CrimeScene#2

EvidencebeingExamined:Skull
ForensicScienceused:ForensicEntomology
Summaryofscience:
Entomologyisthestudyofinsects,whicharethoseorganismsthathave6legs,3body
segments,1pairofantenna,and1pairofeyes.Therapidlygrowingfieldofforensic
entomologyisdefinedastheapplicationofthescientificstudyofinsectsandtheir
arthropodrelativestolegalmatters.Forensicentomologistsusuallydealwithnoninsect
arthropodssuchasspidersandotherthingsliketicks.Withintheforensicsciences,
forensicentomologistscanhelptoestablishwhenthevictimwaslasttouchedandthetime
ofthecrime.(ForensicInvestigations,Sequenceofinsectarrival)Thisalsohelpsto
determinethegeographiclocationofdeathincasesofbodytransport,helpassociatethe
victimandsuspecttoeachotherandtothescene,andhelpthepathologistidentifysitesof
traumaonthecorpse.Forensicinvestigations,effectsofgeographyonsuccession)
Additionally,entomologicevidencecanbeutilizedasalternatetoxicologysamples,and
theirgutcontentscanbesourcesofhumanDNAviableforforensictesting.
Forensicinvestigationsrelyonevidenceandmaterialfoundatacrimescene,which
mustberecordedandcollectedcarefully.Thisisespeciallytrueforinsectmaterial,which
canbehardtofind.Whenapproachingascenewithinsectevidence,aforensic
entomologistfirstconsidersthesurroundings.Ifthesceneisoutdoors,theynotethe
landscape,plantsandsoiltypes,aswellastheweather.Temperatureisespecially
importantandifpossible,aportablerecordingdeviceislefttorecordlongtermchanges.A
soilsampleisoftentaken,sincelarvaemaywanderawayfromthebodytopupate.Ifthe
sceneisindoors,aninvestigatorlooksforaccesspointswhereinsectscouldgetin.Once
atthebody,theforensicentomologisttakesseveralsamplesfromdifferentareasofthe
body.Iftherearemaggots,somearecollected,placedinboilingwaterandpreservedin
alcohol.Thisstopsthemfromgrowingandallowstheinsecttobegetolder.Other
maggotsarecollectedalivesothattheycanbekeptuntiltheyreachadulthood.Atthis
stage,thespeciescanbedetermined.Normally,eggsareonlycollectedifthereareno
laterstagesassociatedwiththebody.Again,somearetakenandpreservedinalcohol
whileothersarewatcheduntiltheyhatch.Emptypupalcasingsarealsocollected.Adult
fliesareusefulonlyifthewingsarecrumpled.Thissuggeststheyhaverecentlyemerged
andcanbelinkedtothebody.Otherwise,theyarenotcollectedsincetheymayhavejust
arrivedtothescene.

Whenacrimeiscommitted,policeofficersandinvestigatorsareleftwithmerefragments
ofalargeandcomplexpuzzle.Inordertosolvethispuzzle,anetworkoftrainedspecialists
needtotakeintoaccountseveralfactors.Thesefactorsincludetimeofdeath,location,
temperature,traceevidenceandanyothercluesthatinvestigatorsareabletocollect.

WorksCited:
http://www.forensicentomology.com/

ForensicInvestigationspacket