Fascinating Forensic Facts – Bodies and soil

In THE LUCCOMBE BAY MURDERS (15) (formerly published as A Deadly Wake) DI Andy Horton discovers a buried body exposed during a landslip on the Isle of Wight. 

Here are some  snippets of forensic facts uncovered during my research for this and for the others in the DI  Andy Horton mystery series.

Investigators will check whether the soil has been disturbed. They will look for any unusual depressions or indentations in the ground. As a body  beneath the surface decomposes, the soil above it will slump further into the  grave. The soil will also be looser and softer than the surrounding compacted  soil, which can be another indicator of disturbed earth.

Studying the soil  colour, texture and consistency can also be used to determine if the soil has  been previously disturbed.

Soil collected will be analysed by forensic soil scientists.  The type of soil a body is buried in can alter its rate of decomposition—acidic soil can cause a body to  break down faster than alkaline soil so this can be useful if the body has  been missing for several years.

Forensic archaeologists also look at plant growth or death, and at changes in appearance to an area. These clues can help  investigators obtain information regarding the presence of a possible  grave. 

So there you have it!

Inspector Andy Horton returns to his desk in Portsmouth CID after a tedious computer course in London to find there has been a series of highway robberies in his absence and an arson attack at the sailing club where the Chief Constable keeps his boat.  What’s more the Chief’s boat is one of three that have been set alight and he’s demanding action. 

But when the fingerprint bureau phone Horton to tell him the prints of an unknown man found dead in a log cabin in a secluded bay on the Isle of Wight match those of someone he met six months previously, Horton’s priorities are clear.

He travels to the island to identify the body but what greets him is totally unexpected.  As he follows the trail of the dead man, he uncovers some startling revelations into his own mother’s past and the truth behind her disappearance over thirty years ago.

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"A good yarn and above the usual standard. Well done and looking forward to book 16 and hopefully 17 onwards." Ray H Amazon