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A Clandestine Burial in Costa Rica Prosp
A Clandestine Burial in Costa Rica Prosp
4
doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00765.x
CASE REPORT Available online at: www.blackwell-synergy.com
ABSTRACT: This case report describes the search for a clandestine grave in Costa Rica for which the police sought the assistance of an archae-
ologist. An anonymous informant suggested that the victim had been kidnapped and murdered, placed in a shallow grave in the woods, then covered
with lime and cement. A search of the area to detect conventional signs of burial (e.g., slumping, different plant growth) resulted in excavation of
unrelated features of past disturbance. Different aspects of the grave including the deposition of cement powder over the body prevented its initial
discovery. Improvisation of conventional archaeological excavation methods and use of police familiar with archaeological excavation resulted in the
location of the grave and exhumation of the victim without loss of important contextual evidence that supported testimony on the cause of death.
The taphonomic effects of high-lying ground water and lime in the tropical burial environment are briefly discussed. Recommendations such as the
construction of a temporary sump to lower the ground water level in the grave during excavation are made to assist in similar investigations in the
future.
KEYWORDS: forensic science, forensic archaeology, grave detection, grave excavation, Costa Rica
1
Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Preliminary Search
Canada V5A 1S6.
Received 21 May 2007; and in revised form 7 Oct. 2007; accepted 22 Initial inspection of the area delimited 10 places of interest des-
Nov. 2007. ignated by the archaeologists with flags for further investigation.
Criteria for areas of interest included topographical depressions, and small pieces of plastic were found mixed into the soil. It was
areas with distinct vegetation, places free of larger trees (i.e., those believed that these artifacts were the result of relatively recent, tem-
that would be older than two and a half years), large roots, and porary occupation of the site by seasonal coffee bean harvesters. It
immovable rocks and boulders. A thin metal probe (4) was also was not possible to determine how long it took the two natural lay-
used cautiously to detect areas of lesser subsurface compaction, ers to form above these finds and thus if this domestic garbage
which could indicate that it had been disturbed, perhaps by digging. could have come before or after the alleged burial. The third natu-
The area was surveyed and mapped electronically with a total sta- ral layer of compact silty clay was reached through excavation and
tion (a theodolite with an electronic distance measuring device), it appeared to be undisturbed. The compaction and appearance of
prior to any intrusive search and excavation. At the same time as the soil indicated that there had been no prior disturbance at this
the mapping, a foot search was conducted across the area. depth in this area.
to the layer of possibly unstable cement, it was decided that one of more durable synthetic material or blend. A leather belt was around
the walls along the length of the grave should be removed so as to the pelvic bones and a fourth plastic bag, with strips of electrical
view the profile of the grave and the extent of the cement. This tape on it was lying over the torso. The belt strongly suggested that
would allow for a more informed decision as to how best exhume the body had been wearing pants at the time of burial and, as with
the remains and examine the grave and its contents. Removal of the button thread, they had subsequently degraded in the grave,
the upper half of the wall revealed lime, with a third plastic bag almost certainly having been made of natural fibers. Two of the
mixed into it. The lime sloped inward towards the base of the plastic bags had probably been used to carry lime, as they were
grave, and removal of more of the wall could have affected the sta- below the concrete and one appeared to have been reinforced with
bility of the lime and its ability to support the cement. Therefore, the electrical tape, presumably to prevent it from breaking. No
excavation of the side wall ceased. The presence of cement and weapon was found.
lime both confirmed the information given by the anonymous caller At the bottom of the grave, at the level of the water table, was a
to the police. large section of saponified flesh and skin, with pores still visible.
Removal of soil from the edge and outside of one of the two The state of preservation was probably a result of the flesh having
ends of the grave was deemed necessary. Doing so in horizontal been in water (7). The lime may also have been a factor, although
spits that were separated for sieving resulted in the discovery of it must be remembered that only at the lowest level of the grave
blowfly pupae cases and hair at the lowest levels excavated. There was soft tissue found, whereas lime was along both sides of the
was no lime at the end of the grave and a cranium was observed grave. Therefore the effect of lime or at least a specific type of
beneath the concrete. This led to the conclusion that the remains lime, on the decomposition of soft tissue must be explored in con-
were human, that the body was probably lying on its right side and sideration of all of the other variables at work in this environment.
that the cement layer appeared to be quite superficial. For this rea-
son, we began to remove the cement first, then the grave contents,
Discussion
all in the reverse order in which they had been originally placed.
