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Skeletal evidence usually constitutes the only source of information to interpret lesion patterns that help to clarify the circumstances surrounding death. The examination and interpretation of bone trauma are essential to the application and utility of anthropology as a forensic science. When discussing the effect of gunshot wounds in bone, it becomes imperative to differentiate between short and long‐distance injuries based on clear, distinct, and observable signs. To contribute to the debate, our focus is directed toward the external analysis of the so‐called circumferential delamination defect (CDD) as an observable proxy for close‐range shooting (≤30 cm) and contact gunshot wounds in the skull. In the context of known extrajudicial killings, in which the perpetrators used short 9 × 19 FMJ ammunition in a close‐range shooting, instances of CDD have been documented. Empirical evidence reinforcing the causal relationship between CDD and close‐range shootings is presented. Elements' characteristics of firearm residues were also found in remains buried for up to 30 years. Primarily, this work shows that the concentrations of gunshot residues (Pb, Ba, and Sb) resemble those observed in fresh corpses with the same gunshot wound (GSW). Moreover, the correlation observed between CDD and gunshot residues, where the likelihood of CDD increases the closer to the head and the more perpendicular the shot angle is, reinforces CDD as a pivotal discriminatory factor in the skeletal evidence of short‐range or contact shot. This research contributes to the field of forensic anthropology by providing fundamental insights into the etiology of CDD and its practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forensics operations in Kosovo in 1999 lacked standard operating procedures (SOPs) and focused on volume of evidence rather than the identification of bodies. The results were chaotic and complicated later efforts to locate the missing. The establishment of the Office on Missing Persons and Forensics in 2002 prioritised the needs of the families of the missing, specifically the individual identification and return of human remains. Similarly, the search for missing persons in Iraq should be coordinated by a central body with the authority to enforce SOPs. Its aims should be to serve the needs of the families and to develop the capacity of Iraqis to carry out forensic work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]