In this video, we talk to three people experienced in forensic facial reconstruction to find out how they go about reconstructing a face.First, we’ll hear from the Mr. X case pathologist Professor Martin Evison and Forensic Anatomy graduate Daheen Lee, as they describe the process of conducting a reconstruction using clay. Professor Caroline Wilkinson then introduces us to a 3D computerised facial reconstruction system that she has developed for use in forensic and archaeological depiction.

Facial reconstruction is currently used in two principal contexts: forensic science and archaeology. In this video, Professor Caroline Wilkinson explains the circumstances where she has been asked to conduct a facial reconstruction.Caroline is Director of Face Lab, where she conducts research in many fields including facial identification, craniofacial reconstruction and facial animation. Caroline collaborates with museums, the police and the media to create and advise on craniofacial...

In this video, we hear from Senior Forensic Scientist, Nikki Taylor, who conducted the original facial reconstruction of Mr. X whilst working as an intern at the Medico-Legal Centre in 2000. Professor Martin Evison and Chief Investigating Officer Robert Varey had made the decision to reconstruct the face of Mr. X in order to launch a public appeal that would hopefully lead to a positive identification.At this time, Martin worked at the Medico-Legal Centre in Sheffield, where post-mortem...

How do you become an expert in Forensic Anatomy?In this video, we’ll hear from our course experts as they tell us how they came to be involved in forensic work.Continue learningIf you’re interested in a career involving forensic work, anatomy or biomedical science, why not take your interest further and study with us. Our undergraduate and postgraduate Biomedical Science degrees are designed for those with a strong general interest in modern biology who want to study at the forefront of the...

Daheen Lee, Anatomy Demonstrator at the School of Biomedical Science at the University of Sheffield, builds a full facial reconstruction from a skull in clay.'Mr X' was a badly decomposed body found in a holdall in Sheffield in January 2000. Before his murder could be solved police had to first identify who he was. To assist in that they turned to academics and students at the University of Sheffield who built a facial reconstruction. His story is told in the free open online course Forensic...

Here our story ends with the identification of Mr. X and the closure of the ‘body in the bag’ case for South Yorkshire Police.Firstly, we’ll hear from Nicola, as she recounts how they were able to match all of the information and close the case. We’ll then hear how satisfying it was for Nikki to know that she had managed to recreate an accurate depiction of Mr. X.

A knowledge of facial anatomy is vital to be able to reconstruct a face from a skull. In this video, we’ll explain the key muscle groups of the face and the order in which they are applied during a reconstruction.We filmed our anatomy demonstrator and course mentor, Daheen Lee, recreating the facial reconstruction of Mr X. Katherine has narrated this process, describing each muscle as it is applied to the skull. There is a lot of new terminology introduced in this video, but don’t worry about...

As part of their Biomedical Science undergraduate degree, students here at Sheffield undertake a Forensic Anatomy module where they are given a box of ‘anatomical evidence’ relating to an unidentified person. This evidence includes a skull, long bones, dental information and a post mortem report.Students apply forensic techniques to this evidence, including a facial reconstruction, to determine the identity and cause of death. One of the first tasks they are faced with is to analyse the bones...

As part of their Biomedical Science undergraduate degree, students here at Sheffield undertake a Forensic Anatomy module where they are given a box of ‘anatomical evidence’ relating to an unidentified person. This evidence includes a skull, long bones, dental information and a post mortem report.Students apply forensic techniques to this evidence, including a facial reconstruction, to determine the identity and cause of death. One of the first tasks they are faced with is to analyse the bones...

Our story starts with an accidental discovery. Two men walking through an industrial estate in Sheffield find a large sports bag containing a badly decomposed body.The men contacted South Yorkshire Police, who began to investigate the mystery. The case was taken by then Senior Investigating Officer and Chief Superintendent Robert Varey.In this video, Nicola Moyle, a Senior Crime Scene Investigator on Robert Varey’s team, introduces us to the case and the team of specialists that they enlisted...

Learn about the forensic technique of facial reconstruction from the experts involved in a real crime case in this free online course from the University of Sheffield.https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/forensic-facial-reconstructionSolve the mystery of the body in the bag On Saturday 22 January 2000, two men found a small holdall, abandoned on an industrial estate in the north of Sheffield. Upon opening the bag they made a gruesome discovery. A badly decomposed body. Who was this person? Why...