Forensic entomology and the estimation of the minimum time since death in indoor cases.
Eight cases that occurred indoors in which the insects played an important role in the mPMI estimation are presented. The bodies of socially isolated people and old people living alone were discovered in central Italy between June and November. mPMI ranged from a few days to several weeks. Insects were collected during the body recovery and the postmortem. Climatic data were obtained from the closest meteorological stations and from measurements performed on the site. Sarcophagidae and Calliphoridae species were present in 75% of the cases with Lucilia sericata and Chrysomya albiceps collected in 50% of the cases. Chrysomya albiceps was always found in association with Lucilia species. Scuttle flies (Phoridae) were found in 37.5% of the cases, confirming the ability of these species in indoor body colonization. We show that if sealed environment may delay, the insect arrival dirty houses may create the environment where sarcosaprophagous insects are already present.
Dipartimento di Patologia - Unità di Medicina Legale-, Università di Pisa, via Roma 55, Pisa, 56126, Italy.
Valentina
V
Bugelli
David
D
Forni
Luciani Alessandro
LA
Bassi
Marco
M
Di Paolo
Damiano
D
Marra
Scilla
S
Lenzi
Chiara
C
Toni
Mario
M
Giusiani
Ranieri
R
Domenici
Mirella
M
Gherardi
Stefano
S
Vanin
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D004175:Diptera; D004772:Entomology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011180:Postmortem Changes
Megaselia; forensic entomology; forensic science; myasis; postmortem interval; social isolation