An autopsy consists of examining a body for markings and other signs of interference, Sienko said.
After that, a microscopic investigation is conducted, in which material from underneath fingernails and other body parts can be examined for evidence.
"One might send tissue off for special analysis," Sienko said. "Much of this is specific to the particular death involved."
The analysis involves specialists, such as forensic scientists, being called in to examine fibers, microscopic evidence or samples from a body to help determine a cause of death or link the deceased to a suspect.
Depending on how decomposed a body is and the conditions it is discovered in, many different types of scientists might be called into an investigation, Holliday said.
"If a body has been out in the elements, and is in an advanced statement of decomposition, you might want to bring in forensic entomologists who study the bugs that are feeding on it," he said.
Holliday said this can help determine a timeline for how long the individual has been dead.
Forensic pathologist Norman Sauer, who is also a professor of anthropology and social science, said a cause of death can also be determined by studying trauma to a person's bones.
"The best way to learn about a person is through the skeleton," he said. "Mechanisms of death leave marks on the skeleton. I have testified in cases involving evidence for bullet, knife and other types of wounds."
Sauer said he and Todd Fenton, another anthropology and social science professor, see about 60 to 70 cases involving skeletal trauma each year. About 25 of those cases involve identifying human remains.
Chris Bommarito, a forensic scientist at the Michigan State Police crime lab, said he analyzes fibers found on or near a body at a crime scene. This can help link a victim to a suspect.
"Typically, we try to see if there is an association between a material and a suspect," he said. "If there was a victim of a homicide, and I examined their clothing, I would look for something that would connect them to a suspect or place."
Bommarito said that little things such as body glitter can help bust a case wide open. By examining the size and shape of glitter found on a victim and in a suspect's residence, a link can be established, he said.
"It can be very important in some cases."
