This past Friday, RCSE was lucky to have our very own, Dr. Steve Acuff, give us a presentation on Forensic Dentistry. Before Steve began, President Andrew Cosey reminded everyone of the March Board Meeting and announced that the March Social would be on Tuesday, March 26. Once all Rotary business items were discussed, Kim Campbell introduced Steve.
Steve has been a freelance worker for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) for the past 17 years. He informed everyone that autopsies and reports don't happen as quickly as they do on CSI! Steve is responsible for providing a forensic odontology report that is needed for identification for police records, insurance, and/or family members. His report's are necessary for identification when there aren't any DNA or fingerprints on record or the family is unable to identify the remains. Steve showed us quite a few photos of people he has worked on as well as x-rays that are used to identify a person. He went over how to look at the x-ray and how to compare the x-ray from previous dental records to the current x-ray of the remains. When the explosion happened at the sugar factory, Steve was able to help identify eight people from the x-rays. It was quite an interesting presentation even if some members might have had a hard time looking at all the photos Steve provided! He shared that his motivation for this work is to offer closure and solace to families. Thank you, Dr. Acuff, for presenting and keeping us all engaged during the lunch hour!