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Book Review, © Copyright 1998, Jim Loy
This book is subtitled: The Strange and Fascinating Cases of a Forensic Anthropologist. This man is a scientist who identifies human remains (mainly bones) and finds clues which solve crimes. Here we read fascinating stories of frustratingly unsolved cases, satisfying triumphs, and challenging puzzles. There are satisfying cases in which the sheer accuracy of the scientific evidence forces the defendant to change his/her plea from "not guilty" to "guilty."
The book tells of the seemingly impossible Meek-Jennings case, in which 10,000 burned bone fragments had to be reassembled, in order to identify the two bodies. There is the amazing account of how the remains of American soldiers, found in Vietnam, are still being identified. There is the identification of the body of Francisco Pizarro, brutal 16th century conqueror of Peru. It is shown that President Zachary Taylor had not been murdered. There is the identification of the bones of the Romanov family, the last ruling family of Russia.
Near the end of the book, Dr. Maples says, "... The lamp of science, properly grasped and directed, can shine its rays into the very heart of darkness. It can seek out and snare the most artful evildoer in a bright, unequivocal beam of truth. It cannot raise the dead, but it can make them speak, accuse and identify the agent of death."
Note: Many stories have been told about Anastasia surviving, when the Romanov family was murdered by the Bolsheviks. The reason for this is that the Bolsheviks did not list her among those who where gunned down. Dr. Maples asserts, strongly, that Anastasia was among the bones that he examined.
To order this book, click Amazon.com (goes directly to this book).