September 2, 2010

New technology could help find Jimmy Hoffa: Study

Could Jimmy Hoffa’s final resting place be easier to find with a breakthrough technology recently unveiled?

With the former Teamsters boss rumoured to be encased in concrete either at New York Giant’s stadium in New Jersey or alternatively in one of the pillars holding up the turnpike, a technology that can “sniff” through cement could provide the clues in that case and others.

Scientists at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology say they can detect biochemical changes in a decomposing body.

T.M. Lovestead and T.J. Bruno say in a recently published paper that victims of crimes are often buried in clandestine graves.

While there’s lots of ways to find those buried bodies, not all work all the time.

Hoffa disappeared in1975 and was legally declared dead seven years later.

In their paper, the two scientists suggest collecting samples from the air spaces in soil or other materials around a potential grave site.

They mimicked the effect using rat cadavers and local soil and found good results even after up to 20 weeks.

DCN News Services

Print | Email | Comment