09-17-2011 Topaz Mountain Search Yields Charred Wood and Decomp

bessie

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West Valley City police have concluded an investigation into a shallow grave found during a search of Utah's West Desert for clues in the disappearance of Susan Cox Powell.
Cadaver dogs had indicated that human remains were present what officials called a shalllow grave, but a dig found no human remains. Instead, the dig unveiled pieces of charred wood.
Video at link
http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-s...-near-topaz-mountain-20110917,0,1778540.story

About 100 pieces of wood ranging in size from a dime to a golf ball were dug out of the area, said West Valley City Lt. Bill Merritt. It is believed the wood would have been used to destroy human remains, he said.
Photos at link
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/52600721-75/police-site-wood-merritt.html.csp

Previous Thread
 
So wouldn't the wood contain DNA of the body it was it burning?
 
I don't really believe they can say no human remains were found at this point. If a body was cremated there, there would probably be teeth and small pieces of bone remaining. Those most likely won't be identified until they get to the lab. Unfortunately if there was a body burned there it is unlikely that they will get any DNA, as it would have been destroyed by the heat.
 
Updated with the latest news.

Here is a timeline of some recent events:

Jan - July 2011 - no notable activity on case

July 15, 2011 - Steve Powell says he will post portions of Susan Powell’s childhood journals online.

Late July - police call Sandy, former girlfriend of Steven Powell, about the report she gave of SP bragging about a cabinet full of Susan's stuff not found in earlier police search. They had not been in touch with her for many months prior to that.

around Early Aug - per police, they got a search warrant for the Powell home prior to the Ely search.

Aug. 18 - West Valley City police say there is a break in the case and that a search will be conducted in Ely, Nevada. Few other details are released.

Aug. 19, 20 - West Valley City police search abandoned mine shafts in Ely and say they are following up on information developed from a search warrant served earlier in the case. They find no signs of Susan and return to Utah.

Thurs Aug. 25 - Police execute a search warrant at the home of Steve Powell in Puyallup. Search completed at 10 p.m.

Friday Aug 26 11 p.m. - Per SP, JP decides to go camping. (25 hours after search completed.)

Saturday, Aug 27 12:00 a.m. - JP leaves with kids to go camping. (per SP, 1 hour after deciding to do so.)

Mon, Sep 12, 2011 - WVC police begin search of Topaz Mntn area in Delta, UT. Unlike Ely, this search includes a plane. Police say they are following up on information.

Tues Sep 13, 2011 - JP called by media to get his thoughs on the search, he says he is "too busy." WVC says "we have reason to guess there's a body out here..." referring to Topaz Mountain. Search continues.

Wed Sep 14, 2011 - At around noon, the search suddenly shifts 2 miles, based on a tip from Mr Tony Abbott, who noted suspicious activity there along a road.
At 1 p.m., Police have encouraged citizens to report any tips which may be connected to Susan Powell’s disappearance.
At 1:30 p.m. Report that "human remains found through cadaver dogs." And that a Medical Examiner is coming....

Thurs Sep 15 - Mr. Cox arrives at burial site, later says to media he was brought there by authorities. Police are giving cryptic reports about what has been discovered. They say the dirt has been recently disturbed at the site, that human remains have been found, but no bones. They are still digging and looking for more remains.

Fri Sep 16 - Still no body or bones discovered. They still have only dug two feet deep and now say they are no longer digging. Cadaver dogs still hitting on dirt in grave site. Sifting for decomp particles with equipment. Weather gets bad later in day, search postponed for Saturday.

Sat Sep 17 - Police announce that no body has been found, and that they have stopped digging. Will be searching the Topaz Mntn area again on Sunday. They are disappointed. They say they found charred wood that came into contact with human remains in the grave.


Sources: The Salt Lake Tribune, West Valley City Police Department, Kiirsi Hellewell, Charles Cox, media reports
 
I don't really believe they can say no human remains were found at this point. If a body was cremated there, there would probably be teeth and small pieces of bone remaining. Those most likely won't be identified until they get to the lab. Unfortunately if there was a body burned there it is unlikely that they will get any DNA, as it would have been destroyed by the heat.

I think the charred wood was from a campfire JP had made to light the area and stay a little warmer while he dug the grave (a long process in that freezing weather and ground.) When he was ready to put the body parts in the grave, he put the fire out and threw the charred wood into the grave first, to hide evidence of someone being there.

I don't see the point of cremation. The smell would be horrendous, and he already had a grave to hide the remains. It would also slow a process I am sure he wanted to wrap up as soon as possible.

MOO.
 
I agree, if a body was burned there, bones and teeth would still be present. Even when a body is professionally cremated, bone fragments can be found in the remaining ashes. To produce the level of heat necessary to destroy bone matter in an outdoor setting is very difficult without the use of certain chemical agents. With wood, I think it's nearly impossible. I'll do some research.
 
I don't really believe they can say no human remains were found at this point. If a body was cremated there, there would probably be teeth and small pieces of bone remaining. Those most likely won't be identified until they get to the lab. Unfortunately if there was a body burned there it is unlikely that they will get any DNA, as it would have been destroyed by the heat.

OK, so we know in order for the total cremation of human bones it has to be very hot heat and if not...then over a very long period of time. If they didn't find teeth or bones then a partial burned body had to be transferred somewhere else for burial or someone sat by a fireside for a long time and kept the fire burning. ?
 
