| The FACES Laboratory
In LSU's Forensics Anthropology
and Computer Enhancement Services (FACES) Laboratory, technology offers
computerized age-progression of missing children and adults years after
they disappear. Federal and state law enforcement investigators have come
to rely on FACES director and anthropologist Mary Manhein and her staff
as a valuable resource in their efforts to locate missing people. The
lab uses clay to create facial reconstructions based on the study of human
remains, performs age-progression for the FBI, and conducts training seminars
for law enforcement personnel. The FACES lab is one of eight Model Age
Progression Sites (MAPS) associated with the National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children and the first recognized MAPS site at a university.
 Although
Manhein enjoys solving high-profile cases, her personal crusade is identifying
the John and Jane Does who wait in her lab. Manhein's own words perfectly
characterize her mission: "Identifying a victim can bring peace of
mind to the family and can help them to go on with their lives. Sometimes,
peace of mind is the only gift that I can give."
Last updated April 2002
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