ISU forensic investigation begins on Bear Lake remains

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - The investigation into the human remains discovered at Bear Lake continues but now at Idaho State University.

We asked researchers at the ISU Anthropology department what an investigation of this nature requires.

"In this case we're doing a dental analysis because it is a mandible with teeth," Doctor of Biological Anthropology Kirsten Mink said. "Dr. Blatt is doing a forensic anthropological dental analysis on the teeth and the mandible"

"Teeth can tell us something about the ancestry of the individual," Dr. Samantha Blatt said. "You can still do things like radiocarbon and isotopes and a lot of analyzes. Actually, even if you just have a tooth, you can do a lot of analyzes."

The overall goal of their study is to put together a biological profile of the sex, ancestry and age of the remains. They hope to link their profile to a missing person's case of the surrounding area.

But their timeline for building that profile is much different than what you'd see on TV.

"Generally can take months or longer, depending on the the circumstances of the case," Dr. Blatt said. "Every case has its own individual characteristics that you have to adapt to."

As they work to build a biological profile, Dr. Blatt asks the public stop publishing speculations on who the remains might belong to.

If you do find remains along Bear Lake or anywhere else, they advise you to contact law enforcement immediately.