The story of an unknown defender of the homeland: Identification of the remains of an unnamed person – forensic medical analysis and historical context

Arch Med Sadowej Kryminol. 2025 Nov 24;75(3):251-257. doi: 10.4467/16891716AMSIK.25.017.22661.

ABSTRACT

The article presents the results of forensic medical examinations of human remains discovered in 2021 in a forest near the village of Wapiennik (Lipie commune). Preliminary findings indicated that they may have belonged to Józef Kiedos, alias “Kulawy,” who was shot by German soldiers in September 1939. Anthropological analysis revealed that the individual was a man over the age of 50, approximately 171-172 cm tall, with visible pathological changes in the right femur, which could correspond to witness accounts of limping. No gunshot wounds were identified, and the present bone damage was postmortem in nature; however, this does not exclude a traumatic cause of death. Based on the collected evidence and historical context, it was concluded that the remains belonged to Józef Kiedos, a civilian murdered in the early days of World War II. The study highlights the role of forensic medicine in clarifying cases of historical significance.

PMID:41790151 | DOI:10.4467/16891716AMSIK.25.017.22661