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Forensic entomology is a discipline deeply rooted in history that is still evolving with regards to its utility in both the modern scientific community and medicolegal death investigations. While there are many applications of forensic entomology with the forensic sciences, the most common application is that of the estimation of time since death, also often known as a minimum postmortem interval, which in some instances can be equal to the time of colonization. This time estimation is based on the period of insect activity on a body, and the age of the insects collected from the remains can aid in determining a portion of the postmortem interval. For this estimation, temperature is a key element of entomological evidence collection, along with the insects themselves. Proper documentation of the scene conditions in which the body is discovered is essential for use in an entomological postmortem interval estimation. Likewise, proper documentation and collection of the insects from the body and the death scene—including a representative sample of all areas of colonization and species present—better allows the entomologist to provide a more accurate and useful estimation of time since death. This article is categorized under: Forensic Biology > Interpretation of Biological Evidence Forensic Anthropology > Time Since Death Estimation Forensic Science in Action/Crime Scene Investigation > Crime Scene Examination

Throughout the history of forensic medicine, the postmortem interval has been one of the most commonly and thoroughly investigated problems. The importance of an accurate PMI in the context of a medicolegal death investigation cannot be understated due to its utility and application toward investigative determinations including inclusion or exclusion of suspects, determination of time of assault versus time of death, and preliminary victim identification. However, despite its importance, the question of postmortem interval estimation is often answered with a low degree of accuracy as compared to the rates of certainty within other forensic disciplines. While there are various methods that may be utilized for answering the time of death question including both scientific and investigative techniques, the variables that affect the application of these methods to death investigations are abundant. As a result, there are numerous limitations associated with time of death determination in a medicolegal death investigation and the estimation of the postmortem interval must be done with caution and deference to the many variables that affect its accuracy. This article is categorized under: Forensic Anthropology > Time Since Death Estimation Forensic Medicine > Death Scene Investigation Crime Scene Investigation > Education and Formation