UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- In The Past, Insects And Other "pests" Typically Were Cleaned Away During Homicide Investigations. But Now, Insect Evidence Is Becoming Regarded As The Most Accurate Way To Determine A Victim's Time Of Death, Allowing Investigators To Reconstruct The Crime Scene.

To help investigators take advantage of the information that insects can provide, Penn State will offer its 13th annual Forensic Entomology Workshop, May 25-27, at the University Park campus. Workshop instructor Ke Chung Kim, professor of entomology and former president of the American Board of Forensic Entomology, will help transform popular "C.S.I." television fiction into reality for workshop participants.

"The legal community is becoming aware that forensic entomology is important, but most police departments do not have a budget for forensic entomologists," Kim says. "This workshop teaches investigators what to look for and how to collect species that may otherwise have been dismissed as a nuisance."

By examining the species and life stages of insects found on a corpse, Kim says police can determine a homicide victim's time of death within about two hours, a crucial part of reconstructing a crime scene. He says Penn State's workshop has attracted much national and global attention due to the high quality and timely information given to participants.

The course is aimed at detectives, state police, municipal police, forensic pathologists, medical examiners and coroners. Kim says participants have come from all over the country and the world, including from Brazil and Korea.

The workshop, which is approved by the State Board of Coroners, will begin on Wednesday, May 25, with an explanation of the principles of forensic entomology. A morning session will be devoted to introducing the basics of entomology and forensic entomology. The afternoon session will include an overview of entomological investigation and the first opportunity to study a simulated crime scene.

On Thursday, May 26, the morning session will feature an overview of insects found at crime scenes with an emphasis on flies and maggots. During the afternoon session, participants will collect insect specimens and environmental data at the simulated crime scene. Participants will then perform lab work to practice identifying the collected specimens.

The final session on Friday, May 27, will provide an overview of postmortem interval analysis. Participants will calculate postmortem intervals from specimens they collected at the simulated crime scene and determine the "victim's" time of death.

For more information on course content, visit the Web at http://www.ento.psu.edu/ForensicSC/index.htm. For registration and cost information, call 814-865-8301, send e-mail to shortcourse@psu.edu or visit the Web at http://conferences.cas.psu.edu/ForensicEnt/main.html.

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Writer: Jill Hoover Office 814-863-2719

Editor: Chuck Gill Office 814-863-2713 FAX 814-863-9877