Benecke Einseitiges Auftreten von Maden im Gesicht einer Leiche

The corpse of a 41-year-old medical doctor was found in his bed. The body was part-iaily dried out; parts of the hip region were skeletonized due to maggot activity. In the fa-cial region of the corpse, blowfly maggots (Lucilia (Phaenicia) sericata [Meigen]) were found exclusively in one eye socket. This is an unusual occurrence since on that side, a bed-light (40 W light bulb) had been burning during the seven week post mortem interval. All other lights in the apartment were switched off, and no direct sunlight could enter the space where the body was found (only a TV set had been running all the time, ca. 2 m away from the head at the foot end of the bed). Obviously, the maggots who usually flee light had used up the one eye that was further away from the bedlight as a feeding source. Since the con-tinuing mummification of the corpse led to a substantial restriction of feeding material, the maggots finally switched to the eye that the light was shining on.

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Forensic Entomology: Maggots Murder and Men

Here is that rare thing, a good popular book on forensic entomology that is also an illuminating read on forensic science itself and on the art of being an expert witness. Zakaria Erzinçlioglu (a.k.a. Dr Zak), a forensic entomologist for more than 20 years, covers not only the wonderful world of insects as a tool in forensic investigations, but also the Tertiary geological period, O'nyong-nyong disease, Napoleon Bonaparte, human behaviour, maggot therapy and Sherlock Holmes.

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Medellin - Insekten auf Leichen in Kolumbien

Medellin ist eine riesengroße Stadt, die in etwa die Rolle Kölns hat: Man lässt sich von “denen da oben” nix sagen, feiert stattdessen lieber kräftig und nennt sich stolz “Paisa”. Ein(e) Paisa ist bodenständig, echt und gehört nicht zu den (angeblich) Großkopferten aus Bogotá, der Hauptstadt Kolumbiens.

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