Attempting to lift the cement layer showed that it broke freely The complicated nature of the site (a very active biological envi-
into smaller pieces, which were then lifted without affecting the ronment with various modern events affecting the natural context),
contents of the grave below. Beneath the cement, small pieces of and of the grave (the uncertain relationship between the human
lime were observed above the body whereas the walls of the grave remains, possible other artifacts, lime, and cement), necessitated
were lined with lime. Within the grave were the skeletonized unconventional excavation methods. Excavation of a test pit into
remains of an adult. The natural ground water level was slightly sterile soil for comparison purposes and use of police familiar with
above the base of the grave. The water meant that the full contents archaeological excavation ensured a more controlled and efficient
of the grave could not be observed before removing some of the site investigation. Knowledge about the local area and the seasonal
remains, which then allowed for water to be drained. presence of coffee bean harvesters helped explain modern, nonfor-
The maximum length of the grave measured 99 cm and the ensic intrusions. All of these things saved search and excavation
mid-point was 43 cm in width. The depth was difficult to assess time that was critical given the heavy rainfall every afternoon dur-
due to the waterlogged base of the grave but was about 50 cm. ing this time of year which complicates fieldwork.
The body and legs were partly flexed and the arms tightly flexed. Surface indicators such as depressions and anomalous vegetation,
The skull had dark cloth wrapped around it, indicative of a possible while generally good signs of previous ground disturbance, were in
blindfold (Fig. 1). Slightly rusted handcuffs were locked at the this case the result of other modern nonforensic activity. Neither of
wrists. Other artifacts included a dark colored shirt and white but- these things was present in the area of the grave because the
tons. The buttons were not attached to the shirt and it was deduced cement above the burial prevented the ground surface from
that they must have been sewn onto the shirt with a natural fiber depressing following the decomposition of the bodys soft tissues.
that deteriorated after burial, the shirt more likely consisting of a The cement also prevented plants from taking root above the grave,
resulting in the opposite of what might normally be expected when
plants take advantage of greater aeration, moisture, and nutrients
created by the decomposing body. The lack of vegetation here,
however, was not unique to the area of the grave, as the heavy
rainfall down the slope, acidic soil, and tree cover allowed only for
limited, smaller vegetation (e.g., occasional ferns).
The anonymous call appeared to give accurate information
regarding the cause of death stating that the victims throat was
cut. It is possible that the insect pupae cases discovered only in the
area of the head were the result of eggs laid at the site of such a
wound. It was also recognized, however, that blowflies typically
lay their eggs at natural orifices such as the eyes, nose, and mouth
as was noted during a decomposition experiment in the same gen-
eral area of Costa Rica (8). These observations were documented
by this author and reference made to Smith (9), although it was
also asserted that an entomologist must be consulted with reference
to this type of evidence. During the trial, however, it was noted that
the cause of death had not been established and therefore the wit-
ness allegation that the throat of the victim had been cut remains
unproven (10).
As the base of the grave was slightly lower than the ground
FIG. 1Grave in plan view. water level, it is believed that the water in the grave could have
796 JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
Acknowledgments
The author wishes to thank Ricardo Vazquez of the National
Museum of Costa Rica and members of the Fiscala and
Organismo de Investigaciones Judiciales of Costa Rica for their
collaboration and support with the case work. The author is also
indebted to Professor Mark Skinner and Maria Hillier of Simon
Fraser University for their kind and helpful comments in the
FIG. 2Creation of a sump near the grave can facilitate excavation and preparation of this report.
exhumation. By removing water from the sump, the ground water level can
be temporarily lowered, thus also lowering the water level in the grave.
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Additional information and reprint requests:
tion via photography, video, electronic mapping, and written notes Derek Congram, M.Sc., M.A.
and sketches, the burial context and contents could be interpreted Department of Archaeology, EDB 9635
to a satisfactory degree and important associations such as the Simon Fraser University
empty pupae cases being recovered only towards the head, were 8888 University Drive
Burnaby, BC
established. Canada V5A 1S6
The identity of the victim was established via DNA analysis, E-mail: [email protected]
and four suspects were tried for kidnapping and murder. Due to an