Skip to Main Content
California State University, Chico
Human Identification Laboratory staff examine skeletal remains

Human Identification Laboratory

Providing expert forensic anthropology services to local, state, federal, and international law enforcement, medical examiners, and attorneys.

The Human ID Lab (HIL) at Chico State is a unique and invaluable state resource. Our staff assists agencies in the recovery, identification, and analysis of human remains. Specializing in human skeletal analysis, the HIL supports state and federal partners on both current and cold casework. The HIL also has the ability to rapidly mobilize large, experienced search teams in mass disasters.

In these ways, we serve the needs of our state while demonstrating our commitment to civic engagement and serving the public good. 

About Us

Police officer

Services for Law Enforcement

Request Service

For assistance with forensic casework or expert witness testimony, please contact us at:

The HIL provides forensic anthropology services to state and federal law enforcement, medical examiners and attorneys. We assist the legal system on criminal and missing persons cases, providing closure to families. The laboratory provides services directly to counties throughout the state of California and beyond, and is not authorized to share information regarding specific cases to the media or the public.

Recovery Services

  • Search and recovery of human remains from outdoor scenes and disaster zones
  • Locating clandestine grave sites
  • Forensic archaeological excavation and documentation of outdoor scenes and fire scenes

Human vs Non-Human Identification

  • Identifying species either in-person or via photos

Laboratory Analysis

  • Establishing a biological profile for unidentified remains, including age, sex, ancestry, and stature
  • Trauma analysis
  • Isotopic analysis
  • Comparative medical radiography

Training

  • Excavation methods
  • Human remains recovery
  • Bone identification

Emergency Response

HIL team member speaks during Camp Fire recovery effort

The HIL provides invaluable emergency response to the State of California, including initial search and rescue/recovery. In some special cases, including the 2018 Camp Fire, HIL Personnel were able to mobilize and respond quickly and efficiently. Recent responses include: 

  • 2025 Eaton Fire, Esparto Fireworks Factory Explosion
  • 2023 Lahaina/Maui Fire
  • 2022 McKinney Fire
  • 2021 Caldor Fire
  • 2020 North Complex Fire (Bear Fire), LNU Complex
  • 2018 Camp Fire, Carr Fire
  • 2017 Yuba County Fire, Mendocino Complex Fire, Cascade Fire (Yuba County), Redwood Complex Fire
  • 2015 Valley Fire
  • 2014 Orland I-5 Bus Crash 
  • 2010 San Bruno Pipeline Explosion

Facilities

The current HIL includes microscopy and photography stations, osteometric equipment, and a wet lab with an autopsy sink, examination table, three-body mobile morgue, and a commercial incubator for processing remains. Additionally, a 200 square foot secure evidence room is connected to the laboratory. 

Adjacent to the HIL is a zooarchaeology laboratory, containing approximately 2,000 skeletons of nearly 700 different species of fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals. This comparative collection is valuable for its role in identifying non-human skeletal remains believed to be of forensic significance.

The HIL also maintains a Stable Isotope Preparation Laboratory for the analysis of the chemical makeup of organic and inorganic materials. We also have an ANDE Rapid DNA Unit and DNA preparatory lab on site. This facility has been used for a variety of anthropological and archaeological research initiatives and for state and federal forensic services.

New HIL Building

Chico State to Break Ground on New Human Identification Laboratory
When completed in July 2027, the new 28,600-square-foot facility will replace the existing laboratory and enable the team to meet the demand for its services. The new facility will triple refrigeration capacity, expand state-of-the-art wet and dry laboratory space, and feature isotope and DNA extraction laboratories, as well as an archaeology laboratory.

Architectural rendering of Chico State’s Human Identification and Forensic Laboratories building
Rendering of Chico State’s Human Identification and Forensic Laboratories building.

Human Identification Laboratory Fast Facts

As the only full-time forensic anthropology laboratory in California—and the largest west of Texas—the HIL supports many of local, state, and federal partners including the California Office of Emergency Services, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the FBI.

638

investigations across 51 California counties (2020-2025)

2,500+

officers trained in homicide investigation and wildfire recovery

28K+

square-foot facility

Training

The HIL provides hands-on training to community members and law enforcement agencies and personnel – including public lectures, demonstrations of field recovery methods, and workshops.

