Park University
CJ 312 Professor Scheffner
Forensic Entomology

The study of insects and their relation to a criminal investigation is known as forensic entomology. Such practice is commonly used to estimate the time of death when the circumstances surrounding the crime are unknown. This determination can be carried out by studying the state of development of maggots or insect sequence of arrival (Saferstein, 201, p 77). Necrophagous insects are important in the decomposition of cadavers. Using medical techniques, such as the measurement of body temperature or analyzing livor and rigor mortis, time since death can only be accurately measured for the first two or three days after death. In contrast, by calculating the age of immature insect stages feeding on a corpse and analyzing the necrophagous species present, postmortem intervals from the first day to several weeks can be estimated. I selected cased 1, 2, and 3 for the this weeks assignment. It appears that in each case, the time elapsed between the discovery of the bodies was all different. In case 1, the remains of a female child were recovered from shallow grave on a narrow ledge in Oahu, Hawaii (Case Studies). In this case it is estimated that the child had been deceased for approximately 52 days. In case 2, the body of a female was found along a highway. The victims brother had reported her missing just four days before her body was discovered. In case 3, the body of Lori Ann Auker was discovered on a dirt road. It is estimated that her body had been decaying for close to 25 days. In all three cases, the victims were female and the bodies were discovered outside. They had all been exposed to different elements. They were also all found in different stages of decomposition. In cases 2 and 3, weather data was used to determine the environmental conditions to which the bodies and insects were exposed. In case 1, the beetles that were found on the child appeared to have been in their adult stage. The skins of the beetles were in fairly good condition which suggested that they had not been exposed to the weather. The forensic entomologist did not gather any data on the weather, as he had estimated the post mortem interval (PMI) of 52-76 days based on data that had been previously collected. Two things appeared different in case one as compared to cases two and three. First, the body of the child had been buried. The victims in the second and third case appeared to have been dumped, with no efforts made to conceal the body. This could be an obvious reason as to why the child had gone unnoticed for some 52 days. Second, insects were present on the victims in cases two and three. Upon discovery of the childs body in case one, there were very few insects found. Empty cocoons were found under the scalp and attached to her skull. With only the skeletal remains and the presence of empty cocoons, this would mean that the body had been there for some time. In case two, it was the various stages of development that each insect was at that enabled the entomologist to determine that the first insects to settle in and around the body had arrived on May 31, which happened to be the exact day that the victim was last seen with the suspect. Where the victim had only been missing for a short time, the insects allowed investigators to pinpoint the time of death which ultimately led to an admittance of guilt form the suspect. In case three, the various samples of insects that were found on the victim, allowed Dr. Kim to conclude that she had perished somewhere between 19 and 25 days prior to her body being discovered. The estimate of 19 days corresponded with and ATM video recording of the husband on the exact day that the woman went missing. Investigators were able to conclude that he was responsible for her death.
In conclusion, nature can be kind to Entomologists, because the duration and development are very regular for insects. First off, different bugs arrive at the body at predictable times. And since every insect undergoes predictable stages from birth to death, pending on the current stage scientists can estimate how long the victim has been dead. (Goff, 2000).

Goff, Lee M. A Fly for the Prosecution: How Insect evidence Helps Solve Crimes. Cambridge: Harvard University, 2000.
Saferstein, R. (2011). Criminalistics: an introduction to forensic science (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.