Mary Manhein

Education Manhein entered Louisiana State University (LSU) as an English student in 1976 Manhein began volunteering in Douglas W. Owsley's laboratory in the Department of Geography and Anthropology, and earned a master's degree in forensic anthropology from LSU. After Owsley moved to the Smithsonian Institution, Manhein continued to work and teach at LSU, She introduced facial reconstruction and imaging to the anthropology program. The Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services (FACES) Laboratory was officially formed at LSU in 1990, with Manhein as founding director. and created datasets for identification of North American White, Black and Hispanic peoples. She has established standards for facial tissue depth in the creation of three-dimensional facial reconstructions. The Louisiana legislature also mandated that all unidentified human bones be sent to LSU for identification. In some cases the FACES team can quickly determine whether remains reported to them are human or animal based on photographs and measurements of bones. From bones and x-rays, the lab can construct clay models and computer renderings of a person's possible appearance. DNA samples can be taken from bones and teeth if no soft tissue remains.

Other historical identifications include two sailors from the wreck of the USS Monitor, which sank in 1862. Their facial reconstructions were unveiled on the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Hampton Roads, at the United States Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., and are now in the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ Monitor collection.

Possibly the oldest skeleton Manhein has examined was the 2,300 year old “Princess of Thebes” mummy from the Ancient Egypt Gallery of the Louisiana Art and Science Museum in Baton Rouge. Among other things, Manhein determined that the mummy was that of a young man, who had likely died after a fall or other accident.

Manhein is a member of the national Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) for Region VI.

Manhein has frequently appeared on television in connection with her work, on programs such as America’s Most Wanted, Discovery Health, New Detectives, Missing, and CSNBC and MSNBC news. She was interviewed for a 2016 episode of America's Most Wanted as a result of a 2003 attempt to identify "Pontchartrain Jane", whose body was found on June 19, 1986. Manhein was able to rule out one possible identification based on dental evidence, and created a facial reconstruction. Based on her examination, some of the information recorded about the body was revised, which may yet help to identify "The Lady in the Lake". She serves as inspiration for the television show Bones.

Manhein has served as thesis advisor or co-adviser for about 60 master’s students in anthropology and 20 master's students in natural science.

Publications Manhein has published extensively in her field, including both academic papers and the laboratory workbook Introduction to Clay Facial Reconstruction (1996). In addition to her academic publications, Manhein is the author of three non-fiction books about her work, The Bone Lady, (2000) Trail of Bones, (2005) and Bone Remains (2013).

As well, Manhein has worked with Jessica H. Schexnayder to document conditions in cemeteries throughout Louisiana, many of which are threatened by coastal erosion, storm surges, and sea level rise due to climate change. They have co-authored Fragile grounds: Louisiana's Endangered Cemeteries (2017).