title: Calculating time since death in a mock crime case comparing a new computational method (ExLAC) with the ADH method.
abstract: We compared the results of calculating a minimum post-mortem interval (PMImin) in a mock crime case using two different methods: accumulated degree hours (ADH method) and a newly developed computational model called ExLAC. For the ADH method we further applied five reference datasets for the development time of Calliphora vicina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) from 5 different countries and our results confirmed the following: (1) Reference data for blowfly development that has not been sampled using a local blowfly colony should not, in most circumstances, be used in estimating a PMI in real cases; and (2) The new method ExLAC might be a potential alternative to the ADH method.
authors.affiliation: University of Bonn, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Bonn, Stiftsplatz 12, 53111 Bonn, Germany; Monash University, The Systems Biology Institute (SBI Australia), Level 1, Building 75, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia. Electronic address: sreibe@googlemail.com.
authors.forename: Saskia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reibe-Pal
authors.affiliation: University of Bonn, Institute of Forensic Medicine, Bonn, Stiftsplatz 12, 53111 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Madea
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004175:Diptera / Q000254:growth & development*; D004772:Entomology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development; D023421:Models, Animal; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D012016:Reference Values; D013552:Swine
keywords: ADH-method; Calliphora vicina; Computational model ExLAC; Estimating time since death; Forensic entomology