  • Researchers and community members gather along the river

    Courses and Stand-Alone Trainings

    Faculty are certified instructors for California’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Homicide Courses and assist in up to 12 courses annually in addition to a variety of stand-alone trainings on excavation methods, human remains recovery, wildfire victim recovery, and bone identification.

  • Forensic Conference group

    Forensic Conference at Chico State

    Our graduate students host the annual Forensic Conference at Chico State. Professionals from across the country are invited to join this two-day event, open to students and the community, to network and share research and knowledge of the latest developments in forensic anthropology.

Student Opportunities

Through the HIL, graduate and undergraduate students can explore forensic science pathways through hands-on research, laboratory training, mentorship, and interdisciplinary academic opportunities.

  • A researcher works in Chico State’s Human Identification Laboratory

    Hand-on Training

    Graduate students and undergraduate interns gain experience in human skeletal biology and forensic practices, including:

    • Reconstruction of fragmented and burned remains
    • Skeletal analysis
    • Techniques in identification
    • Analysis of skeletal pathology and trauma
  • Student on laptop by creek that runs through campus

    Career Advising

    Students wishing to pursue a career in one of the forensic sciences should consult advisors in anthropology, biology, or chemistry. Entry-level employment and graduate programs in criminalistics commonly require a major in one of the physical or natural sciences, including a year of General Chemistry and a course in Quantitative Analysis.

Research, History, and News Highlights

The HIL faculty and staff, including graduate students, have a variety of research initiatives and all three faculty members publish on topics of forensic anthropology and bioarchaeology regularly. Please visit our Team page to find out more about our faculty and their research interests. 

We have two separate, ongoing projects in partnership with the Department of Defense - both involving repatriation of veteran remains. The first makes use of the HIL's stable isotope lab and expertise to sort the remains of US soldiers killed during service from other remains and the second is a private contract to investigate several Poland plane crashes suspected to be related to missing-in-action veterans. 

For several years, HIL faculty have been working on an interdisciplinary study in conjunction with Chico State's Geographical Information Center. Funded by the National Institute of Justice, faculty and graduate students conducted research along the Sacramento River to establish predictable patterns in drowning cases and then create an app to aid law enforcement in decreasing recovery time. Read "Finding Answers in the River" at Chico State Today. 

The arrival of Dr. Turhon Murad in 1972 saw the development of the academic and applied service of forensic anthropology in Northern California - a service that has since been enhanced with the addition of Dr. P. Willey in 1989 (retired 2017), Dr. Eric Bartelink in 2006, Dr. Colleen Milligan in 2010, and Dr. Ashley Kendell in 2017, and Dr. Amber Plemons in 2023. 

With our team of four board-certified forensic anthropologists, Chico State remains one of the few programs in North America - and the only University lab in the Western US - of this caliber.

Forensic Anthropology in a Changing Climate
Anthropology News (April 22, 2020)
The HIL was asked about their experience during their assistance in the 2018 Camp Fire recovery.

Partial human skeleton found north of Westport
The Mendocino Voice (March 8, 2020)
Our Human Identification Lab assisted Mendocino County Sherriff's Office in recovering remains found north of Westport.

Chico State Anthropology Dept. Helps Identify Camp Fire Victims
Action News Now (October 15, 2019)
The HIL is helping identify the bodies of those who have died, including those in the Camp Fire, while managing one of the largest caseloads in the country.

Chico State Anthropology Team Helps Identify Bones of Missing Man Since 1996
Action News Now (October 14, 2019)
The HIL helped solve the cold case of a body found at Folsom Lake in El Dorado County.

DPAA Embraces Future Technology
Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) (July 24, 2019)
HIL Co-Director Dr. Eric Bartelink gives a talk to the members of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) on using Stable Isotope Analysis to find information on missing personnel for their families and the nation.

Chile to Chico: Fulbright Student Focuses on Forensic Anthropology
Chico State Today (July 11, 2019)
Graduate student Jacqueline Galimany brings passion and perspective to her coursework in forensic anthropology.

The Search for What Remains
Chico State Today (April 23, 2019)
Leading the nation's largest recovery effort since 9/11, Chico State's HIL responded to the Camp Fire for the crucial, yet daunting task of searching for human remains.

Finding Answers Through Forensics
Chico State Today (April 22, 2019)
The HIL's faculty members operate the most experienced forensic lab west of Texas, providing vital information on dozens of homicides, traumas, and cold cases every year.

