The Washburn University Forensic Anthropology Recovery Unit (WU-FARU) was founded in 2017 and is directed by Dr. Alexandra R. Klales, D-ABFA, Associate Professor of Forensic Anthropology at Washburn University. Dr. Klales is a board-certified Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Anthropology (#123), a Member of the Anthropology Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and editor of the journal Forensic Anthropology.
To request forensic services of the WU-FARU, please contact Dr. Klales at alexandra.klales@washburn.edu or 785.230.7338.
State of the art methods will be used to search, locate, document, and recover human remains and evidence from outdoor scenes in a timely fashion using the principles of forensic archaeology and forensic anthropology. Recovery of the remains and evaluation of context at the scene allows me to provide information about time since death and a forensic taphonomic analysis. Aside from traditional surface scatter and buried body cases, Dr. Klales specializes in mass disaster and fatal fire recoveries.
A variety of morphological and metric methods will be used to assess the biological profile of the decedent including sex, age-at-death, ancestry, and stature. This information, along with individualizing characteristics, will be presented in a formal report for law enforcement, coroners, and medical examiners offices to help aid in the identification process.
Images can be quickly and easily sent via text message to 785.230.7338 or via email to alexandra.Klales@washburn.edu for evaluation of forensic significance and differentiation of human from non-human bones. Please take images from multiple angles and include some form of scale for reference.
Individualized training seminars and field exercises are available for varying duration in forensic archaeology, forensic anthropology, trauma analysis, forensic significance, fatal vehicle/structure fires, mass disaster recoveries, and laboratory methods in forensic anthropology. These course can be tailored to your specific wants and needs.
Determine bone trauma timing as antemortem, perimortem, or postmortem. Differentiation of sharp, blunt force, ballistic, and fire trauma. Recognition and analysis of child and elder abuse is also available. Trauma analysis has the potential to contribute information related to the cause and manner of death.