A new study led by Flinders University Associate Professor Ian Moffat and his team is trying to improve how the hidden graves of murder victims are found using advanced soil imaging technology. Moffat, an expert in archaeology and geological techniques, has researched ways to map underground areas to locate historic graves.
In an article co-authored by Moffat and published to The Conversation in September, alongside Victoria Berezowski and Xanthe Mallett, the team discusses the challenges police face in finding hidden bodies. In the article, it’s explained, “To avoid being caught, murderers often attempt to hide bodies using various methods. This can include shallow or deep burials, submersion in water, encasing in concrete, or even disposing of remains in rubbish bins and suitcases.”
Finding the remains is a crucial part of any murder investigation because it helps police identify, prosecute, and charge the suspect. But, this task can be incredibly difficult, often leading to cases remaining unsolved for a long time, and families never getting closure.
To help solve this, Moffat and his team tested two new techniques: ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). Their study, published in the journal Remote Sensing, shows these methods can successfully locate unmarked graves under certain conditions.
“Our results clearly demonstrate that geophysical methods can be effective for locating unmarked graves under some circumstances, but don’t always work,” the article reads.
“To try and work out why, we will continue our research using the latest geophysical instruments and monitoring the moisture conditions inside the graves.”
Similar studies have been conducted in the UK, the US, and South America, but this is the first systematic survey of hidden graves in Australia using multiple geophysical techniques. Moffat believes their research could help find missing and murdered victims, allowing families to finally get answers and increasing the chances of catching the killers.
For more details about this research, read the full article here.
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