Ellis R. Kerley
Encyclopedia
Ellis R. Kerley was a Canadian anthropologist, and pioneer in the field of Forensic anthropology
, which is a field of expertise particularly useful to criminal investigators and for the identification of human remains for humanitarian purposes. Best known for his work in age dating of specimens, Kerley also made humanitarian contributions by identifying the remains of repatriated American soldiers from the Korean
and Vietnam War
s.
Kerley published 40 papers during his lifetime and is considered by most to be a founding father of the science of Forensic anthropology. Kerley managed to take what was once considered a speculative field and transform it into a highly respected and scientifically accepted discipline. Kerley is most famous for his work in the identification of the remains of Josef Mengele
, the former Nazi
surgeon known as the "Butcher of Auschwitz
".
Kerley served in the U.S. Army during World War II
and later worked for the Army and the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. Kerley earned his B.A.
from the University of Kentucky
and his Masters
and Phd.
from the University of Michigan
. Kerley was employed during the 1950s with the U.S. Army American Graves Registration Service identifying the remains of deceased soldiers from World War II
and the Korean War.
During the 1960s Kerley developed what is now known in the field of Foresic anthropology as the "Kerley Method". This method examines thin cross sections of human remains, specifically long bones such as the femur
and humerus
and investigates areas of altered bone. As a human skeleton grows and matures during a lifetime, a condition similar to osteoporosis
occurs naturally. Cells replacing decaying bone matter actually eat away at existing bone, creating fragments which increase with age. Counting the number of these fragments in a cross section shows a corresponding increase of the fragments with an increase in the age of the person. The bone replacement ceases upon a persons death. Kerley's published work on the matter in 1965, was based on the study of 126 specimens whose ages were already known by the Smithsonian Institution
. In all but 11 specimens, the Kerley Method identified the remains within a margin of plus or minus 4.6 years. The subjects studied by Kerley ranged in age from 5 to 95. By the 1970s, the method was considered a standard in the field of Forensic anthropology for determination of age, and over 40 age determinations had been made, to even badly burned and disfigured remains with similar results.
In 1987 Kerley became the Forensic Anthropology Consultant and Scientific Director of the United States Army Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii
, where he oversaw the identification of repatriated Vietnam War remains. Kerley also contributed to hair analysis as it pertains to race, age, sex and cause of death. Child abuse
studies were also a field of expertise to Kerley by examining post mortem remains and identifying successive bodily injury which shows differing degrees of healing. From 1990 to 1991, he served as President of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences
.
Kerley worked on identifying the remains of victims of the Challenger space shuttle disaster, the mass suicide remains from Jonestown
, northwestern Guyana
, and the House investigations of the John F. Kennedy
and Lee Harvey Oswald
assassinations. Prior to his death, Kerley was heavily involved in the identification of repatriated American soldiers from the Vietnam War. Kerley held a full Professor
ship at the University of Maryland, College Park
. In 2000, the Ellis Kerley Foundation was formed in Kerley's honor to continue to advance the field of Forensic anthropology.
Forensic anthropology
Forensic anthropology is the application of the science of physical anthropology and human osteology in a legal setting, most often in criminal cases where the victim's remains are in the advanced stages of decomposition. A forensic anthropologist can assist in the identification of deceased...
, which is a field of expertise particularly useful to criminal investigators and for the identification of human remains for humanitarian purposes. Best known for his work in age dating of specimens, Kerley also made humanitarian contributions by identifying the remains of repatriated American soldiers from the Korean
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
s.
Kerley published 40 papers during his lifetime and is considered by most to be a founding father of the science of Forensic anthropology. Kerley managed to take what was once considered a speculative field and transform it into a highly respected and scientifically accepted discipline. Kerley is most famous for his work in the identification of the remains of Josef Mengele
Josef Mengele
Josef Rudolf Mengele , also known as the Angel of Death was a German SS officer and a physician in the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. He earned doctorates in anthropology from Munich University and in medicine from Frankfurt University...
, the former Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
surgeon known as the "Butcher of Auschwitz
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
".
Kerley served in the U.S. Army during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and later worked for the Army and the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. Kerley earned his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
and his Masters
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
and Phd.
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. Kerley was employed during the 1950s with the U.S. Army American Graves Registration Service identifying the remains of deceased soldiers from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Korean War.
During the 1960s Kerley developed what is now known in the field of Foresic anthropology as the "Kerley Method". This method examines thin cross sections of human remains, specifically long bones such as the femur
Femur
The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...
and humerus
Humerus
The humerus is a long bone in the arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow....
and investigates areas of altered bone. As a human skeleton grows and matures during a lifetime, a condition similar to osteoporosis
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis the bone mineral density is reduced, bone microarchitecture is deteriorating, and the amount and variety of proteins in bone is altered...
occurs naturally. Cells replacing decaying bone matter actually eat away at existing bone, creating fragments which increase with age. Counting the number of these fragments in a cross section shows a corresponding increase of the fragments with an increase in the age of the person. The bone replacement ceases upon a persons death. Kerley's published work on the matter in 1965, was based on the study of 126 specimens whose ages were already known by the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
. In all but 11 specimens, the Kerley Method identified the remains within a margin of plus or minus 4.6 years. The subjects studied by Kerley ranged in age from 5 to 95. By the 1970s, the method was considered a standard in the field of Forensic anthropology for determination of age, and over 40 age determinations had been made, to even badly burned and disfigured remains with similar results.
In 1987 Kerley became the Forensic Anthropology Consultant and Scientific Director of the United States Army Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, where he oversaw the identification of repatriated Vietnam War remains. Kerley also contributed to hair analysis as it pertains to race, age, sex and cause of death. Child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
studies were also a field of expertise to Kerley by examining post mortem remains and identifying successive bodily injury which shows differing degrees of healing. From 1990 to 1991, he served as President of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences
American Academy of Forensic Sciences
The American Academy of Forensic Sciences is a professional society for people in all areas of forensics.For over sixty years, the AAFS has served a distinguished and diverse membership. Its nearly 6,000 members are divided into eleven sections spanning the forensic enterprise...
.
Kerley worked on identifying the remains of victims of the Challenger space shuttle disaster, the mass suicide remains from Jonestown
Jonestown
Jonestown was the informal name for the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, an intentional community in northwestern Guyana formed by the Peoples Temple led by Jim Jones. It became internationally notorious when, on November 18, 1978, 918 people died in the settlement as well as in a nearby...
, northwestern Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
, and the House investigations of the John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
assassinations. Prior to his death, Kerley was heavily involved in the identification of repatriated American soldiers from the Vietnam War. Kerley held a full Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
ship at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. In 2000, the Ellis Kerley Foundation was formed in Kerley's honor to continue to advance the field of Forensic anthropology.
External links
- Image of Ellis Kerley (near bottom of the page)