Best known for his work in age dating of specimens, Kerley also made humanitarian contributions by identifying the remains of repatriated American soldiers from the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
Kerley managed to take what was once considered a speculative field and transform it into a highly respected and scientifically accepted discipline.
Kerley is most famous for his work in the identification of the remains of Josef Mengele, the former Nazi surgeon known as the "Butcher of Auschwitz".
Child abuse studies were also a field of expertise to Kerley by examining post mortem remains and identifying successive bodily injury which shows differing degrees of healing.
Prior to his death, Kerley was heavily involved in the identification of repatriated American soldiers from the Vietnam War.