“Bugs and Bodies: The Role of Insects in Crime Scene Investigations”

Forensic entomology deals with arthropod involvement in events surrounding felonies, usually violent crimes such as murder, suicide and rape, but can also involve cases of extreme neglect and abuse. A key element in these investigations includes the time between death and corpse discovery, which is referred to as the postmortem interval or PMI.  This presentation will show some of the major insects involved in crime scene investigations and discuss some major criminal cases I have been involved with to assess the role of forensically important insects.  This presentation is not for the squeamish!

Dr. Richard W. Merritt is currently University Distinguished Professor Emeritus and previous Chair of the Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. One of Dr. Merritt's major research interests focuses on the field of Forensic Entomology and he assists police departments with crime scene investigations involving insects.  In 2011, he was awarded the title of MSU University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University for his research and teaching accomplishments. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Entomology (ABFE), a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) and he received the Life Time Achievement Award from this Academy in 2015.