Why Are Scientists Dressing Pigs in Clothes and Burying Them in Mexico?

AP News ^ | Maria Verza

[nickcarraway]

First the scientists dress dead swine in clothes, then they dispose of the carcasses. Some they wrap in packing tape, others they chop up. They stuff the animals into plastic bags or wrap them in blankets. They cover them in lime or burn them. Some are buried alone, others in groups. Then they watch. The pigs are playing an unlikely role as proxies for humans in research to help find the staggering number of people who have gone missing in Mexico during decades of drug cartel violence.

Families of the missing are usually left to look for their loved ones with little support from authorities. But now, government scientists are testing the newest satellite, geophysical and biological mapping techniques — along with the pigs — to offer clues that they hope could lead to the discovery of at least some of the bodies.

130,000 missing and counting

The ranks of Mexico’s missing exploded in the years following the launch of then-President Felipe Calderón’s war against drug cartels in 2006. A strategy that targeted the leaders of a handful of powerful cartels led to a splintering of organized crime and the multiplication of violence to control territory.

[BenLurkin]

Bury them in Mecca.

[llevrok]

Pig bodies closely resemble human’s bodies (my college biology 101 taught me that).

Buried ala cartel and they give a good approximation of time of death and decay

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The first time I ever read about something like this was in, 'From Potter's Field.' BUT - those were humans that donated their bodies to 'science' (or were unclaimed by anyone) and that was how they were used...experiments in decomposition so coroners could better estimate Time Of Death. Never knew that was a 'thing.'

[null and void]

I believe we still have body farms.

[nickcarraway]

I forgot about that book. There's a good non-fiction book about The Body Farm. There was also a Forensics Files episode about a man who was suspected of having killed his wife. There was a wood chipper and a creek in a snowstorm involved, and they used a pig and a woodchipper to test out a theory.

[vetvetdoug]

Dr. Bass’ research was next to Cherokee Farm at UTK. I was a tech for the UTCVM on the Cherokee Farm and helped Dr. Bass many times clean up the bodies he had buried there for his forensic research. I had no idea of his ground breaking research that he was doing and the impact it made on forensic science. I was there for the birth of this science and was naieve to its importance.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That ‘body disposal method’ ALMOST worked in ‘Fargo,’ too. ;)

“I’m assuming that’s your accomplice in the wood chipper?”

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I believe you’re right! :)

[gundog]

I saw an interview with the Coen brothers, in which they hey observed that they always kill off Steve Buscemi, and the pieces get smaller with each successive movie.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

LOL! Poor Steve! He sure has made a lot of movies for being such a goofy lookin’ guy. (He’s laughing all the way to the bank!)

I love all of their movies. ‘Blood Simple’ was their first. Very Film Noir which I love, anyway.

[Persevero]

Archaeologists 2000 years from now will come up with some extraordinary theories about the clothed, buried pigs.

[gundog]

Yeah. M. Emmet Walsh stole Blood Simple. A real break-out for a character actor. He was good in his small role in Raising Arizona, too.

Miller’s Crossing is a favorite.

[nickcarraway]

“Damn, dirty pigs!”

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Agreed! I need to watch ‘Miller’s Crossing’ again. Thanks for the reminder. :)

[matthew fuller]

I bet the buzzards find the buried meat first.

[BigEdLB]

Porkerastry?