Dr. Gary L. Bell graduated from the University of Washington School of Dentistry in 1976 and has maintained a General Dental Practice in the Seattle area since that time. He has been a member of the Seattle Police Department Reserve Unit since 1971, where he worked in the Patrol Division until he began his forensic training in 1979. Since 1979, he has been assigned to assist in forensic investigations for the Crimes Against Persons Division. In 1983, Dr. Bell developed one of the first written protocols for the dental participants in a Mass Disaster response effort. This protocol has been used by numerous States for the formation of their dental teams. He became a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Odontology in 1986 and is one of 108 certified forensic dentists in the United States and Canada. In 1989, he was selected to fill the volunteer position of Forensic Advisor to the Washington State Patrol’s Missing/Unidentified Persons Unit. Over the years of his involvement with missing and unidentified persons he has encouraged and assisted many other States with the development of central repositories for information regarding missing and unidentified persons. He has worked with the Criminal Justice Information Services division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and aided them in the improvement of the National Crime Information Center’s response to missing and unidentified persons issues. He is also one of three dental consultants working for the U.S. Army’s Casualty and Mortuary Affairs division and reviews the identification of recovered remains from the Vietnam, Korean, WWII and Cold War conflicts. He is currently a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Odontology and has held the offices of Director, Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President, President Elect and President of the American Board of Forensic Odontology. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Member of the American Society of Forensic Odontology, Member of the Washington State Dental Association’s Dental Identification Team and Member of the Seattle/King County Dental Society’s Forensic Committee.
Education
1968 Graduated Wenatchee High School – Wenatchee, Washington
1971 Completed Seattle Police Reserve Academy – Seattle, Washington
1972 Graduated University of Washington – BA in Sociology – Seattle, Washington
1976 Graduated University of Washington School of Dentistry – Doctor of Dental Surgery, Seattle, Washington
1979 Certificate of Completion Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Forensic Dentistry Course Washington, D.C.
1982 Certificate of Completion Northwestern University – Bitemark Evidence: Detection, Preservation and Analysis – Chicago, Illinois
1983 Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – Cincinnati, Ohio
Certificate of Completion Oregon Health Sciences University – Forensic Dentistry Course, Portland, Oregon
Certificate of Completion Northwestern University – Bitemark Case Management and Presentation of Evidence – Chicago Illinois
1984 Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – Anaheim, California
Certificate of Completion Northwestern University – Update Course: Bitemark Evidence: Detection, Preservation and Analysis – Chicago, Illinois
1985 Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – Las Vegas, Nevada
Completed Postgraduate Preceptorship in Forensic Sciences – Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, Oregon
Certificate of Completion Northwestern University – Bitemark Case Management and Legal Considerations – Chicago, Illinois
1986 Attendance at the American Dental Association’s Symposium on Dentistry’s Role and Responsibility in Mass Disaster Identification – Chicago, Illinois
Successfully Completed the American Board of Forensic Odontology’s Certification Examination, Montreal, Canada
Certificate of Completion Northwestern University – Update Course: Bitemark Case Management and Legal Considerations – Chicago, Illinois
1987 Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – San Diego, California
Completed Course on CAPMI (Computer Aided Postmortem Identification) Program, Phoenix, Arizona
1988 Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Completed Death Investigation Course – University of Washington/King County Medical Examiner’s Office – Seattle, Washington
Completed West Coast Seminar – “Forensic Science Entering the 21st Century” – Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, Anaheim, California
1989 Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – Las Vegas, Nevada
1990 Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences -Cincinnati, Ohio
Completed FBI’s Symposium on Mass Disasters and Crime Scene Reconstruction, Quantico, Virginia
1991 Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences -Anaheim, California
1992 Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – New Orleans, Louisiana
1993 Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – Boston, Massachusetts
Multiple Fatality Incident Seminar – Seattle, Washington
Current Status of Forensic Odontology and Mass Disaster Identification – University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
1994 ABFO Bitemark Workshop #2 – San Antonio, Texas
Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – San Antonio, Texas
1995 ABFO Scientific Evidence in the Courtroom Presentation – Seattle, Washington
Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – Seattle, Washington
Multiple Fatality Incident Seminar – Seattle, Washington
1996 Washington State Dental Association’s Scientific Session – Mass Disaster Dental Identification Team Training Program, Seattle, WA.
