Bodies

[CuriousMind90]

How is it possible that in so many of these cases--Hundreds, maybe even thousands--There's never even a body found? I would think for many parents/relatives of missing people even having a body would be better than never knowing what happened either way. At least then the person could be truly put to rest, properly, and even though it's a sad ending, it's still for the family closure.

Look at the Calico case, for example. That was what, 1988? 22 years and still not even a body or a hint of one.

I know for us people the Earth is a rather big place, but still...

[RobinW]

It's particularly bad in the case of Tara Calico as some police believe that she was hit by a truck the same day she disappeared and was buried somewhere in the desert. They apparently know who did it and have some evidence, but without her body, they cannot move forward any further and her family will never get confirmation that she's not the girl in the Polaroid.

Sadly, for ever missing person where no body is found, there are just as many bodies found that never get identified and you wonder how many of them are connected without anyone knowing it. And how many incredibly dumb criminals (i.e. Paul Pollis, Chad Noe, Mark Nichols) have gotten away with murder simply because they know how to hide a body where no one can find it?

[soilentgreen]

It's partly due to the same reasons you tend not to find animal remains in the woods. It's amazing how quickly vegetation takes over and 'sinks' remains, and post mortem predation and scattering by scavengers also assists in the process. Michael Rosenblum's case is a good example; all that was ever found was a fragment of his skull, after so many searches of the area were done.

The NamUs database and others don't have all of the recovered unidentified remains on it either. Some missing people either have no dental records or they were lost in the passage of time. There's limitations to identification by fingerprints, DNA and mtDNA. This also doesn't take into account, as RobinW posted, those remains that have been concealed by the murderers.

[cocytus]

Originally Posted by soilentgreen

It's partly due to the same reasons you tend not to find animal remains in the woods. It's amazing how quickly vegetation takes over and 'sinks' remains, and post mortem predation and scattering by scavengers also assists in the process. Michael Rosenblum's case is a good example; all that was ever found was a fragment of his skull, after so many searches of the area were done.

The NamUs database and others don't have all of the recovered unidentified remains on it either. Some missing people either have no dental records or they were lost in the passage of time. There's limitations to identification by fingerprints, DNA and mtDNA. This also doesn't take into account, as RobinW posted, those remains that have been concealed by the murderers.

I agree, poster. I think people also forget how small human body is in comparison to some of the areas where they have been dumped or that people have succumbed to exposure or illness.
The average size of a human female is about 5'4" tall and the weight is about 140 pounds. unless the body were clothed, it's very likely that after a week unless someone stepped directly upon it, it's unlikely that it would be found.A human male is much larger, but still a relatively small package.

That so many bodies are found, is a testament to both the skills of people searching for them in the general lazy nature of the killers that barely conceal them when they dump them.

[CuriousMind90]

Originally Posted by soilentgreen

It's partly due to the same reasons you tend not to find animal remains in the woods. It's amazing how quickly vegetation takes over and 'sinks' remains, and post mortem predation and scattering by scavengers also assists in the process. Michael Rosenblum's case is a good example; all that was ever found was a fragment of his skull, after so many searches of the area were done.

The NamUs database and others don't have all of the recovered unidentified remains on it either. Some missing people either have no dental records or they were lost in the passage of time. There's limitations to identification by fingerprints, DNA and mtDNA. This also doesn't take into account, as RobinW posted, those remains that have been concealed by the murderers.

What a truly horrible world we live in