More About Forensic Techniques Identify Hand from 1948 Plane Crash

On August 14, I published an article about forensic genealogy techniques used to identify remains from a newly-discovered 1948 airplane crash. The earlier article is available at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2008/08/cutting-edge-fo.html

Now Today at MSNBC has a video report on the press conference held simultaneously in Anchorage and in Washington, D.C. via an Internet video connection.

You can watch the video at: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26268040#26268040.

Comments

[Linda Aaskov]

This video of the "found" hand gives hope to many who have lost loved ones in plan crashes and others who have just disappeard and never found. Thank goodnes there are people with curious minds.As a rule genealogists have very curious minds, always seeking, always searching.

[PM Thomas]

But wait!! The MSNBC video only tells part of the story. In addition to giving identity to the hand found in the crash wreckage, there is a fascinating genealogical story of the successful search to locate next-of-kin for the deceased, Mr. Van Zandt. A second cousin, once removed, was located in Ireland as a result of the efforts of a team of scientists and genealogists including Colleen Fitzpatrick, PhD, who is a forensic genealogist and optical scientist. Dr. Fitzpatrick can just be seen in the MSNBC video on the right of the screen as the identity of the remains is announced. Too bad they left out the most interesting part of this story of DNA and genealogical research.