Case: CFR 139 Using insects to establish post-mortem interval
Forensic entomologists have found 5 species of insects on top of the buried individual and have collected them for closer examination in the lab. Each insect provides a different clue to the forensic entomologist, since they all arrive at different moments in the decaying process of the body (this is called wave succession). By identifying which insects are present and at what stage of their life cycles they are found, the forensic entomologist is able to estimate:
- Time since death of the individual(s)
- If the individual was moved from the original killing place
- If the individual had drugs in their system
