Tuesday, July
8, 2008
Dr. Dave Shetlar of OSU's entomology extension collecting maggots from a
dead raccoon - the big knife is in case they attack.
Jules asked Dr.
Shetlar to show the students the
pubic symphysis or
pubic faces, which in
this animal show it was a youngster - the same principle is used on
human bones too.
Pupae from a dead raccoon.
Maggots from a dead raccoon.
Today at forensics camp we studied
entomology and criminalistics. Our guest speaker in the morning was Dr.
Shetlar, the “Bug Doc”. He taught us about the different types of
maggots that live on dead bodies and what kind of flies they would turn
into. The Bug Doc showed us a PowerPoint that had pictures of maggots
from some of his previous cases. Then we went outside and look at
decaying animals that had been on the side of the road that he had
picked up to show the class. The first animal we saw was a raccoon that
had been rotting for weeks. All the maggots had already pupated and left
shells all over the carcass. Lucky for us right after that we had lunch.
Many hands help make a shoemark cast and quite a mess.
Dr Stanford helping Chase cast a shoemark.
Casting hammer marks in wood with Mikrosil.
Afterwards a
forensics team came in and showed us how to capture fingerprints,
footprints, and tool marks. First they told us about the many different
careers in forensic sciences. Then we were able to extract fingerprints,
footprints, and tool marks. All in all it was a very good day.
Swati sleuthing
fingerprint types.
The photo every mother dreads.
Yesterday it was handcuffs - today it is fingerprints - Professor Angel
seems headed to jail.
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