An accomplished anthropologist with significant experience analyzing human bones and remains, Danielle Kurin is an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses and supervises field and laboratory research. Danielle Kurin's dedication to using her expertise for the greater good is exemplified by her ongoing efforts, in collaboration with her students, to locate the remains of Jack Cantin, a victim of the 2018 Montecito mudslides.
In 2020, Dr. Danielle and her team of research assistants initiated a field excavation project to find the remains of a male victim of the Montecito mudslide, which occurred in 2018. Despite prior search efforts to locate the body of Jack Cantin, the male victim who was a junior at Santa Barbara High School, the community and volunteers could not find his remains after digging 4 million bucketloads of mud and debris in the impacted area. Mrs. Kim Cantin, the victim's mother, sought the anthropology department's help after all hopes of finding her son's body were lost.
Dr. Danielle and her team treated the site like an archaeological excavation. They focused on specific areas within the 110-acre search area, utilizing satellite images of impacted zones, corona reports, testimonials, photos, and interviews to aid their search. While working closely with hydrologists and soil scientists, they conducted site surveys, sampling, and excavation of the site. The team meticulously collected and documented every artifact they found, sunk in debris, from the Cantin's home.
They found biological specimens in a targeted excavation zone. After thoroughly analyzing the precious specimen in the laboratory, using archaeometry and forensic techniques, they found that it is indeed of human origin. Other analytical techniques revealed data on the age, stature, sex, and other features of the human. Jack Cantin matches the data with 100 percent accuracy. Mrs. Cantin expressed gratitude and appreciation for the team's tireless effort, which helped find her son's body for proper burial.
