Which methods are used to identify a deceased person?

• A. Dental records
• B. All of the above
• C. DNA
• D. Fingerprints

Answer: (B)

Identifying a deceased person relies on multiple independent methods to confirm who they are, because each method works best in different situations and can compensate for the limitations of the others. Dental records involve matching antemortem dental work and radiographs with what’s found in the decedent, which is often preserved even when soft tissue is not. DNA analysis compares genetic material from the remains to reference samples, offering high reliability even when other identifiers are missing or degraded. Fingerprints provide a rapid, pattern-based identification when prints are recoverable and usable, either from the decedent or from a corresponding database. Using these methods together increases the certainty of identification, since corroborating evidence from different sources reduces the risk of misidentification.