Human memory doesn’t work like a video camera, simply recording a scene as it happens. But researchers know how to help children recall information accurately.
The remains of murder victims often turn up in suitcases, bins, and similar items. Forensic researchers in Australia are leading the way in helping to solve such cases.
Other recent conflicts that resulted in war crimes allegations help explain how complex it will be to gather evidence of war crimes in Ukraine – and provide answers for families of victims of the war.
There are no COVID-specific protocols for forensic officers collecting evidence from crime scenes. New recommendations suggest how teams and their equipment can be reorganised to minimise the risk.
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.
An immediate police investigation into the deaths was prevented because the cause of death was indicated as ‘natural causes’ on their death certificates.
Researchers are figuring out how plants respond to the presence of human cadavers. The findings could prove important for discovering the locations of murder victims or mass graves.
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.
Meet the unsung aid workers who put their lives on the line during war and natural disaster to make sure the dead are treated with respect – and that their grieving families get closure.
While forensic scientists mostly use fingerprints, dental records and DNA to identify human remains, they have many other techniques in their forensic toolkit. How many have you heard of?
‘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.