Reconstructing Faces
Facial reconstruction is a key part of forensic artistry. From August 3-7, international experts gathered at the Verlorenkost police station to teach forensic methods on a training course, attended by police officers from the Benelux states, the Greater Region, and even from Abu Dhabi. An American forensic expert, Joe Mullins of George Mason University, led the training.
Specialists have a very unusual task, requiring a great deal of dexterity and specialist knowledge. Step by step, they recreate a recognisable face from the skull of a dead person. The goal is not to create a perfect portrait, but to make a realistic image to enable people to recognise and identify the deceased.
In 2025, two judicial police officers spent several weeks undergoing training in the United States. Now they belong to the very few experts specialising in this area in Europe. Luxembourg also has the first official internal police service in Europe to specialise in facial reconstruction.
How it works
The facial reconstruction process begins with a 3D print of a skull, which is then modelled using ordinary modelling clay. Specific guidelines and procedures must be followed, including the placement of 24 marker pegs at key points on the skull. These pegs indicate tissue thicknesses, allowing the modeller to build up muscle groups accordingly.
A skull also offers valuable information about the deceased, such as biological sex and, in some cases, ethnic background, often determined by the shape of the eye cavities.
Marc Melchior is one of the two Luxembourgish police officers who completed a ten-day training course in Florida in 2025, making them rare specialists in this field within Europe. The need for their expertise is significant: Luxembourg's public prosecutor's office has already requested three facial reconstruction cases this year alone, none of which have yet been made public.
A facial reconstruction can take up to a week to complete. Joe Mullins, who leads the training, is a world-renowned forensic artist. He views the process as a blend of art and science, with a clear and vital goal: to provide closure for loved ones. While advances in computer technology and artificial intelligence are promising, Mullins believes nothing yet matches the effectiveness of manual, hands-on reconstruction.