In all seriousness, what does a body look like after being soaked for 43 years?

[shortylickens]

Or for that matter, a car?

Remains of woman missing 43 years discovered in car found in river

LANCASTER, N. H. (WKRC/WMUR/CNN Newsource) - A 43-year-old mystery may be solved after human remains were discovered inside a car that was found in the Connecticut River. Alberta Leeman of Gorham, New Hampshire was reported missing on July 26, 1978. She was at 63 years old at the time. There...

wset.com

I read various news sites and not one report can tell me specifically how they know it is this woman. Seems they are guessing based on the car ID.

 

[kage69]

Depends on the water temp. A lake in New Hampshire? That body will look like a skeleton.

A couple Lake Superior wrecks still have bodies in them. Decidedly not skeletons.

 

[woolfe9998]

They can determine the gender from a skeleton.

 

[A///]

They can determine the gender from a skeleton.

Yep. From what I recall in biology, a trained eye can figure gender in a matter of seconds based on hip size and angle among other things in the spinal and pelvic area. Shoulders/clavicle too, IIRC.

 

[shortylickens]

They can determine the gender from a skeleton.

I never said they couldnt.

My question was, how did they know for sure it was that specific person.

 

[Pohemi]

I never said they couldnt.

My question was, how did they know for sure it was that specific person.

The article didn't explain that, but...I would guess by comparing her daughter's DNA with that of the corpse. If that weren't possible, by dental records would likely be the first go-to. They didn't exactly have DNA recordkeeping DBs in the 1970s, not sure how else they would match it.

If the woman had no dental records...then I'm not sure how they might ID the body with a high level of certainty, and not leave it to deductive reasoning.

As far as condition of the body after that amount of time submerged...besides water temp and salinity (it was fresh water, obviously) affecting decomposition, it'd also depend on how much water was able to circulate through the interior of the car. If all the windows had been down, it'd be only bones.

The car is likely a cage of rust and glass by now.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Body Farms exist. People donate their bodies to be left outside or under water or whatever other combination.
People study how the bodies decay.

Spoiler because it is a kind of gross video but don’t be afraid it is from National Geographic HOWEVER you will see dead people.

Spoiler

 

[hal2kilo]

I always find these finds interesting. In this case they will leave them lie.

Car Mystery Solved After 72 Years - CBS News

 

[compuwiz1]

They can determine the gender from a skeleton.

Why, yes they can!