New research on how vultures affect time of death determinations

Researchers at Texas State University’s forensic anthropology research facility, one of the country’s five “body farms,” have discovered that failure to take into account the role of vultures may have affected time of death calculations in homicide investigations. See Associated Press coverage here.

The scientists observed a flock of vultures reduce a corpse that had been laying in a field on the body farm for 37 days to skeletal remains within hours. The resulting absence of flesh and condition of the bones normally would lead investigators to conclude that the person had been dead for six months or longer. These observations call into question previous techniques for determining time of death that did not take the role of vultures into account. Additional research is on the role of vultures is planned.

Crime Scene Investigation – New Website

As a follow-up to my post from earlier this week on crime scene investigation, I have created a website with articles and publications that describe best practices for physical evidence recognition, evidence preservation and collection, and crime scene documentation. I have posted standards and guidelines for crime scene investigation and other crime scene resources on this new page in the Indigent Defense Services forensics website, available here.

If you have feedback on the website or additional materials you’d like to see included, please send me an email or post a comment on the blog.