Finding into death of Marysville Unknown DVI

FORM 37 Rule 60(1)

FINDING INTO DEATH WITH INQUEST Section 67 of the Coroners Act 2008 Court reference: 1536/09 Inquest into the Death of MARYSVILLE UNKNOWN DVI 10910 Delivered On: 13th May, 2011

Delivered At: Coroners Court of Victoria Level 11, 222 Exhibition Street, Melbourne 3000

Hearing Dates: 13th May, 2011 Findings of: JUDGE JENNIFER COATE Place of death: Unknown

Police Coronial Support Unit (PCSU): Senior Constable Kelly Ramsey

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FORM 37 Rule 60(1)

FINDING INTO DEATH WITH INQUEST Section 67 of the Coroners Act 2008

Court reference: 1536/09 In the Coroners Court of Victoria at Melbourne I, JUDGE JENNIFER COATE, State Coroner having investigated the death of: Details of deceased:

Surname: UNKNOWN DVI 10910

First Name: UNKNOWN

Address: MARYSVILLE AND having held an inquest in relation to this death on 13th May, 2011 at Melbourne find that the identity of the deceased was UNKNOWN and death occurred on an UNKNOWN DATE at an UNKNOWN LOCATION

from la. UNKNOWN

in the following circumstances:

1. The remains contained in case number 1536/09 were located in a shed at the rear of a residential property in Marysville in the wake of the massive fires on the seventh of February 2009.

2. The remains were located by a Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team working on the retrieval of persons missing as a result of the bushfires.

4, These remains were conveyed to the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine. The remains were thereafter examined by forensic pathologist Dr David Ranson who completed a report.

5. Dr Ranson advised that the remains comprised large portions of human bones which appeared extremely light, indicating they were probably dried bones prior to the fire. On examination Dr Ranson advised that he found an almost complete vertebral column together with portions of sacrum, long bone shafts, skull base, skull vault, pelvis, jaws, ribs and digits.

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6. Dr Ranson advised that the bone fragments remaining did not suggest the presence of more than one individual. He advised many of the fragments of bone showed evidence of old saw cuts as may be found with a medical anatomical specimen.

7. Dr Ranson found several of the fragments of skull showed metallic fixtures including screws, hooks and springs and islets. The spring found was attached to a portion of ramus of mandible, a feature common to anatomical medical skeletal models.

8. Dr Ranson concluded that the multiple portions of these remains showed features to suggest that they came from a medical anatomical specimen. He noted that the screws and clips he found were often found in medical teaching specimens.

9. Police contacted the current owners of the property, who advised police that the property had been purchased from a doctor. Senior Constable Peter Collier of the Marysville police contacted that doctor who was not aware of a specimen being at the address and stated that he had sold his model many years ago to an orthopaedic student. Neither party could assist with any other information as to how the specimen came to be at the address.

Conclusion

10. Given the available evidence, it is not possible to make findings as to identity, where or when or in what circumstances the person died,

11. However, given the examination and opinion of Dr Ranson, I am satisfied that the remains come from a medical skeletal specimen that was in situ at the time the fires swept through on February 7, 2009.

Signature:

udge Jennifer Coate State Coroner Date: 13th May, 2011

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