DIRECTIONS FOR WRITING YOUR FORENSIC EVIDENCE REPORT
FORMAT-Excellent header, format and sign-off by lab technician:
Maggots R US
PMI Research Co.
Maggotville, CA 95220
PH: 818-765-8007
INTRO TO CASE- A detailed introduction explaining the who what when and where of the case:
Entomology Report for Case #1
(We will be working with 6 different cases so the case number is important.)
Begin typing in paragraph format and explain the details of the case based on the report you received with
the maggots. Include any pertinent information that will be needed to determine the PMI.
DID YOU INCLUDE? UNKNOWN…20 YRS…URBAN…LIVINGSTON, NJ…DATE FOUND…CLOTHED…ACTIVE
DECAY…NOT REPORTED MISSING…SEEN 10 DAYS AGO…AVE TEMP LAST 3 WEEKS…NO DRUGS…NO
SCAVENGERS…NO TRAUMA…NO VISIBLE CAUSE OF DEATH…SAMPLES OF LARVAE=MAGGOTS??? WHEN
COLLECTED?
TYPE OF EVIDENCE:- Begin your report by explaining that entomology evidence is circumstantial
and corroborating evidence. It is not physical evidence because it cannot be matched to a person
place or object. It can be used to infer when the homicide took place. If the calculated PMI is
compared to the alibi’s of the suspects, one could infer that they may or may not have had access to
the victim at the time of death.
DETERMINATION OF THE PMI:
You will need to explain exactly how you determined the PMI from the point when you first opened
the maggot sample to the point when you finalized the number of days the body was exposed to
insects.
______1) DID YOU INCLUDE? SPECIES/NUMBER OF MAGGOTS COLLECTED? (THE COLOR OF THE LANYARD
IS OPTIONAL-we only use it to determine the species of maggots)
______2) DID YOU EXPLAIN WHAT YOU DID WITH THE INSECT EVIDENCE? DID YOU MEASURE THEM? DID
YOU USE A PRE-EXISTING CHART TO DETERMINE THE AGE OF THE INSECTS? DID YOU DESCRIBE HOW YOU
DETERMINED THE AGE OF THE PUPAE? HOW DID YOU USE THE CHART? DID YOU EXPLAIN WHY YOU USE
THE AGE OF THE OLDEST MAGGOT OR PUPAE TO DETERMINE THE PMI?
______3) DID YOU EXPLAIN THAT THERE WERE NO DRUGS/NO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS/NO
UNUSUAL SPECIES COLLECTED (DO YOU KNOW HOW EACH OF THESE MIGHT HAVE AFFECTED THE PMI?)
______4) WHY DIDN’T YOU HAVE TO ADJUST FOR TEMPERATURE??? YOU MAY USE SOMETHING LIKE THE
FOLLOWING STATEMENT:“The temperature at the crime scene averaged 22 oC . The chart I used to
determine the age of maggots based on their length was also produced at a temperature of 22 oC.
Therefore, I did not have to adjust the ages of the maggots due to temperature differences between the
crime scene and rearing chart.”
______5) WHAT WAS THE FINAL PMI??? WHICH LARVAE/PUPAE INDICATED THE PMI? WHY?
______6) REVIEW PAGE 3 IN YOUR ACTIVITY PACKET TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVEN’T MISSED ANY
IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR CASE.
SUMMARY____1) RESTATE PMI…DETERMINE THE ACTUAL DATE OF DEATH/EXPOSURE…(IT MAY BE A RANGE OF DAYS)
____2) ANSWER THE QUESTIONS FOR CASE 1 (PAGE 5 IN YOUR ACTIVITY PACKET)
#1/ WHY MAGGOTS OF DIFFERENT LENGTHS? (2 REASONS)
#2 ABIOTIC FACTORS? (WHAT OTHERS COULD HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT?)
#3 TESTIMONIAL DISCREPANCY? (HOW MIGHT YOU EXPLAIN?)
NOTE: MAKE SURE YOU INCORPORATE THE QUESTIONS FOR CASE #1 IN YOUR ANSWER SO
THE CONCLUSION FLOWS LIKE A NORMAL CONVERSATION. INSTEAD OF STATING,
“BECAUSE THERE MAY BE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF MAGGOTS ON THE CORPSE…” YOU
SHOULD INCORPORATE THE QUESTION IN YOUR ANSWER. FOR EXAMPLE, “IT WAS
NOTICED THAT THERE WERE DIFFERENT SIZED OF MAGGOTS IN THE SAMPLE. THIS MAY BE
BECAUSE THEY ARE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF FLIES THAT GROW AT DIFFERENT RATES OR,…”
YOUR PAPER WILL READ MORE EASILY.
____3) MAKE SOME SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW THIS INFORMATION MIGHT BE USED TO SOLVE THE CASE.
REITERATE (REPEAT) THAT INSECT EVIDENCE IS CIRCUMSTANTIAL AND CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. IT MAY
SUPPORT AN IDEA ABOUT THE CASE. THE PMI WILL TELL YOU WHEN A PERSON MIGHT HAVE DIED. FOR
EXAMPLE, IF THE SUSPECT WAS IN ANOTHER COUNTRY AT THE TIME OF DEATH, HE/SHE WOULD NOT HAVE
BEEN AT THE CRIME SCENE. IF A SUSPECT WAS PRESENT AT THE TIME OF DEATH, THEY MAY HAVE HAD
ACCESS TO THE VICTIM AND CANNOT BE EXCLUDED AS THE PERSON WHO COMITTED THE CRIME.
OF COURSE MORE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE WOULD BE NEEDED TO SUPPORT THAT THE SUSPECT ACTUALLY
COMITTED THE CRIME…YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DETERMINE THIS.
Submitted by: (YOUR NAME) PhD, Forensic Entomologist