Saturday, October 28, 2000
Ky. body sleuths turn to Web
By Jim Hannah
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office put some of its most baffling work online. The name of the Web site says it all: Unidentifiedremains.net.
Dr. Craig
|
Click on a human skull icon, and up pops a page leading to images and information on six of the state's most recent cases — including one from Pulaski County in central Kentucky — in which forensic experts are trying to identify a body. (Viewer discretion is advised.)
The Web site was launched Friday during a press conference at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond — home to one of the nation's foremost police and forensic training schools. The site, maintained with the help of students, is designed to allow tips to be e-mailed.
“It is our goal to get national media coverage of unidentified victims here in Kentucky,” said forensic anthropologist Dr. Emily Craig of the state Medical Examiner's Office.
She said one problem in getting information out about these cases is that television and newspapers run stories on bodies found only in their area.
“A body found in Detroit is only covered by journalists in Detroit,” Dr. Craig said. “With today's transient society, just because a victim is found in Lexington doesn't mean they are from Lexington.”
Dr. Craig has been involved with victim identification since the late '80s. It is her primary job at the state Medical Examiner's Office. The office averages about 75 unidentified victims a year; most of the cases are solved within weeks.
Kentucky is one of the few states that know the number of unidentified remains found within it, Dr. Craig said.
Unlike Ohio, Kentucky has a centralized medical examiner's office in Frankfort that acts as a clearinghouse for all unidentified remains, Dr. Craig said. After a string of prostitute murders at truck stops along highways in Ohio, that state launched an un-
identified bodies database two years ago. Since then, 18 unidentified bodies have been entered in the Ohio database. Only one of those cases has been solved since the site was launched.
Georgia, Michigan and South Carolina are among the states that have unidentified-remains sites similar to Kentucky's.
The Kentucky site was dreamed up in 1998 by Dr. Craig after a case that baffled state investigators for more than 30 years was solved — through the help of the World Wide Web. The case has come to be known as the Tent Girl mystery because the body was found wrapped in a tent bag in Georgetown.
The son-in-law of the man who found the Tent Girl in 1968 became obsessed with solving the mystery, Dr. Craig said. He created a Web page dedicated to his cause. And the case was solved when the dead woman's sister visited the Web page and recognized police sketches of the body as her long-lost sister. No one has ever been arrested in the apparent murder.
The Kentucky site is being maintained by the College of Justice and Safety. The college provides technical assistance to local law enforcement agencies.
“It is not a pleasant site; it is not something that should be looked at for pleasure,” said Ryan Baggett, the Kentucky site's Web master.
“The site has been made mysterious. The skulls are placed there because that is what's found. The skulls are in no way to show disrespect.”
The Associated Press contributed.
Poll sees firm lead for Bush in Ohio
Volume raises fear of delays
N.Ky store faces obscenity charges
Clark Montessori's trademark: Music
Differences mark suspect, rapist
RAMSEY: CPS levy
Deerfield finances worrying Warren
Hidden office camera proves dud
Tristaters set to Make A Difference
HOWARD: Survivor
Museum's ex-director honored
Nephew gets 15 years to life
Payment pursuit brings award
Candidates please business
Grand jury indicts suspect on charge of murder in fatal shooting
Homes get heating help
Information about sludge flows slowly
Ky. body sleuths turn to Web
Lynne Cheney visits Owensboro elementary school
McNUTT: Save Main St.
Naberhaus makes 3 in race for commission seat
Political yard signs allowed, for now
Politics makes the grade
Program helps low-income reduce home heating bills
School board race focuses on finances
Social event of year in Ky.
Teachers trained to fill in
Urban center gets funding
Vote on liquor disputed
Kentucky News Briefs
Tristate A.M. Report
