Clea Koff facts for kids

Clea Koff (born in 1972) is an American forensic anthropologist and author. She is like a detective who studies bones to help solve mysteries. She worked for the United Nations in places like Rwanda, Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, and Kosovo. Her job was to help find out what happened to people who went missing or were victims of terrible events.

Clea's Early Life and Interests

Clea Koff was born in 1972. Her mother was from Tanzania and her father was from the United States. Both of her parents made documentary films about human rights. This meant Clea and her older brother, Kimera, traveled a lot. She lived in places like England, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, and the United States.

When she was a teenager, Clea decided she wanted to study human osteology. This is the study of human bones. She started her studies in California. Later, she earned her first degree in anthropology from Stanford University.

Becoming a Forensic Anthropologist

Clea continued her studies to become a forensic anthropologist. This is a scientist who uses knowledge of bones to help with legal cases. She went to the University of Arizona and later finished her master's degree at the University of Nebraska in 1999.

While she was still studying, Clea started working for the United Nations (UN). She was only 23 years old when she joined a UN team in Rwanda. Her important job was to find evidence and help identify victims from the Rwandan genocide. This work helped bring those responsible to justice. It also helped families find out what happened to their loved ones.

Clea's Books

Clea Koff wrote a book about her experiences called The Bone Woman: Among the dead in Rwanda, Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo. This book shares her true stories about working with the UN. It was published in many countries around the world, starting in 2004.

She also writes mystery novels. Her first crime fiction book, Freezing, came out in 2011. It is part of a series called the Jayne & Steelie Mystery Series. The second book in this series is called Passing.

Helping Find Missing People

In 2005, Clea Koff started a group called The Missing Persons Identification Resource Center (MPID). This group was based in Los Angeles. Its main goal was to help connect families looking for missing people with the Coroner's Office. The Coroner's Office often had thousands of unidentified bodies. The center helped bring families and answers together until it closed in 2012.

Clea also helped with the case of Mitrice Richardson. Mitrice was a young woman who went missing. When some of her remains were found, Clea gave advice on the case. She helped find a small bone from Mitrice at the site, even after others had searched the area.