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Post-Mortem Interval Estimation Based on Insect Evidence in a Quasi Science & Justice 59 (2019) 109–115 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Science & Justice journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/scijus Case review Post-mortem interval estimation based on insect evidence in a quasi-indoor habitat T ⁎ Szymon Matuszewskia,b, , Anna Mądra-Bielewicza,b a Laboratory of Criminalistics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Święty Marcin 90, 61-809 Poznań, Poland b Wielkopolska Centre for Advanced Technologies, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89C, 61-614 Poznań, Poland ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Insects collected on indoor cadavers are frequently used for post-mortem interval (PMI) estimation. Buildings Forensic entomology encountered during crime investigations vary according to temperatures inside, the extent of insect access re- Stearibia striction or sanitary conditions. This article reports the PMI oriented analyses of insect evidence sampled from Sarcophaga the human cadaver in the atypical indoor habitat. The body was found in the uninhabited house, on the floor Nasonia covered with rubbish, in the room with no doors and windows. Thermal conditions in the room were less Necrodes variable than in the local weather station, however still much more variable compared to the typical indoor Protophormia habitat, indicating the need for retrospective correction of temperature records from the station. Cadaver en- tomofauna was surprisingly diverse and abundant. We recorded several taxa usually not occurring on indoor cadavers, e.g. immature stages of Necrodes littoralis (Coleoptera: Silphidae) or Stearibia nigriceps (Diptera: Piophilidae). PMI was based on the age and the pre-appearance interval estimated for live puparium of S. nigriceps, giving the total interval of 37 ( ± 7.4) days plus 4–20 days resulting from the absence of first colonizing specimens of the species. This estimate was corroborated with the age estimate for empty puparia of Sarcophaga argyrostoma (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) with traces of Nasonia sp. (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) eclosion. Other insects indicated shorter but consistent PMI. Difficulties and limitations of insect-based PMI estimations in unusual indoor habitats are discussed. 1. Introduction temperature conditions. Moreover, most data on development of for- ensically important insects were collected at constant temperatures Human cadavers are frequently discovered in indoor habitats. In the [13–16], therefore their longitudinal thermal profiles better correspond large-scale reviews of forensic cases with insect evidence, about 40% of with thermal profiles of indoor than outdoor habitats. Some inherent cases comprised human bodies in indoor settings [1–4], although in difficulties of PMI estimation are connected with indoor settings as some areas it was almost 80% [5]. When comparing indoor and outdoor well. The extent of delay in cadaver colonization by blow flies or flesh habitats, cadavers inside dwellings are found to be colonized by insects flies is difficult to postdict. Temperature methods for the pre-appear- with a delay of up to several days, depending on the extent of insect ance interval (PAI) are not useful for the estimation of blow flyorflesh access restriction, temperature inside and the efficiency of attractants fly PAI [17, 18]. Besides, colonization times of indoor cadavers by blow diffusion [6–9]. Experimental and case studies have regularly indicated flies or flesh flies have been poorly documented experimentally. Fur- that carrion entomofauna is distinctly less abundant and diverse on ther, low abundance and diversity of entomofauna on indoor cadavers, indoor cadavers [1, 6–11]. Accordingly, decomposition inside buildings and in particular low number of late-colonizing insects [1, 6, 9, 11] may is slower, resulting in prolonged insect colonization phase [8]. Another hinder PMI estimation in long PMI cases. Finally, the elongation of distinctive feature of indoor habitats are steady thermal conditions. insect colonization phase increases the chance that immature insects Although buildings vary according to inside temperature, they have sampled will not be the first insects of the species that have colonized much smaller daily temperature variation than outdoor habitats [6, the cadaver, and this may enlarge the error of PMI estimate. 12]. A neglected issue in forensic entomology is the variety of indoor Some peculiarities of indoor cadaver decomposition and coloniza- habitats (but see [10, 12]). Buildings vary in entomologically important tion by insects facilitate estimation of post-mortem interval (PMI). factors. The extent of insect access restriction is probably the most Stable environment inside buildings simplify the reconstruction of important. At one end there are buildings which do not limit insect ⁎ Corresponding author at: Laboratory of Criminalistics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Święty Marcin 90, 61-809 Poznań, Poland. E-mail addresses: [email protected] (S. Matuszewski), [email protected] (A. Mądra-Bielewicz). