Forensic Archaeology and the use of data paradigms in the search for concealed victims of homicide in the Republic of Ireland

It goes on present the context of homicide and missing persons in Ireland, through a detailed consideration of the relevant literature and available data on homicide in Ireland. <br><br>Research for this thesis involved the creation of a database drawn from over 5,000 files in the Office of the State Pathologist of Ireland. This produced 178 relevant disposal homicide cases. Location data was shared by An Garda Síochána for 61 of these cases.

The results of the analysis show distinct patterns by sex of victim in terms of cause of death, distances travelled to disposal site, distances between victim and offender addresses and the concentration of cases on a geographical basis in the country. The thesis goes on to consider in more detail case administration, demography of victim and offender, disposal details and spatial data relating to such disposals. This creates a capacity to develop data based search strategies that should allow for informed decision in the search for missing persons who are presumed to have been victims of homicide.

It is the premise of this study that this approach will allow for search areas to be prioritised within landscapes and that resources can then be directed accordingly. <br><b><br></b><b>Currently, the e-thesis is heavily redacted until December 2025. This is for reasons of </b><b>confidentiality and sensitivity. This redaction will be subject to a review decision in 5 years.</b><b><br></b><br>