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FORENSIC pathologists have a tough task ahead of them identifying the human half torso discovered on a bank of Wayper Creek on Sunday afternoon according to retired pathologist John Hilton.

A former director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Sydney, Mr Hilton said pathologists working with police would be able to determine several factors about the torso, however, a cause of death could prove impossible to find.

“They may find soft tissue or skeletal markers which could indicate suspicious circumstances,” Mr Hilton said.

He added that investigators should be able to reasonably determine, to within 10 years or less, the age of the man, as well as his height and build, through the size of the bones and other factors.

The pathologists may also be able to determine whether the man died in or out of water.

“The techniques used are not terribly reliable, however, there was a famous English case many years ago where a torso was found on the English side of the channel and they were able to determine that the man entered the water in Belgium and died at sea,” he said. “Racial indications may also be able to be determined by the size of the bones.”

If the torso was ripped in half by an impact such as a plane crash, the force required is huge.

“It would have to go from 200mph (321.87 km/h) to zero in seconds to cause that sort of damage. At the end of the day (pathologists and police) will start chasing DNA.”