A new AI technique may aid violent crime forensics

A New AI Technique for Violent Crime Forensics

An AI tool trained on chemical signatures from corpse-eating insects may help determine the time and place of death for victims of violent crimes.

Crime scene clues from blowflies can help reveal a victim’s time of death, and other details, even years later. When colonizing a dead body, these insects lay eggs that mature into adult flies, leaving behind telltale remnants, called puparial casings.

According to Rabi Musah, an organic chemist at Louisiana State University,

figuring out which species you’re dealing with is crucial
to accurately estimate the time of death, as different species mature at different rates.

Musah's team has developed a rapid method to identify the species, which could help investigators back-calculate when someone died.

Author's summary: AI tool helps crime forensics.

more

Science News Science News — 2025-10-31

More News