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scijus.2018.06.004 Received 28 March 2018; Received in revised form 30 May 2018; Accepted 10 June 2018 1355-0306/ © 2018 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. ą S. Matuszewski, A. M dra-Bielewicz Science & Justice 59 (2019) 109–115 access in any way, e.g. ruined houses with no windows or roof, and at the other end there are structures to which insects have no access, e.g. tightly sealed rooms. In forensic entomology at least two scenarios are typical: abandoned and unsecured buildings in which insect access is usually only slightly limited and inhabited or secured buildings in which restrictions are moderate or large. Temperature conditions inside buildings may also vary. At one end there are basements in which steady and rather low temperature usually limits and sometimes pre- vents insect activity [12]. At the other end there are attics in which thermal conditions are much more variable across the year. Indoor habitats differ also according to sanitary conditions inside [10]. At one end there are sterile houses in which insects that had colonized the cadaver must have arrived from the outside, at the other end there are dwellings in poor hygienic conditions where saprophagous insects are permanently present. Here, we present a case report in which PMI was estimated based on insect evidence from a quasi-indoor habitat. 2. Case report 2.1. Case circumstances The body of a no name adult male was discovered on August 6th, 2017 in the suburbs of Poznań (Western Poland). The body was laying on the floor, next to the window in the ground floor room of the de- tached house. The head of the cadaver was in the remains stage, torso and limbs were partly in the advanced decay stage and partly in the remains stage sensu Payne [19]. The pathologist estimated PMI at minimum three months. Due to the advanced decomposition, the cause of death has not been determined. There were no signs of third party participation. Documents from the hospital confirming the terminal condition of the deceased were found next to the body. The latest document was issued on May 26, the day when the man was probably last seen alive. The house was uninhabited, although there were traces of frequent presence of local drunkards and homeless people. At the ground floor doors were absent and all windows were broken (Fig. 1). Ivy grew into the house through the windows, indicating the long-term absence of windows (Fig. 1). In the room where the body has been found, the floor was covered with bottles, old clothes, food waste and other rubbish (Fig. 1). 2.2. Cadaver entomofauna Insects were sampled by law enforcement officers during the ca- daver examination in the building and by authors of the article during the second inspection of the building, during the pre-autopsy ex- amination of the body and during the autopsy. Cadaver entomofauna was surprisingly diverse and abundant (Tables 1–2, Fig. 2). Among Diptera there were larvae and puparia of fl fl fl various blow ies, large number of puparia of esh ies with and Fig. 1. The front side (a), the hind side (b) of the building and the general without traces of Nasonia sp. eclosion, a few immature specimens of appearance of the room (c), where the body has been found. Muscidae and Fanniidae, many third instar larvae and a few puparia of Piophilidae. Among Coleoptera four species of Dermestes were sampled weather station. in the adult or the larval stage. Surprisingly, we found a few exuvia of Temperature conditions in the room were less variable than in the second instar larvae of Necrodes littoralis. Moreover, several species and weather station (Fig. 3; average daily amplitude, room: 4.0 °C, station: life stages of Necrobia were present on the body. Among Hymenoptera 8.3 °C; weekly amplitude, room: 8.6 °C, station: 14.8 °C). However, they we found many adult Nasonia vitripennis associated with the body. were still distinctly more variable than in a typical indoor habitat (for comparison see data from Michalski, Nadolski [12]). There was a strong 2.3. Temperature conditions correlation between temperature in the room and in the weather station (linear regression, Room temperatures = 9.6873 + 0.5364 * Station Temperature was recorded in the building from August 10th until temperatures, r2 = 0.89, Fig. 3). Accordingly, we used the regression August 17th with HOBO U23 Pro v2 2x External Temperature Data equation to retrospectively correct temperatures from the station to be Loggers (Onset Computer Corporation, MA, USA). Conditions in the used in PMI estimation. room were compared against temperature records from the local weather station using linear regression. The resultant regression equa- tion was used to retrospectively correct temperature records from the 110 ą S. Matuszewski, A. M dra-Bielewicz Science & Justice 59 (2019) 109–115 Table 1 The list of Diptera recorded on the body or in the cadaver discovery place. Family Genus/species Stage Specimens recorded/sampled Rearing 6/7 VIIIa 8 VIIIb 8 VIIIc 11 VIIId Calliphoridae Protophormia terraenovae R.-D., 1830 L3 2 EP 1 1 I 1 Phormia regina Meig., 1826 L3 2 Lucilia sericata L., 1758 L3 1 sp.
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