MtDNA: a successful identification case in burned remains

Some human carbonized remains were found in a wood near a lake. Investigations and a macroscopic analysis of the remains led suspicions to a killed and burned 20-year-old man. To identify with certitude the remains, nuclear DNA from the remains and from the alleged mother were analysed. Only at vWA locus an exclusion was found. Because of the delicacy of the case (a murder) and since only the alleged mother''s DNA was available, a mt-DNA analysis was performed. It was found a good correlation in both HV1 and HV2 regions between the DNA from the remains and the mother''s. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]