1997 ABFO Bitemark Workshop #3 – New York, New York
Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – New York, New York
1998 Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – San Francisco, California
1999 Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – Orlando, Florida
ABFO Bitemark Workshop #4 – Orlando, Florida
Advances in Personal Identification in Mass Disasters Conference – Honolulu, HI – Sponsored by The United States Army Central Identification Laboratory and The Smithsonian Institution
Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office Quarterly Training – Everett, WA
2000 Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – Reno, NV
2001 Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – Seattle, WA
American Dental Association/American Board of Forensic Odontology Forensic Dentistry Conference – Chicago, Illinois
2002 Scientific Session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences – Atlanta, GA
2002 ABFO Bitemark Workshop – Atlanta, GA
ORGANIZATIONS, MEMBERSHIP STATUS & OFFICES HELD
Owner, General Dental Practice – 1976 to present
Member, American Dental Association – 1976 to present
Member, Washington State Dental Association – 1976 to present
Vice Chairman, Mass Disaster Dental Identification Team – 1984 to 1985
Chairman, Mass Disaster Dental Identification Team -1985 to 1991
Co-Chairman, Mass Disaster Dental Identification Team – 1991 to 2002
Member, Seattle/King County Dental Association – 1976 to present
Chairman, Forensic Committee – 1984 to 1986
Chairman, Forensic Committee – 1991 to 1997
Reserve Police Officer, Seattle Police Department – 1971 to present
Fellow, American Academy of Forensic Sciences – 1979 to present
Member, American Society of Forensic Odontology – 1979 to present
Member, Pacific Northwest Forensic Study Group – 1984 to present
Secretary – 1984 to 1991
Vice Chairman – 1991 to 2001
Dental Consultant, Connecticut General Insurance Company – 1984 to 1986
Diplomate, American Board of Forensic Odontology – 1986 to present
Director – 1988 to 1991
Treasurer – 1989 to 1990
Secretary – 1990 to 1992
Vice President – 1992 to 1993
President-Elect – 1993 to 1994
President – 1994 to 1995
Member, Bitemark and Patterned Injury Committee 1994 to present
Chairman – 1994 to 1995, 1997 to 1999
Co-Chairman – 1996 to 1997
Member, Missing and Unidentified Persons Committee – 1994 to present
Chairman – 1998 to present
Member, Certification and Examination Committee – 1996 to 2001
Chairman – 1999 to 2000
Chairman, Nomination Committee – 1996 to 1997
Forensic Dental Advisor, Washington State Patrol’s Missing/Unidentified Persons Unit – 1989 to present
Member, Dental Coding Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Justice Information Services Division – 1997 to present
Forensic Consultant, Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, 1997 to present
AGENCIES FOR WHICH I HAVE PROVIDED FORENSIC SERVICES
Adler, Giersch, and Read Law Offices, Seattle, Washington
Alaska State Troopers, Anchorage, Alaska
Alaska State District Attorney’s Office, Juneau, Alaska
Alaska State Medical Examiner’s Office, Anchorage, Alaska
Ralph A. Alfieri, Attorney at Law, Seattle, Washington
Anacortes Police Department, Anacortes, Washington
Anchorage Police Department, Anchorage, Alaska
Bellingham Police Department, Bellingham, Washington
British Columbia Coroner’s Office, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Byrnes & Keller Law Offices, Seattle, Washington
Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Vancouver, Washington
Contra Costa County, Martinez, California
Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office, Kelso, Washington
The Dalles Police Department, The Dalles, Oregon
Thomas E. Doyle, Attorney at Law, Olympia, Washington
Everett Police Department, Everett, Washington
Franklin County Coroner, Pasco, Washington
Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Department, Montesano, Washington
Bernt A. Hansen, Attorney at Law, McMinnville, Oregon
Richard Hawk, Pittsburg, California
David Headley, Attorney at Law, Berkeley, California
Island County Coroner’s Office, Coupeville, Washington
Karr, Tuttle, Koch, Campbell, Mawer & Morrow, Law Offices, Seattle, Washington
Mr. Kim Kruglick, Attorney at Law, Mill Valley, California
King County Medical Examiner’s Office, Seattle, Washington
King County Police Department, Seattle, Washington
King County Prosecutor’s Office, Seattle, Washington
Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office, Port Orchard, Washington
Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, Port Orchard, Washington
Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, Ellensburg, Washington
Lane County District Attorney’s Office, Eugene, Oregon
Marion County District Attorney’s Office, Salem, Oregon
Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Salem, Oregon
Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Shelton, Washington
New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, Concord, New Hampshire
North Slope borough Police Department, Barrow, Alaska
Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office, Tacoma, Washington
Port of Seattle Police Department, Seattle, Washington
Salem Police Department, Salem, Oregon
Sanoma County Public Defender’s Office, Santa Rosa, California
Seattle Police Department, Seattle, Washington
Skagit County Prosecutor’s Office, Mount Vernon, Washington
Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, Mount Vernon, Washington
Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office, Everett, Washington
Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office, Everett, Washington
Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office, Billings, Montana
Thurston County Coroner’s Office, Olympia, Washington
University of Washington Police Department, Seattle, Washington
US Army, Casualty and Memorial Affairs Division, CILHI, Hawaii
Wasco County District Attorney’s Office, The Dalles, Oregon
Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, Olympia, Washington
Washington State Patrol, Missing/Unidentified Persons Unit, Olympia, Washington
Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office, Bellingham, Washington
TRAINING & INFORMATION PROGRAMS PRESENTED
Bite Mark Evidence Detection and Preservation
Mass Disaster Management
Forensic Information Transmission System
The Use of CAPMI4 For Missing/Unidentified Persons Issues
Missing In America, Establishment of State and Regional Dental Repositories and Protocols
Computer Aided Identification Systems – History, Current Status and Future Concepts
Computer Generated Superimposition Techniques for Identification
Dental Coding for CAPMI4, WinID2 and NCIC – Practical Excercise
TESTIFIED AS AN EXPERT WITNESS IN THE FOLLOWING STATES
Alaska
Bite Mark Cases = 2 Trials
Identification Case = 1 Grand Jury, 2 Trials
California
Bite Mark Cases = 2 Trials
Oregon
Bite Mark Case = 1 Trial
Patterned Injury = 1 Trial
Washington
Bite Mark Cases = 7 Trials
Identification Cases = 7 Trials
Civil Case Depositions = 2
ESTIMATED NUMBER ACTUAL FORENSIC CASES ANALYZED
Bite Mark Cases = >60 cases
Patterned Injury Cases = 3 cases
Identification Cases = >400 positive identification cases
(Over 3000 Missing persons dental records reviewed)
(Over 250 Unidentified persons dental records reviewed)
Personal Injury or Professional Liability Cases = 8 cases