William Maples, Internationally Known UF Anthropologist, Dies At 59

February 27, 1997

GAINESVILLE — University of Florida forensic anthropologist William Maples, internationally known for his work with identification and analysis of human remains, died today at his home. He was 59.

Maples died of a brain tumor that was diagnosed about two years ago. He was a distinguished service professor of the C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory at the Florida Museum of Natural History and author of the renowned book “Dead Men Do Tell Tales.”

Maples was recognized for his work in physical anthropology, particularly forensic human identification and trauma analysis. Certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, Maples helped law enforcement officers figure out who’s who among unidentified crime and accident victims by studying their skeletal remains. During his career at UF he assisted in more than 1,000 cases.

“Bill Maples was one of this university’s intellectual and human treasures,” said UF President John Lombardi. “Researcher, author, teacher and friend to all of us, his work helped countless people resolve difficult and often tragic issues of identification. His collaborations with colleagues around the world contributed to resolution of historical controversies of great significance to many people and governments.”

Maples was worked on numerous high-profile cases involving historic people. He participated in the 1991 exhumation and examination of President Zachary Taylor, helped identify the remains of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in Peru in 1984 and did an analysis using the remains Joseph Merrick — “The Elephant Man” — in 1990.

In 1992, Maples led a team of scientists to help identify the remains of the last Russian monarch, Czar Nicholas II and his family, brutally slain by revolutionaries in 1918.

Michael Baden, Director of Forensic Sciences for the New York State Police, worked with Maples as a member of the team.

“Dr. Maples was one of the founders of the science of forensic anthropology,” said Baden, considered one of the nation’s premier forensic pathologists. “Dr. Maples had the utmost integrity. He was a wonderful teacher, a wonderful friend and a wonderful family man.”

Most recently, Maples worked with medical examiners in June to identify fragmented remains of children killed in the ValuJet airliner crash in the Everglades. As a contracted consultant with the Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office, Maples helped identify 11 of the 12 child victims, six of whom were younger than 12.

When Maples spoke last year at a luncheon for the Florida Museum of Natural History Association, he said it was his destiny to study skeletal remains to find out who they are, how they died and who was responsible for their demise.

Maples told the group that as a young boy he once discussed with a friend opening a tomb to see if a famous person really was buried in it. He saw his first autopsy photos in elementary school.

“The field of forensic anthropology selected me,” he told the group.

He attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in anthropology. He managed research centers in East Africa for several years and taught at Western Michigan University.

Maples joined the UF faculty in 1968 as an assistant professor of anthropology. In 1978, he became a full professor and was named curator of physical anthropology at the Florida Museum of Natural History (formerly the Florida State Museum). Maples also was chairman of the department of social sciences from 1973 to 1980.

When Maples and his colleagues opened the C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory at UF 1986, it was considered one of the most innovative forensic laboratories in the country. Maples received calls for help in solving crimes from all over the globe. It remains one of the most active laboratories of its kind.

Maples was a member of the New York State Police Forensic Sciences Unit and was a consultant to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory reviewing recommended identifications of MIA remains. He was a consultant to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in the identification of the victims in Congressman Mickey Leland’s Ethiopian plane crash.

He was a diplomate and former president of the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, the national certification board for forensic anthropologists. Maples was a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, where he was elected to a number of offices including academy vice president in 1986-87. He served seven years as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Forensic Sciences Foundation.

Maples received a Distinguished Faculty Award at the 1996 UF Blue Key homecoming banquet. He is listed in the current Who’s Who in America.

“Bill Maples delighted us with his intense curiosity, his brilliant approach to his field, and his compassionate consideration for all,” Lombardi said. “His students, colleagues and associates all called him friend and all will miss him terribly.”

Maples is survived by his wife of 38 years, Margaret Kelley Maples; two daughters, Lisa Linda Maples and Cynthia Lynn Myers of Panama City; six grandchildren, Nicole, Kara, Kristopher, Mallory, Dylan and Billy, all of Panama City; a brother, Charles A. Maples; and an aunt, Charlotte Bliss of Dallas.