Mexico: How Pig Carcasses Are Unearthing Secrets of Thousands of Missing Persons?
Modern Scientific Methods for Locating Mass Graves in Mexico
Introduction to Disappearances: This article explores modern scientific methods used in Mexico to locate mass graves of victims of gang-related violence. Since 2006, it is estimated that over 100,000 people have disappeared under mysterious circumstances, with approximately 15,500 disappearances reported in March alone this year, prompting researchers and humanitarian organizations to seek innovative solutions.
A Dark Reality in Jalisco State
Violence in Jalisco: In the Mexican state of Jalisco, famous for traditional Mariachi music and festivities, a dark reality hides: thousands of victims fall prey to violence associated with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is known as a transnational criminal organization, emerging from the "Milenio Cartel" and notorious for its excessive use of violence and organized media campaigns. Despite the strenuous efforts by groups like "Searching Warriors Group," finding the remains of the missing often proves futile. Hundreds of pieces of clothing and charred human remains, difficult to identify, have been found in searched properties.
Pigs as a Scientific Model for Studying Human Decomposition
Body Similarity: Recent research shows that using pig carcasses provides an ideal model for studying human body decomposition, due to the significant anatomical similarity between them and humans, as the human species shares 98% of its DNA with these mammals. This approach is essential because most human bodies donated to taphonomic facilities, known as "body farms", are usually from elderly individuals who die of natural causes. These facilities are research institutions specialized in studying body decomposition under various conditions to develop techniques that help determine the time and circumstances of death. This differs from gang victims, who are often adults who lose their lives due to violence. Furthermore, the similarity in skin structure and thickness makes pigs ideal for studying insect colonization after death and other decomposition processes.
Chemical Indicators for Graves
Phosphorus and Yellow Flowers: Forensic scientists in Jalisco have gained expertise in identifying distinctive signs of hidden graves. After burying pig carcasses at a search commission facility, scientists led by mapping project coordinator, José Luis Silván, observed the blooming of yellow flowers due to phosphorus leaching from decomposing body fluids into the soil. Another group of researchers, who conducted their own experiments on pigs, also linked soil phosphorus levels to the decomposition process. Phosphorus is known to stimulate plant flowering, making the presence of yellow flowers a guiding clue for grave researchers.
Aerial Techniques for Locating Burial Sites
Drones: Additionally, drones equipped with hyperspectral cameras, which are one of the applications of artificial intelligence, are used to detect other elements released during the decomposition of pig carcasses, such as nitrogen and potassium. Nitrogen, present in the organic tissues of living organisms, returns to the soil as inorganic ammonia when fungi and microbes begin to break down dead tissues. Potassium, on the other hand, can be released in the early stages of decomposition because it does not bind to carbon in organic form, making its presence a potential indicator for finding a recently missing person's body.
The Role of Insects in Forensic Science
Insect Analysis: Silván and his fellow researchers are also conducting real-time decomposition studies behind a transparent acrylic panel, analyzing soil samples from pig graves and comparing them to those taken from human graves. These studies are particularly important regarding insect activity, as some species, such as blowflies, colonize bodies early, while others appear later. The stages of larval development when a body is discovered can reveal the amount of time that has passed since death.
Evidence from Family Testimonies
Common Burial Sites: Information provided by family members who discovered clandestine graves revealed that victims of gang crimes are often found in specific locations, as grave diggers prefer to stay in the shade under the hot Mexican sun, leading to many of these graves being located under trees with vertical roots. Other graves can also be identified by the abnormal appearance of soil and vegetation compared to the surrounding environment.
International Call for Recognition of Researchers' Efforts
Necessity of Support and Recognition: In the context of this terrible tragedy, Amnesty International Mexico has called on the state to engage in dialogue with researchers, listen to their needs, and acknowledge the expertise they have gained over many years of fieldwork, while ensuring their right to conduct research without fear.
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