Topic proposal
Marian Daud
Officer Hunkele
Human Identification
Jan 25th, 2022
Proposal Pape
My paper will discuss how to identify a dead body. Oftentimes, officers a
ive at a scene
of an unidentifiable body with no form of ID. I want to dive into how these bodies are late
identified and appropriate family members are notified. One way I plan on discussing how these
odies are identified is through tattoos.
For my introductory paragraph, I plan on discussing the basics of tattoos; why people get
them, the meanings they may have, and where people may go to get these arts. After my
introduction paragraph, I will continue to discuss how the ink from the tattoo can be a means to
identify a body and use that as a way to trace back to the artist. One way pathologists are able to
do this is by extracting a small amount of the dye and
inging it to the lab to be analyzed. Using
techniques such as atomic absorption spectroscopy or thin layer chromatography can lead to
pigments being identified and traced back to specific artists. I will continue going deeper into
what these techniques mean in other paragraphs.
To further discuss how important tattoos can be in identifying bodies, I will dedicate a
ief paragraph or two about “The Shark Arm Case” of 1935 in Sydney Australia. The story
details how a fisherman caught a shark and
ought it to an aquarium in Sydney while still alive.
After several days of the shark being in the aquarium, he vomited a human arm. Soon after the
incident, the arm began to be investigated at which they found a recognizable tattoo of 2 boxers
getting ready to fight. From there on, the police were able to identify the arm.
In other paragraphs, I will discuss a study done in Massachusetts that surveyed how
police officers feel about using tattoos as a form of identifying a body/person. The research
shows that 100% of the officers surveyed find that tattoos are an important supplementary
information. This research also discusses how tattoos are now a valid identification tool in the
criminal justice field, alongside the use of primary biometrics (fingerprints, DNA, face, etc etc).
I will end my paper by discussing my findings and analysis on the use of tattoos in identifying
odies.
1. Writer, Dictionary of Sydney staff, and Dictionary of Sydney staff writer. “Shark Arm Murde
1935.” Shark Arm Murder 1935 | The Dictionary of Sydney, 1 Jan. 1970,
https:
dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/shark_arm_murder_1935.
2. “What Is Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS).” SciMed,
https:
www.scimed.co.uk/education/what-is-atomic-absorption-spectroscopy-aas/.
3. Thin Layer Chromatography,
https:
www.chem.ucla.edu/~bache
General/30BL/tips/TLC1.html.
4. S;, Santiago M;Strobel. “Thin Layer Chromatography.” Methods in Enzymology, U.S.
National Li
ary of Medicine, https:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ XXXXXXXXXX/.
5. “Study Examines Role of Tattoos in Construction of Personal Identity.” University of Arkansas
News, University of Arkansas, 18 Dec. 2007,
https:
news.uark.edu/articles/11564/study-examines-role-of-tattoos-in-construction-of-personal-i
dentity.
For the research paper, pick a topic relevant to the course, and begin researching that topic
so that you become a mini-expert on that subject. Write a 5-7 page paper explaining the
topic and critically evaluating the citations you will be using. Demonstrate a thorough
understanding of the subject matter. Typically, I expect 5-7 references for a 5-7 page term
pape
Marian,
Your topic of Tattoos as a Method of Human Identification is approved.
Regarding the study on how police officers feel about tattoos - I would
ecommend not using it, as it is opinion. I would focus on factual aspects of
tattoos and how they are used to identify people. I would recommend having a
second case where a tattoo was used to identify an individual.
Looking forward to your paper and presentation!
Respectfully,
Mr. H.