Forensic entomology and society

Forensic entomology uses the study of arthropods, including their behavioral patterns and life cycles, to provide information for the purpose of solving crimes. Information that can be gleaned from these arthropods includes circumstances surrounding a death as well as post-mortem intervals.

1. REDIRECT Forensic entomology

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Pre-19th century

In 1235 A.D., a death investigator named Sung Tz’u published a book entitled The Washing Away of Wrongs, which described a case that used microscopic evidence was used to solve a crime. The investigator requested that all villagers lay their sickles on the ground next to each other. Shortly after, flies began flocking to a single sickle because of trace blood remnants that were still on the weapon from the murder. The owner of the sickle, when faced with this evidence, confessed to his crime. This book was immensely popular and represented the first time that the general public became aware that insects could be use to solve crime.

Famous cases

Despite its rich history, forensic entomology has for years remained a branch of forensics lurking the shadows. A handful of well publicized criminal cases helped bring it into the limelight and popularized it in the modern era.

Paul Bernardo

In 1992, the Canadian press went into a frenzy concerning “The Ken and Barbie Murders.” In June 1991, Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka tortured, raped, and killed fourteen year-old Leslie Mahaffy. The brutal assaults of Mahaffy were recorded on tape by the couple and helped convict them at trial.

Ten months later in April of 1992, Bernardo and Homolka again raped, tortured, and killed another teenage victim, Kristen French over a period of several days, all captured on video tape.

Once captured and put on trial, forensic entomology began to play an important role. In Paul Bernardo’s trial, renowned forensic entomologist Dr. Neal Haskell helped establish a timeline for one of the victim’s murders. Haskell utilized his understanding of insect development cycles to narrow a fifteen day time interval to a period of four days for the victim’s time of death.

Being one of Canada’s most publicized criminal cases, Dr. Haskell and his testimony brought forensic entomology into many homes.

David Westerfield

In the United States, forensic entomology became known in wider circles through the trial of David Westerfield in 2002 for the abduction and murder of seven-year-old Danielle Van Dam. In this San Diego case, the courtroom became a battle over conflicting reports from four forensic entomologists, Dr. Robert D. Hall, Dr. David Faulkner, Dr. M. Lee Goff, and Dr. Neal Haskell. Dr. Haskell, Dr. Hall, and Dr. Faulker argued that forensic entomology established a time interval that the body of Danielle Van Dam was dumped, which proved to be after Westerfield was already under police surveillance, while Dr. Goff insisted that the victim's body was colonized by larvae earlier than the other three entomologists estimated.

Other important cases

A case that shaped Canadian judical history and brought forensic entomology into the headlines was the exoneration of Steven Truscott forty-eight years after being indicted for murder. Forensic entomology also played a role in the investigation of the 1993 raid on David Koresh and the Branch Davidians. Due to the publicity given to these cases, forensic entomology was able to seep further into popular culture.

In 2004 the first (and poorly executed) use of forensic entomology in Brazil demonstrated its importance and potential if done properly. Twenty-six corpses were found in an indigenous region of Rondonia, Brazil. The men were coal miners who came in contact with a group of natives and were brutally clubbed and speared. After the bodies were found they were transported to be autopsied. Arrowheads, spears and clothing were collected but no larvae, pupae or casings were recovered from the crime scene. Once the cadavers were autopsied only fifty-seven larvae were present on the bodies and unfortunately a maximum post-mortem interval could not be established. In part because of the humidity and high temperature environment, the bodies decayed quickly. Since only P. fulvinota was found on the bodies, a species which colonizes all stages of decay, no timeline of succession could be established. Had more thorough work been done on the part of the investigators or the use of DNA in forensic entomology been employed, a more conclusive post mortem interval could have been established if the casings of stage-specific arthropods had been found .

The CSI effect

From the contributions of movies and TV shows, forensic interest has increased and multiple branches spur into various fields. Entomology, an important area of research for the agriculture and veterinary sciences, also aids in crime scene investigation and forensic chronology. Coined after the explosively popular CBS series CSI, the CSI effect encompasses the overwhelming impact investigative scientific documentary shows.

Some notable American institutions such as Michigan State University and Texas A&M University have recently dedicated entire degree paths geared towards training skilled and knowledgeable forensic entomologists. West Virginia University’s largest major is Forensic Science with over 400 undergraduates.

From 2000 to 2008 there has been a significant increase in the amount of attention paid by the public to forensic entomology as a science. With more attention given to arthropod development, accurate hypotheses can be formed. By following life cycles and tracking seasonal changes entomologists are able to establish the location and weather conditions of an area, which are both particularly useful to homicide detectives. However, with global climate change and increasing temperatures the formulas used to calculate post-mortem intervals may become skewed. Forensic entomologists like Gail Anderson, of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, can rely on these formulas to provide certainty in their predictions. It is possible for them to estimate time of death to the exact day even if the person has been dead for a matter of weeks.

The lines blur when pseudoscience dramatized for viewers feeds misinformation and a false sense of security. Problems with jurors arise when they feel unsatisfied. The jury, wanting more conclusive evidence, scrutinizes minute details always expecting some kind of forensic "smoking gun". After watching a season of House, M.D. or CSI, the jurors sometimes feel qualified to make expert decisions. Additionally the TV prejudices could leave some jurors wanting a dramatic experience, which can delay progress.

Even before the trial, the CSI effect can train criminals how to remove evidence and how to stage plausible scenarios. Conversely, victims can intentionally leave crucial traces behind. In one case, a victim who knew she was going to be transported, allowed insects to bite her in hopes of being found and traced back to her area.