Exhume

/ɪɡˈzjuːm/ verb

Definition

To dig up and remove a dead body from the ground, usually for legal or forensic investigation.

Etymology

From Latin exhumare: ex- (out of) + humare (to bury). The word literally means 'to remove from the earth.' It has been used in English since the 1500s.

Kelly Says

Exhumations can solve century-old mysteries—DNA from exhumed remains has proven identities, solved murders, and even resolved historical questions. Famous examples include identifying Richard III's remains and solving the JonBenét Ramsey case decades later, showing how death isn't the end of investigation in the modern era.

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