THE BONE EXAMINER
Robert R. Paine, Ph.D., solves mysteries associated with forensic cases in a small, secluded room where remains of bone fragments lay scattered on wooden tables.
Written by Angela Loston
In a small, secluded room, remains of bone fragments lay scattered on wooden tables. Human and animal bones can be found in this laboratory alongside microscopes and other equipment used to examine bone. At first glance, this room can be easily mistaken as a typical classroom lab used by students of anthropology, but that is not its only purpose. For Robert R. Paine, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, this room is where he solves the mysteries associated with forensic cases, which can lead to a positive identification of the remains.
"Doing forensic work means sitting down in a lab with the bones and spending time examining them in order to figure out what the bones can reveal about the individual," Paine said.
As a forensic anthropologist, Paine investigates homicides, suicides, accidental deaths and natural deaths. When conducting an investigation, Paine said he does a specialized form of autopsy via examining the skeletal remains. Through his examinations, he is able to unlock the mystery of a puzzling death by discovering a deceased person's age, sex, height, cause of death and health status. Criminal investigators use his forensic analysis during their investigations, providing them with crucial information that often reveals who the bones represent and what may have happened to the person prior to their death. When working on a case, he works with a team of investigators that include the forensic pathologist, local law enforcement officers and other specialists.
"I think it is important to emphasize that I am only one member of an entire team of criminal investigators," he said. "I offer a piece of the puzzle which may help to solve the case."
Paine said the work can take more than a month to complete a forensic investigation that encompasses both a lab analysis and report writing. During the investigation, the analysis of the skeletal remains can take many hours while the forensic report may take several months to complete.
In one case he investigated 12 years ago, Paine said he used another area of his expertise, bone histology, to help solve a murder. This scientific procedure is used to examine bones at a microscopic level to determine their origin. The case involved a teenager who was killed by a blow to the head from a lead pipe. Once law officials examined the murder weapon, a lead pipe cane, they discovered a piece of bone inside of the pipe. The small bone fragment was sent to Paine for him to determine whether it was of human or animal origin. Through using bone histology, Paine was able to confirm that the bone was of human origin, and the suspect was linked to the crime.
While he was attending graduate school at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Paine developed a keen interest in forensic science. By working closely with his mentor, Samuel D. Stout, Ph.D., a forensic anthropologist, Paine was exposed to forensic casework.
"The field of forensic anthropology was not well-advertised during the time when I was an undergraduate and graduate student," Paine said. "Today, I meet with students on a regular bases who have inquiries about the field of forensic anthropology. I think those questions come from reality-based television programs that show forensic scientists and medical examiners solving crimes. It takes someone who is very dedicated to science to become a forensic specialist. For myself, it involved many years of training as a graduate student in anthropology. Once students realize there is a lot of work involved with very little pay, many of them lose interest in the field."
Currently, Paine said he, along with officials of the Texas Tech University's Health Science Center, are working toward establishing a forensic research center for the university, the West Texas Regional Forensic Sciences Institute.
Along with his forensic work, Paine said he has an interest in using bone analysis to document health problems in past populations. In order to detect various illnesses, Paine uses paleopathology, the study of skeletal lesions seen in the burial of past cultures. He said the use of paleopathology has contributed to the discovery and history of illnesses such as osteoporosis, tuberculosis and osteoarthritis. By studying paleopathology, Paine said anthropologists are able to gain an understanding of present health conditions from studying the past. "
In doing so we have a way to predict how present lifestyles will affect our health by seeing how lifestyles affect the health of past populations. We have realized these diseases are related to the environment, behaviors and life choices," he said.
During the summer, Paine will visit Rome for six weeks as a visiting professor at the Universita La Sapienza. He intends to collect bone samples from a Roman period burial population with the purpose of doing a health assessment of the burials via histological examination of bone. The results from this project will be used to compare their health status to that of other skeletal populations with differing lifestyles.
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