How Forensics Revealed Model Jasmine Fiore's Identity

Aug. 25, 2009 -- Investigators are still tying up loose ends in the murder of former bikini model Jasmine Fiore, but they were able to use unusual forensic science to identify her body and help crack the case.

Police believe former reality TV star Ryan Jenkins murdered Fiore, his wife, and then, in a desperate attempt to disguise her identity, pulled out her teeth and cut off her finger tips.

Jenkins, 32, who was found hanged in a Vancouver hotel room Sunday night, could not have known that Fiore's body held clues that he couldn't see.

The 28-year-old's body was badly disfigured, but investigators were able to find out who she was by tracking the serial number on her breast implants.

Originally intended to speed recall of defective devices and ensure patient safety, serial numbers on implants and prosthetics are now being used to speed identification of the unknown.

"If you have something surgically implanted in you by a surgeon, that is going to have a serial number, and that serial number will be recorded," medical examiner Dr. Tracy Corey told ABC News.

Orange County, Calif., district attorney Tony Rackauckas called Jenkins' attempt to hide Fiore's identity "an amateur idea."

"I know there is a TV show where there's a predator who did that to a couple of people. I don't know if that's where he got the idea," the DA said on "Good Morning America" Monday.

"There are other ways to identify somebody," such as DNA, he said.

"It's unusual, but it's not unique," Rackauckas said of the method of identifying Jenkins. "That's happened before."

Most of us have seen shows like "CSI" use serial numbers to identify victims. These numbers are known as "unique identifiers" and are specific to every implant and prosthetic used by a patient.