Facial reconstruction to identify man

Detective Sergeant Roger Small is hoping that a combination of science and art will help solve a 20-year mystery.
Waitakere police have been trying to identify a body found in the Waitakere ranges since its discovery 18 months ago, and have now turned to facial reconstruction to help with identification.

Roger says while there are no suspicious circumstances in the man’s death, which occurred some time between 1987 and 1992, they are keen to identify the body.

“Sadly he really is the true John Doe. We would like to provide some closure for him and his family, and to be able to give him a name.”

Roger enlisted the help of cardiologist Dr Jonathan Christiansen, who spent several months and many hours of his own time, painstakingly recreating the face.

Dr Christiansen says the procedure is scientific in building up the form and shape of the face from the skull. “But I really believe it’s more artistry in the end.”

The reconstruction process begins with a careful examination of the skull, followed by placement of markers indicating the expected maximum tissue depth at designated anatomical boney landmarks.

Facial musculature and soft tissue are constructed in sculptor’s plasticine, ultimately leading to an artistic rendition of the deceased’s face.

Difficult structures such as the nose, lips and ears – where there are minimal clues from the skeletal framework – are completed using recognised norms and empirical rules.

“It is this last stage that is the most challenging, and which has the greatest potential to introduce error,” says
Dr Christiansen.

The final reconstruction. The reconstruction began with placement of markers indicating estimated tissue depth, then facial muscles and soft tissue were added, then ears, nose and lips were completed using ‘recognised norms and empirical rules’. Photos: Mark Sleeman, TVNZ

He became interested in the technique while a summer student working with Dr Tim Koelmeyer in the Forensic Pathology department at Auckland University School of Medicine in 1990. There was little experience of using this method in New Zealand so he is largely self taught.

Science or art, Dr Christiansen’s work in facial reconstruction has got results.

The two reconstructions he’s done for police in the past both reaped positive identifications, the first one immediately and the second two years after the reconstruction was created.

Roger is aware that after such a long time it may be difficult to get an identification with this case. “But we hope by getting images of the facial reconstruction out in the media, some-one will see it, and come forward with information to help us confirm an identify.”