How do you stay objective?

We work on really harsh things, but we have a way of numbing it out. We realize that we have the skills to do the job. That doesn't mean that things don't influence us one way or another. And that doesn't mean that we don't make interpretations, but the bottom line is we're examining those remains to get them identified.

What kinds of instruments do you use?

For 15 years, Owsley searched for these remains of Wild Bill Longley.

It really varies. The laboratory analysis is founded in anatomy. Once we understand what's normal, then we are able to interpret what's abnormal, what's pathological, what's an injury. X-rays can be extremely important. We have a CAT scan machine right across the hall from me. And we use different types of microscopes.

The questions we can ask from bones today are so much broader than what we could when I was training. The field is growing and technology is becoming more important. In the Wild Bill Longley case - which we were first asked to do in 1986 - the way that we ultimately solved it, those technologies just weren't even available then. (For more on this case, watch this segment online)
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