Forensic Art And The Hunt For A Killer
She is also a forensic artist and she's helping in the hunt for a killer. The only problem is that no one knows who the killer is or even who he or she killed.
The hunt begins in the woods outside North Bend in 1993. That's where a skull and partial skeletal remains were found. Twelve years later detectives still don't know who they found.
"Actually it's where science meets art," said Griffin.
With detailed forensic measurements and other specifics provided by the medical examiner's office Griffin re-created the face of a man killed by a massive strike to the back of his head.
He was a white male between 25 and 45 years old. He has a substantial overbite and evidence of dental restorations. He is case #93-758. Griffin hopes her drawing will help give him a name.
"I'm helping the people. I'm helping their family. Because their family would want to know," she said.
That is just one of 34 unidentified people who's fate rests at the King County Medical Examiner's Office. Dr. Kathy Taylor, a forensic anthropologist, explained how that mix of science and art might finally have them on a killer's trail.
"We recognize that there is a lot of information here," she said holding two "demonstration" skulls un-related to the missing persons cases. "And if you know how to read the bone you can read who this is."
They're also desperate to read who case #89-1106 might be. The skeletal remains were found by a road crew working between I-5 and Airport Way South near the Holgate Street bridge. With the help of forensic anthropologists another forensic artist has tried to bring her to life.
She was a white or mixed race woman who stood about 5'4". She was between 30 to 50 years old with dark brown or black short kinky hair.
She was wearing maroon thermal underwear with label reading "A. E. Morgan size M 34-36 Longjohns", and black and white wool socks.
A pair of white ankle length tennis shoes with aqua color piping size "USA 7 ½" and the word "Diadora" on the sole were found near the body. The woman was wearing a "Baylor" yellow metal wrist watch found on the left wrist.
She is also a murder victim. She died from a shotgun wound to the chest and 16 years later detectives still don't know who she is or who killed her.
"We know we have the remains of somebody that is missed and somebody who was loved, is still loved even though they are deceased," said Taylor. "So we do what we do so we can answer those questions for the people that are left behind."
So after hours of intricate scientific guesswork, mixed with forensic art, they hope that someone will recognize these faces.
"We're looking for even the smallest tip that might help us out," said Taylor.
They also hope that even that smallest tip will lead them to the killers who, so far, have gotten away with murder.
"Exactly," said Taylor. "(Someone) who's potentially walking free having committed a homicide and they're free because we don't know who they killed."
Anyone with information on either case is requested to call the King County Medical Examiner's Office at 206-731-3232, ext. 1.
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