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Click here for full article Distinction of bloodstains from fly artifacts (Forensic Sci Internat 137 (2003) 152-159)
Source: Zoology 103 (Suppl. III):106
Forensic entomology in a murder case: Blood spatter artifacts caused by flies, and determination of post mortem inverval (PMI) by use of blowfly maggots
-- This presentation (in the form of a poster) won the Poster Prize (2nd) at the Annual Meeting of the German Society for Zoologie (Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft, DZG) in Bonn, Germany, June 12 to June 16, 2000 --
Source/Citation: Zoology, Analysis of Complex Systems (formerly Zoologische Jahrbücher) 103 (Suppl. III), page 106
Benecke, M.1, L. Barksdale2, J. Sundermeier2, S. Reibe1, B.C. Ratcliffe3
1[FORMELERLY] Universitat zu Köln, 50923 Koln, Germany, [FORMERLY, CURRENT ADDRESS: SEE VERY BOTTOM!] benecke@uni-koeln.de, 2 Lincoln Police Department, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA, 3University of Nebraska, Entomology Department, Lincoln, NB, USA
Initiated by the investigation of a double homicide that was discovered on June 15, 1997 in Nebraska, we compared the characteristics of fly droppings from field observations (Nebraska) and laboratory experiments (Cologne, n=304) to real blood spatter, and to food coloring stains. We found that complex stain patterns consisting of more than 20 drops could be characterized to be fly droppings by (a) random directionality of the stains, (b) an irregular, "sperm-like" tail, (c) a ratio of tail to body larger than 1, (d) relatively low abundance of round stains larger than 3 mm in diameter, and (e) absence of mist. Initial observation of the scene had given the appearance of extensive low, medium, and high velocity blood spatters. Similar areas were found on a kitchen hanging lamp, and on walls and a door around the victims. The first assumption to be made was that there had been slinging of a lot of blood around the kitchen and living room. This would suggest not only gunshot wounds but considerable movement of the victim and suspect(s). Furthermore, a positive Hemastix quick test on blood strongly indicated that the stains were composed of blood. Following our experimental results, it was suggested that the stains could have been produced by adult flies that had fed on the pools of blood. Both corpses were in the active decay state with black putrefecation just beginning; apart from gunshot wounds, the skin was intact. At the wound sites, there was dried blood and body fluids. Fly larvae were present on the remains and some adult flies were present in the apartment. The temperature in the apartment was registered 30°C on the wall thermostat. The entomological evidence collected by the police on June 15 (adult flies, 1st and 3rd instar larvae) was identified as the common black blowfly Phormia regina (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). From the size of the largest maggots, and from known growth curves, it was calculated that eggs were first deposited on the corpse during daylight hours on June 10. Therefore, death must have occured on the night of June 9, or in the very early morning hours of June 10. The presence of third, and first instar larvae indicates that two egg-laying events took place.
References: Benecke M et al Forensic Sci Internal Special Issue on Forensic Entomology, http://www.benecke.com/fespecial.html/
Click here for full article Distinction of bloodstains from fly artifacts (from Forensic Sci Internat 137 (2003) 152-159)
Mark Benecke, Ph.D., Certified & Sworn In Forensic Biologist, International Forensic Research & Consulting, Postfach 250411, 50520 Cologne, Germany; E-Mail: forensic@benecke.com, www.benecke.com, Emergency Text / SMS for crime cases only +49-173-287-3136. No Facebook, no Xing, no Myspace friend requests, no StudiVZ, no social networks of any kind. Never send .doc, .ppt, .xml -- we only open .rtf and .pdf.
