Insectos y cadáveres: el papel de los insectos en las investigaciones de la escena del crimen

This course is designed to explore the various ways that insects and related arthropods can and have been used as evidence in a court of law, and how they can assist in solving crimes. In this basic course, students will learn the history of forensic entomology, the basics of insect biology, succession and ecology, and an introduction to the different sub-disciplines of this field of forensic entomology, which are Stored Product Forensic Entomology, Urban Forensic Entomology and Medicolegal Forensic Entomology. A review of the major insect players used in assisting with crime scene investigations will be discussed. The course will also cover several actual cases and videos involved in all subdisciplines of forensic entomology, but particular emphasis will be on medicolegal forensic entomology which deals with arthropod involvement in events surrounding felonies, usually violent crimes resulting in death investigations. Some of my cases have been aired on The New Detectives, Forensic Files, Cold Case Files, Dateline, and The Fifth Estate. I have also taught FBI agents forensic entomology techniques at the University of Tennessee Human Body Farm in Knoxville, Tennessee. Selected videos of some of my cases on these programs will be shown and discussed with students in the class. My teaching style involves lecturing with the use of powerpoints to explain the major areas of forensic entomology and some videos from cases I have been involved in. Students will be allowed to ask questions about cases and problems they may have understanding concepts during the entire set of lectures and the class will be interactive in this way.