Fatal stabbings are the leading cause of homicide in countries with restricted access to firearms, including Australia. New research could help solve these cases.
As a forensic scientist who has worked at thousands of homicide, sexual assault and serious crime scenes, I can tell you the process is not as straightforward as depicted on popular true crime shows.
Trust Me, I’m An Expert: forensic entomology, or what bugs can tell police about when someone died
The Conversation, CC BY58,8 MB(download)
James Wallman is one of Australia's few forensic entomologists. It’s his job to unpack the tiny clues left behind by insects that can help police solve crimes.
‘This is going to affect how we determine time since death’: how studying body donors in the bush is changing forensic science
The Conversation, CC BY77,2 MB(download)
On the outskirts of Sydney, in a secret bushland location, lies what's officially known as the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research. In books or movies, it'd be called a body farm.
The presence of blow flies can help establish time of death in murder cases. A criminologist explains how she used her knowledge of blow flies to help overturn a wrongful conviction.
FORENSICS AUSTRALIA – Insects are everywhere. Their ubiquitous nature, and the fact they represent the largest biomass of animals on the earth, means there are hardly any terrestrial niches – except when…