1. 4/3/14 8:24 AMDeath toll in Washington mudslide rises to 30 as medical examiner identifies 1 more victim | Star Tribune
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EVERETT, Wash. — As medical examiners painstakingly piece
together the identities and lives of the 30 people known killed when a
mudslide wiped out a small Washington community, one mystery
troubles them.
One set of remains does not fit with the description on the missing
persons list, which, as of Thursday included 17 people.
The medical examiners know it is a male. But his remains give no clue
as to who he was, or who might be looking for him. They can't even
identify his age range. Without possible family members to compare,
DNA tests are useless. At this point, gold teeth are all they have to go
on.
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Death toll in Washington mudslide rises to 30 as
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April 2, 2014: Dennis Peterson, Snohomish County Medical
Examiner's office deputy director, talks about the tented area
behind him used for decontaminating bodies just outside an
intake area at the office in Everett, Wash.
Photo: Elaine Thompson, AP
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2. 4/3/14 8:24 AMDeath toll in Washington mudslide rises to 30 as medical examiner identifies 1 more victim | Star Tribune
Page 2 of 5http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/style/253689911.html
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The mystery underscores the tedious process of identifying remains
more than a week after the March 22 landslide that broke off a steep
hill, roared across the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River and
buried a community at Oso, about 55 miles north of Seattle.
Like the homes, the cars and the other parts of people's lives swept
away by the torrent of mud, some bodies are in pieces.
Norman Thiersch, the Snohomish County Medical Examiner, said the
goal of the team — which is made up of medical examiners,
detectives, dentists and others — is to make sure there's no doubt as
to the identities of the victims.
"This is not television," he said. "These are methodical, painstaking
processes we go through."
Although the identities of 28 of the 30 confirmed dead have been
determined, officials have so far released the names of only 27. Other
names are expected to be released by the end of the week.
HOW ARE THE BODIES PROCESSED?
When bodies or remains are found in the mudslide area, crews dig
them out and they are flown by helicopter to a nearby landing pad
where they are readied to move to the medical examiner's office in
Everett, about 30 miles from the scene. Once there, the bodies are
moved to a tented area for decontamination, where they are cleaned
in warm water. From there they are moved to the autopsy room where
examiners take fingerprints, look for signs of dental work and
identifying marks such as tattoos. When that work is complete,
remains are moved to a refrigerated area where they stay until funeral
homes make arrangements for burial or cremation.
WHY DOES IT TAKE SO LONG TO IDENTIFY BODIES?
The process for identifying remains, some of which are partial, is
careful work, especially when trauma is involved, Thiersch said.
"This isn't going into a room and saying, 'This is him,'" he said.
Efforts to identify using dental work, fingerprints or tattoos, can take
time and if that doesn't work, officials turn to DNA testing. But that
works best in cases in which a close family member can give a
sample for comparison. They've only needed to use DNA testing to
identify one of the slide victims. At the same time, detectives are
working to help determine identities by using information from
families, social media accounts and belongings from the site.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WORKING THERE? WHAT DO THEY
DO?
The regular staff of about 12 at the Snohomish County Medical
Examiner's office has been supported with dozens of professionals
from King, Pierce, Skagit and Kitsap counties and members of the Air
National Guard. Medical examiners are working with pathologists,
dentists and medical investigators to clean bodies, take fingerprints,
and note tattoos or other distinguishing features. Detectives and other
professionals do online research and call families to determine the
identities of the victims.
HOW DO WORKERS COPE IN THESE SITUATIONS?
People working at the medical examiner's office are doing everything
from calling family members to cleaning bodies and the stress takes a
toll. On Wednesday, a therapy dog named Paddington comforted
members of the Air National Guard and medical investigators.
Death toll in Washington mudslide rises to 30
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3. 4/3/14 8:24 AMDeath toll in Washington mudslide rises to 30 as medical examiner identifies 1 more victim | Star Tribune
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4. 4/3/14 8:24 AMDeath toll in Washington mudslide rises to 30 as medical examiner identifies 1 more victim | Star Tribune
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5. 4/3/14 8:24 AMDeath toll in Washington mudslide rises to 30 as medical examiner identifies 1 more victim | Star Tribune
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