If you’re a fan of all things crime-busting, plan on stopping by USF this Friday to see some real-life mysteries being solved.Through Oct. 16, forensic artists from around the country will convene on campus for a 5-day forensic workshop to re-open nine unsolved Florida-based homicide cases, with one dating as far back at 1967. USF will be working in conjunction with the Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science (IFAAS) at the University of South Florida, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and sheriff’s departments throughout the state on these cases.
Instead of manipulating the unidentified victim's remains, the skulls have been scanned, digitally rendered, and re-created into a 3D printed skull that the forensic artists can use to perform their facial reconstructions. Dr. Erin Kimmerle, USF anthropologist and Director of IFAAS, will be volunteering her lab to these artists. Using both scientific knowledge and ceramic hand-skills, forensic artist Joe Mullins, who first introduced the concept of pairing 3D printing with forensics, will direct the artists in molding clay over the 3D skulls and refining facial characteristics in hopes that they will be identified this way, and families can have closure at last. In addition to creating the facial reconstructions, Dr. Kimmerle and her team will also perform skeletal analysis and chemical isotope testing to help identify the homicide victims.
On Friday, the final busts will be unveiled at “The Art of Forensics: Solving Florida’s Cold Cases” event from 1-3 p.m. at the Waterman Gallery on the USF Tampa campus. Keynote speakers for the event are Thirteenth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Mark A. Ober and Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco. Additional guest speakers include Dr. Kimmerle and Dr. Eric Eisenberg, USF Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences. These keynote speakers, forensic artists, and sheriffs from the counties contributing to these cold cases will be available during the event to answer any questions.
For more detail about the Art of Forensics event, the scientifically artistic process and a full description of each cold case, please visit the USF's news blog here.
Fri., Oct. 16, 1-3 p.m. Richard A. and Patricia P. Waterman Gallery. Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences, SOC 111. 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa. Free and open to the public.
This article appears in Oct 8-14, 2015.