“Without Dr. Snow’s expertise I feel we would have not been able to identify our victim. His expertise speaks for itself but his devotion to identifying the victim is nothing short of amazing”
-Detective Rich Lewis, Albuquerque Police Department, Cold Case Unit
Forensic Identification
Accurate forensic identification is a continuing problem confronting death investigators, medical examiners, coroners, victims’ families, and the law enforcement community. The growing problem of unidentified decedents in the United States and abroad is staggering.
Many forensic identification experts estimate the number of unidentified dead in the United States to be in excess of 40,000. Many of these individuals have remained unidentified for decades. Bureau of Justice statistics reports indicate that approximately 4,400 sets of unidentified remains are recovered each year, with more than 1,000 of these remaining unidentified a year later. The most common manner of death in these cases is homicide.
Identifying the Unidentified Dead
Since 2011 one of Dr. Snow’s primary objectives is his work to identify missing children. He has collected biometric data on more than 100 individuals and conducted more than 30 exhumations. Two of the exhumations resulted in the positive identification of two young females missing since 1968. More recently, Dr. Snow performed an exhumation that led to the identification of a 15-year-old boy who had been unidentified since 1961.
Also, Dr. Snow served on the National Registry of Unidentified and Missing Persons Working Group. He has worked with many law enforcement agencies and medical examiners to provide identifications and help close cold cases that were unsolved for years.
Dr. Snow is passionate about identifying the dead and bringing closure to their families.
Services Offered by Dr. Rick Snow
Expert Witness: Testifying for the Dead
Testifies in Federal and State court to explain anthropological findings and procedures.
Identifying the Unidentified Dead
Works with coroners and medical examiners to identify human remains as the first step in solving cold cases.
Human Remains Analysis
Assists attorneys and law enforcement in the determination of trauma, time since death, and biological profile. Examines autopsy reports for accuracy.
Body Search and Recovery: Assisting Law Enforcement
Assists law enforcement in the recovery of human remains from surface scatters, clandestine graves, and wells. Examines documentation for attorneys to ensure mistakes were not made during recovery that could jeopardize the case.