QIn my next novel, a limbless, headless torso is all that remains of the victim. Because the torso is unremarkable and lacking DNA for comparison, I assume that identification would be difficult. I am planning to have my victim be a pacemaker recipient. How would the patient’s files be tracked down for identification purposes?
Robert Scott
Author of the Jack Elton Mystery series
Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada
AWithout DNA, fingerprints, or dental records for comparison, investigators will use things like clothing, tattoos, scars, and, as you pointed out, surgical devices such as pacemakers, artificial joints, and a few other things. Tracing a pacemaker is very easy. It has the manufacturer’s name and the device’s serial number etched on its surface. Companies keep meticulous records of every device: who got it, what doctor implanted it, where and when the implant was done. The recipient’s name, address, and contact info would be part of this record. Same is true for joint replacement hardware.