A Fly for the Prosecution: How Insect Evidence Helps Solve Crimes - Softcover

Goff, M. Lee

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0674007271 ISBN 13: 9780674007277

Publisher: Harvard University Press, 2001

Synopsis

The forensic entomologist turns a dispassionate, analytic eye on scenes from which most people would recoil - human corpses in various stages of decay, usually the remains of people who have met a premature end through accident or mayhem. To Lee Goff and his fellow forensic entomologists, each body recovered at a crime scene is an ecosystem, a unique micro-environment colonized in succession by a diverse array of flies, beetles, mites, spiders, and other arthropods: some using the body to provision their young, some feeding directly on the tissues and by-products of decay, and still others preying on the scavengers. Using actual cases on which he has consulted. Goff shows how knowledge of these insects and their habits allows forensic entomologists to furnish investigators with crucial evidence about crimes. Even when a body has been reduced to a skeleton, insect evidence can often provide the only available estimate of the post-mortem interval, or time elapsed since death, as well as clues to whether drugs have contributed to the death. An experienced forensic investigator who regularly advises law enforcement agencies in the United Sates and abroad, Goff is uniquely qualified to tell the fascinating if unsettling story of the development of practice of forensic entomology.

About this title

Review:

Almost every murder has literally millions of witnesses, but their only testimony is a maddening buzz. Speaking for the insects is forensic entomologist M Lee Goff who relates some of the secrets of his young profession in A Fly for the Prosecution. Equal parts scientific and true-crime journalism, the book reports unflinchingly on the development of this field as an important adjunct to traditional means of investigation. Based on our constantly-improving knowledge of the reproduction and growth of carrion flies and beetles, an informed examiner can determine the time and location of death with great precision, often lending the final evidence needed to close a case. Goff has been at the forefront of forensic entomology and has worked closely with Hawai'i law enforcement over many years, yielding a rich assortment of crime stories to illustrate his research. Readers need a strong stomach to take the macabre details of some of the murders; fortunately for those at the borderline, all of the excellent illustrations depict insects rather than their meals. Goff also explores how we came to the knowledge we have today, including the meticulous field research of the 19th century and the modern decomposition studies with pigs in a wide variety of environments and conditions. You might never need the knowledge, but reading A Fly for the Prosecution will at least satisfy your curiosity by telling you what the blowfly saw. --Rob Lightner

Review:

I planned to leaf through the book, then read it in earnest the next day. But the opening paragraph grabbed me: 'It was a perfect morning for shoreline fishing and throwing nets for crabs. The sun was shining brightly and the air was perfumed with the scent of plumeria when three fishermen set off for Pearl Harbor...Peering over the fence in the direction of the stench, one spotted a dead body lying on its back.' Goff had me hooked.--Elaine Masters "Honolulu Advertiser "

Although forensic entomology has a certain fascination for the public, any forensic pathologist will tell you that it is much more entertaining to read about cases than to collect live arthropods from decaying human corpses. This is where Goff's book comes in--[it's a] colourful collection of forensic entomology research and cases (mostly in his own Hawaii), along with personal thoughts about how to deal with violent death and decay.--Mark Benecke "Nature "

Overall, Goff has written a good book about a fascinating and fairly new subject. Especially for crime buffs and science buffs, this book is quite engrossing--as long as you aren't grossed out by a few flies, maggots, beetles and other crawling critters.--David Bloomberg "Springfield State Journal-Register "

Goff takes you into the world of the forensic entomologists: the intrepid band of insect experts around the world who turn their intimate knowledge of creepy crawlers to the service of police work...A fascinating read...Great, gory stuff. Goff seems like just the sort of gifted storyteller you'd want to have a drink with--but, perhaps, not dinner.--John Schwartz "Washington Post Book World "

Seductive...Goff is a forensic entomologist, and he tells the story of what exactly that means and of how his field (which hardly existed before 1980) came to take a respected place in death investigations. Along the way, he provides a small hive of entomological tales...Goff, a marvelously vivid and clear explainer of his science...uses plenty of true-life (or rather true-death) cases to show how it's done. The tales can be riveting.--Atul Gawande "New York Times Book Review "

Goff, a pioneer in the field [of forensic entomology], says he learned to avoid jargon when testifying in court, and in his maximally informative, minimally rebarbative professional memoir, he treats readers as if they were jurors. His tales of analyzing the species found on a corpse...should prove riveting to anyone interested in insects or crimimal procedure.--Ray Olson "Booklist "

Lee Goff leads us through his exciting and, at the same time, entertaining world that strongly depends on silent crime scene assistants: maggots, adult flies, beetles and, occasionally, a grasshopper.--Mark Benecke "Quarterly Review of Biology "

[This] book is witty, well-written, scientifically lucid, and packed with case histories, amusing anecdotes, and practical information. Anyone with a genuine interest in the subject--whether professional or general--can hardly fail to be impressed and enlightened.--John A. Lee "Biologist "

[A] lively and informative firsthand account of forensic entomology in the United States. A consultant to the Medical Examiner of Honolulu, [Goff] is especially well qualified to write this book because of his involvement in many criminal investigations and his leadership in a profession that has come into its own within the past two decades...This book is not for the squeamish, owing to the descriptions of corpses at the scene of death, in the morgue, and in varies states of decay, [but] Goff also writes about coping with murder scenes, testifying in court, and publicizing his profession. This book should appeal to a wide audience, owing to its readability and novel subject matter.--William H. Wiese "Library Journal "

[Forensic entomologists] remain a tiny fraternity--there are just 15 members of the American Board of Forensic Entomology--but their often grisly work is about to become a good deal better known, thanks to the deliciously disgusting new book, A Fly for the Prosecution.--Vicki Croke "Boston Globe "

About this edition

• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0674007271
• ISBN 13: 9780674007277
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240