UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - In many cases, experts regard insect evidence as the most accurate way to determine a victim's time of death, allowing investigators to reconstruct crime scenes.

To help investigators take advantage of the information that insects can provide, Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences will offer its 14th annual Forensic Entomology Workshop, May 24-26, 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.

Other instructors in the program this year include Jason Byrd, director of operations, Office of the Medical Examiner, Daytona Beach., Fla., and Diplomate in the American Board of Forensic Entomology; John Wallace, assistant professor, Department of Biology, Millersville University; and Patricia Hunt, Penn State graduate student and workshop coordinator.

"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 timely, high-quality 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 Pennsylvania Board of Coroners, will begin on Wednesday, May 24, 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 25, 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 26, 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 the course, visit the Web site, contact the Office of Conferences and Short Courses by phone 814-865-8301 or by e-mail (shortcourse@psu.edu).

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Jeff Mulhollem Writer/editor Phone: 814-863-2719 E-mail: jjm29@psu.edu