Could the police ask to talk to the children? Or how about just allowing Mr. Cox to see his grandchildren and then going from there?
 
My understanding is the optimum temperature range for cremation is 1600 degrees to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit...JMHO
 
My understanding is the optimum temperature range for cremation is 1600 degrees to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit...JMHO

That's my understanding too. And it still takes more than an hour at that temp. I think the average temp of a campfire is 500 degrees (932 F).

It's not that you can't burn the body, I just don't think you could burn the bones into little bitty bits at 932. And yeah, I've read the stench is horrific.

ETA: It says it takes 2-2 1/2 hours at the cremation temps. http://www.nfda.org/planning-a-funeral/cremation/160.html
 
Some success has been noted in the recovery of DNA from burned remains. In 1991, Sajantila et al. reported successful DNA typing on all 26 samples extracted from 10 fire victims exhibiting extreme charring. Brown et al. recovered DNA from human early Bronze Age cremated bone from Bedd Branwen, Anglesey.
Experimental work by Tsuchimochi et al. in 2002 indicated that DNA could be amplified and typed successfully from dental pulp after teeth had been exposed to temperatures up to 300C (552F). Attempts were not successful using teeth exposed to temperatures above 300 C. (=552 F).

http://si-pddr.si.edu/jspui/bitstre...sic_evaluation_of_burned_skeletal_remains.pdf

A campfire temperature can burn as hot as 1200K =1700F
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen06/gen06272.htm

A blow torch can reach temps over 3600F.

They may not be able to find any DNA. :(
 
Not necessarily a dead body ---


"These charred pieces had something to do with decomposition," said West Valley Police Lt. Bill Merritt.

That means at some point, the charred pieces very likely came in contact with either blood or decomposing flesh or clothing that contained some of that material, he said.

As for how human decomposition got on the charred pieces, Merritt said, "There are so many different scenarios of what it could be."

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/...rred-wood-during-search-for-Susan-Powell.html

I withdraw my earlier opinion that LE needs a new spokesperson. I think that possibly it's that some news outlets need some new reporters.
 
My understanding is the optimum temperature range for cremation is 1600 degrees to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit...JMHO
Right, and an open wood fire wouldn't get that hot.

The hottest temperature in most wood fires are found in the red embers after the fire has been going for awhile. These temperatures are from 1200 degrees to 1500 degrees. However, since so much air is circulating around the fire, grates and other nearby object rarely exceed 1000 degrees.
http://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/QA_Templates/info/582/

I also found this article which explains how DNA is extracted from burned bones.

ETA:
When applied to bones soaked, burned or buried for up to nine years, this method increases the purity and yield of DNA with respect to the traditional phenol-chloroform method and significantly improves
multiplex STR genotyping using fluorescence-based methods. The results of this research will assist forensic scientists in the identification of DNA from victims whose bodies underwent significant trauma or burning, precluding the utilization of traditional forensic DNA identification techniques.
 
I agree, if a body was burned there, bones and teeth would still be present. Even when a body is professionally cremated, bone fragments can be found in the remaining ashes. To produce the level of heat necessary to destroy bone matter in an outdoor setting is very difficult without the use of certain chemical agents. With wood, I think it's nearly impossible. I'll do some research.

I did some research earlier this evening Bessie, and here is a bit of what I found.

<Please excuse this somewhat graphic, and possibly morbid, post but I think it might help give us some perspective on campfires, etc. Also please know that I am trying to be as respectful on this subject as I possibly can. TIA.>

When a body is cremated at a funeral home, etc., the heat is regulated to be from approx. 1400 to 2100 degrees Farenheit. It takes about an hour to cremate a 100-lb body. Seems to me, this is way-y-y-y hotter than any campfire our jp could whip up... And the oven for a cremation is lined with special bricks, and it is powered by diesel or by natural or propane gas; it is strictly controlled as to time, etc., etc., as well as the control by State and Federal laws. And even then, as we know, fragments are left behind. <end>

So, maybe I'm way off, but seems to me, there should be fairly significant remains left from a campfire -- at least some bone fragments and teeth. I have no idea how long a campfire would have to burn to accomplish this, etc., etc.

Hope this helps...
 
That's my understanding too. And it still takes more than an hour at that temp. I think the average temp of a campfire is 500 degrees (932 F).

It's not that you can't burn the body, I just don't think you could burn the bones into little bitty bits at 932. And yeah, I've read the stench is horrific.

ETA: It says it takes 2-2 1/2 hours at the cremation temps. http://www.nfda.org/planning-a-funeral/cremation/160.html

In the Alicia DeBolt case, the perp used gasoline. Poured it over her and left the scene. They found her so badly burned they couldn't recognize her, but much was left including tissue and clothing. (He poured the gasoline on specific parts, I believe, to try and destroy any of "his" evidence being on her. The sick $astard.
 
In the Alicia DeBolt case, the perp used gasoline. Poured it over her and left the scene. They found her so badly burned they couldn't recognize her, but much was left including tissue and clothing. (He poured the gasoline on specific parts, I believe, to try and destroy any of "his" evidence being on her. The sick $astard.

Do you mean she was so badly burned she there weren't any whole pieces left or that she was unrecognizable as a human in any way? Long bones gone and everything? Just curious. :seeya:

ETA: Oops! I totally misread your post. You said MUCH was left of tissue and clothing. Sorry!
 

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