Corpse: Nature, Forensics, and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time of Death - Book Review

Science News, Nov 30, 2002

JESSICA SNYDER SACHS

A lynchpin in the prosecution of any murder case is time of death. Without it, all suspects' alibis become more plausible. For 2,000 years, people have been trying to make this determination accurately. Many factors skew results, however. Body size, manner of death, and climate all alter postmortem conditions. Sachs introduces readers to the pursuit of forensic ecology, which relies on the insects that populate a corpse and the soil and plants surrounding the body to indicate not only the time but also the circumstances of death. Sachs recounts the work of 12 forensic entomologists. He shows, for example, how the life cycles of blowflies and maggots have become important elements of modern crime solving. Dirt under a corpse, rife with fluids of human decay, is also a useful tool. Readers tour the crime scenes of a host of bizarre cases and other chilling places, such as the "body farm" in Knoxville, Tenn., where scientists study decaying corpses. From the street to the courtroom, Sachs details the history of this field and its challenges. Originally published in hardcover in 2001. Perseus Pubng, 2002, 270 p., paperback, $15.00.