Trial court erred in allowing a forensic pathologist’s opinion that the decedent’s death was a homicide as opposed to a suicide that was based on his interpretation of non-medical information conveyed to him by law enforcement officers. The State failed to adequately explain how the expert was in a better position than the jurors to …
Death Investigation
Dad Gets Second Chance After Junk Science Convicted Him of Killing His Kids (PA)
The microbial death clock
Blood Chemical Changes Could Determine Time of Death
The Smell of Death Could Become Forensic Tool
‘Body Farm’ Finds Microbial Ecosystems Could Pinpoint Time of Death
Scientists Specifying Time of Death with Muscle Proteins and Blood Color
Postmortem insect activity may be mistaken for antemortem wounds
According to the North American Entomology Association, it is easy for investigators to attribute postmortem damage to a body due to insect activity to antemortem occurrences. Studies have shown that the insects that feed on decaying bodies often leave behind marks or abrasions that can be misinterpreted by investigators. A recent study conducted at the …
Postmortem insect activity may be mistaken for antemortem woundsRead More
Field Documentation of Unusual Post-Mortem Arthropod Activity on Human Remains
Cognitive Bias and Forensic Anthropology
A study looking at how the conclusions of forensic anthropologists may be influenced by extraneous information highlights the importance of protecting all scientists from potentially biasing information. Forensic anthropologists determine the gender, national origin, and age of a person at the time of death. In some cases this determination must be based solely on skeletal …