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01-07-2011 | Case Report

Maggots reveal a case of antemortal insect infestation

Authors: Kristina Baumjohann, Karl-Heinz Schiwy-Bochat, Markus Alexander Rothschild

Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine | Issue 4/2011

Excerpt

Insects on corpses can give a wide range of information in forensic investigations. The most common application is calculating when insects oviposited on a dead person to give an estimation of the postmortem interval [1]. Since the infestation of a dead body may be delayed by certain circumstances such as indoor locations [2] or wrapping [3], it is more accurate to talk about the colonization time. Insects, being restricted to a certain area, can give further hints to the investigators such as if a body has been moved to a different location after death; also, body parts of insects can link a suspect to a crime scene [4]. Another application is the detection of toxic substances in insects feeding from dead persons' tissues [5]. There have been several studies done according to the biology of these animals' living associated with corpses as well as their application in legal investigations in the last years [6‐12]. …

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Title: Maggots reveal a case of antemortal insect infestation
Authors: Kristina Baumjohann
Karl-Heinz Schiwy-Bochat
Markus Alexander Rothschild
Publication date: 01-07-2011
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: International Journal of Legal Medicine / Issue 4/2011
Print ISSN: 0937-9827
Electronic ISSN: 1437-1596
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-011-0571-8

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Maggots reveal a case of antemortal insect infestation

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