In 1854 the Schlagintweit brothers, scientist-explorers from Vienna were invited by the East India company to make a geological survey of the northern parts of the sub-continent. Adolphe Schlagintweit had wanted to cross into Central Asia from India. He had proceeded as far as Kashgar when he was allegedly murdered by a chief of one of the wandering tribes. His decapitated head became a source of intrigue. The paper describes the incident and the subsequent role of Dr F R Lloyd, a dentist from India, in the police investigation that followed. This is the first documented case from India of a legal case making use of forensic odontology.