Mmmm over time I've posted about the murder and dismemberment of various victims by Dennis Nilsen in the UK, and by Mario Schembri and Bernadette Denny in Australia (victim - Hermann Rockefeller). These cases involved the burning of the victim's remains after dismemberment, presumably in an attempt to eliminate evidence, but when this had failed they were required to resort to additional or alternative means of disposal.
In today's The Age newspaper I noticed another case in this style - Mark Twitchell is on trial in Canada for the murder of Johnny Altinger, who was:
It appears that burning of dismembered remains is preferred by these murderers (and I assume many others). I wonder if there's a connection in a sadistic or symbolic psychological sense, or if it's simply stupidity, use of what's available on hand, and a lack of understanding of the heat required to successfully turn burn to ashes?
I cannot imagine that forensics would fail to identify any human remains at the Baker house in the area of the fire, etc, or by the woodchipper. Years after Nilsen's murders they were able to identify tiny chips and fragments of bone that had failed to burn, and that had been subsequently smashed to pieces and mixed into the soil. Even through a woodchipper surely there would be fragments of bone?
Are there sewers or septic tanks/gully traps in Hickory? Could any remains have been disposed of in such locations?
I wasn't sure where to post this, as it's probably post-death discussion; please move to a more appropriate location if there is one.