After Wildfire, Calif. Authorities Struggle to Find the Missing and the Dead (video)
PBS New Hour (November 29, 2018)
Three weeks after the devastating Camp Fire, 190 people are still missing. PBS reporter William Brangham talked about the state of the area in an interview with HIL Co-Director Dr. Colleen Milligan.

Paradise: a Grim Search, and Desperate Prayers for Miracles
Chico Enterprise-Record (November 18, 2018)
Just days after containment of the fire, the HIL partnered with local emergency responders and volunteers to search through the ashes of Camp Fire ravaged communities.

Finding Answers in the River
Chico State Today (June 26, 2018)
An interdisciplinary team of Chico State faculty and graduate students conducted research on the Sacramento River to establish predictable patterns in the drowning cases (and create an app to aid law enforcement in decreasing recovery time!) - funded by the National Institute of Justice.

Chico State Students Help with Nevada Co. Murder Investigation
Action News Now (June 11, 2018)
70-year-old Vietnam veteran Stanley Norman died due to a violent attack in the backyard of a Nevada City home. Investigators worked with HIL faculty and students to create a clearer picture.

Blood on the Tracks
Sacramento News & Review (October 5, 2017)
HIL aided authorities to follow clues that led across the country by identifying the manner of death and providing expert testimony.

Chico State Lab Helps Law Enforcement with IDs
Daily Republic (July 14, 2016)
HIL faculty provided identifying details in a Solano County John Doe case, allowing it to be closed.

What Dead Pigs Can't Teach Us About 'C.S.I'
New York Times (June 13, 2016)
HIL Co-Director, Dr. Eric Bartelink (also President of the American Board of Forensic Anthropology) underlines the need for more realistic forensic studies in an interview for the New York Times.

Speed Freak Killers: More Allegations that Sheriff Botched Recovery of Victims' Remains in San Joaquin County
Santa Cruz Sentinel (November 30, 2015)
Dr. Eric Bartelink gives insight into the recovery of remains in Speed Freak Killers case and best practices going forward.

Native American Remains Found in West Sacramento
KCRA 3 (October 3, 2015)
Two human skulls found at a construction site in West Sacramento are confirmed to be centuries-old Native American remains by the HIL.

Hi-Tech Analysis Cracks Curious Case of Contaminated Cremains
Smithsonian Insider (May 7, 2015)
Following the 2011 cremation of a family member, suspicion grew when the funeral home delivered an urn three weeks late claiming the cremains had been misplaced. Before even opening it, the family sent the urn to the HIL for testing who found them curiously heavy. In a multidisciplinary effort, HIL faculty and partners worked to find answers.

Case Closed in the 1970s Death of a Corning Woman
KRCR News 7 (February 27, 2014)
HIL faculty find the remains of a woman missing since the '70s on a 100-acre orchard - while teaching students an excavation method called test trenching - leading to the closure of a 30-year-old cold-case homicide.

Finding Closure: Identifying Human Remains Helps Law Enforcement Solve Cases
The Willits News (April 7, 2013)
After assisting in the case of remains found along the Eel River, Dr. Eric Bartelink gives an interview to the local paper covering the ways forensic anthropologists work to determine the cause of death/injuries and the variety of ways their skillset can be applied - from missing persons cases and homicide to child abuse to determining if remains are recent v. prehistoric.

DNA Results of Commingled Remains of Speed Freak Killers' Victims Released
CBS Sacramento (January 9, 2013)
Behind the scenes, HIL faculty played a vital role in the recovery and identification of the Speed Freak Killers' victims and aided in giving justice to families.

The Chico State Forensic Conference is an annual event hosted primarily by the Chico State Biological Anthropology graduate students, as well as faculty members, for the past 23 years.

This conference provides an opportunity for students of all levels and interests, faculty and staff, and community members to learn from visiting experts in the field of forensic anthropology.

On the day of the conference, attendees will hear from representatives of the Chico State Human Identification Lab, conference organizers, and expert guest speakers who explain the role of forensic anthropologists within society, present on their current research topics, and reiterate the need for forensic anthropologists and the important skills they possess.

Due to all the hard work of graduate students and anthropology faculty behind the scenes, the conference is free to attend for all interested individuals and parties.

In order to continue to keep this opportunity available to everyone, we are participating in Giving Day to raise funds for everything that the conference already is, and for what we know it can be in the future.

Donate to the Forensic Conference

Discover Stories and More

Chico State Today
    /