Will bones burn?

Question

Kinda curious considering the guy in Houston Texas grilled his ex girlfriend. No bones were found..just ashes. No body No Crimne????

Answer 1

Yes bones burn if they are heated to a high enough temperature and a good supply of air is provided - this is basically what happens when a body is cremated and also occurs when an amputated limb is disposed of in a hospital incinerator.

The most difficult parts to destroy by burning are in fact the teeth... and even after the rest of the body has been reduced to ash the teeth may survive (and even yield DNA).

No body no crime? not always true.. there are several instances where a conviction has been obtained where no body has ever been found. A case local to me about 15 years ago involved a guy who killed his sister and mother and destroyed their bodies by grinding them to pulp in a lathe - even the teeth - and then disposing of the resulting mess (no-one yet knows how or where but he probably just flushed it all). He was convicted on other evidence and just one tiny fleck of blood on the lathe gave a clue as to how the bodies were disposed of.

Answer 2

Yes, with a hot enough fire, bones will disintegrate into ash. I watched a video in my intro to criminal justice class that someone tried burning a body in a dumpster and used 4 gallons of gasoline and there was barely enough DNA there to figure out who it was. They did testing and discovered that it only takes roughly 5 gallons. Burning a body will, however, cause a horrible smell and smoke that would be easily discoverable. Have you ever heard of cremation? That's all that is, they basically just burn it in a really hot oven and it turns to ash. Anyway, long story short: yes, bones will burn.

Answer 3

Bones burn, but not very well.

Basically they are reduced to a calcium and phosphorus ash by heat - the heat breaks down the bones and reduces them to ash. But this isn't like burning wood. Bones don't contribute energy to a fire; wood does.

Answer 4

well bones can certainly burn we know this because of cremation. Bones aren't as easy to burn as other things like wood, and paper, but it can be done.

That is awful though about that girl, how could you even imagine doing that to someone.

Answer 5

bones burn at around 1100 to 1500 degrees

Answer 6

Psycho but I am just as much for answering the question. Bones probably don't burn easily might as well feed it to the animals and smash up the rest

Answer 7

All matter burns, given the right temperature. In fact, there is a color pigment that is gathered from burning bones.

Answer 8

Burning In Bones

Answer 9

not only nothing but ashes... wouldnt you think that the whole freaking neighborhood would smell that to this day? i mean seriously, burning bodies smells like ***

Answer 10

Obviously, since after a cremation, all that is left is ashes.