Forensic entomology is the use and study of insects, and arthropod biology, that inhabit decomposing remains in order to aid legal investigations in criminal matters. Typically, forensic entomology is associated with death investigations, however it’s also applied to civil and other criminal components, non-related to homicides. Thus, forensic entomology can be broken down into three general areas of interest: medicolegal, [...]
A forensic sketch artist is a trained individual who interviews witness from a crime scene or the victims themselves in order to gather information about the physical appearance of the offender, after which he proceeds to draw his portrait. These portraits have often been invaluable to law enforcement efforts worldwide, helping identify hardened criminals and putting them to justice before they had [...]
The illegal harvesting of wood resource is a major global problem, which affects the economy, local fauna, and most importantly our climate. In developing countries where poverty is rampant, this practice is even more present. Since they can’t afford to pay for legally harvested wood resources or don’t have a natural gas link in their homes, most residents take it [...]
In the past, we’ve written rather extensively on what forensic pathology entails and what requirements should a individual looking to become a forensic pathologist fulfill. Like any field of science, however, many times it’s advised to turn to its roots, see how it was first described and what we can learn from its history. Forensic pathology is probably the most [...]
As climate change events intensify, leading to an increase of flooding, hurricanes and other cataclysmic related phenomena, the industry of forensic meteorology can only grow. Forensic meteorology is the process of reconstructing weather events occuring at a certain time and location. This is achieved by retrieving and analyzing archived meteorological data (local reports, radio and satellite imaging, eye-witness reports) and re-creating a time line [...]
Forensic psychology is the branch of psychology which is applied to the criminal justice sector. It provides a bridge of interaction between the study of psychology and law, as a forensic psychologist will often be asked to testify in a courtroom and provide assessment of the defendant’s sanity or insanity, for that matter, all in a legal setting, which requires [...]
Basic forensic odontology Forensic odontology, or forensic dentistry, is a branch of forensic science, mostly an identification discipline which deals with the handling, examination of any dental evidence needed in court. What forensic odontology does There is a significant amount of information which can be derived solely from this discipline, including age (mostly in children), identification, signs of violence, [...]
Forensic Pathology is the branch of pathology which practices and studies the determining cause of death through methods of examining the corpse, in interest to the public and the courts. There are two distinct branches to forensic pathology: Anatomic Pathology. It is a medical specialty which deals with the morphologic evaluation of tissues removed from living or dead individuals by use of gross, microscopic, [...]
What is forensic mental health? Forensic mental health might seem like an awkward term, but if you split it, you’ll find its meaning: it comprises a field of people who work on mental health issues in the legal field; it is basically where mental health and the legal field overlap. That may sound a bit redundant, but hopefully I’ve made [...]
Forensic anthropology is perhaps one of the most spectacular and interesting fields in crime scene investigation. To start from the beginning, anthropology is the science which studies humankind, culturally and physically, in all times and places, while forensic anthropology takes that knowledge and applies it in a legal context, hence the ‘forensic’ in the term. The basics of forensic anthropology [...]
