The Body Farm: Discovery and Recovery of Human Remains

Colorado Technical University |

The Body Farm: Discovery and recovery of human remains by Patricia A. Drury September 7, 2012 |

Criminal Justice Final Capstone Paper Melinda Whitman http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4738690119237944&pid=15.1 Abstract: What the body farm is, how it works and the importance of its research to law enforcement and forensic science. The work done at the 'body farm’, formally known as the University of Tennessee-Knoxville Anthropological Research Facility, has greatly advanced the knowledge of human decomposition and time of death. |

This knowledge has assisted law enforcement in homicide cases, missing persons identification and cold cases and has advanced forensic science in the field of anthropology and identification of human remains |

Table of Contents

Abstract ………………………………………………………………page 2

Table of Contents……………………………………………………....page 3

Discussion.......…………………………………………………………page 5

What goes on at a body farm...................……………………………....page 6

Public Concerns over this type of facility……………………………...page 7

Research at the body farm…………………………………………….page 8

Decomposition and Insect Activity…………………………………....page 9

PICTURE 1: Life cycle of a Blowfly……………………………....…page 10

Stages of Decomposition.................………………………………….page 11

Forensic Anthropologists as Expert Witnesses………..………………page 12

Is this type of research ethical...............................................................page 12

The importance of this type of research ……………………………....page 13

The New Tennessee facility…………………………………………..page 13

The future of the Body Farm…………………………………………page 14

Conclusion ……………………………………………………………page 15

References ……………………………………………………………page 16

The Body Farm:The Discovery and Recovery of human remains

Introduction

Before there were body farms, very little was known about human decomposition. Forensic Scientists had to rely on cattle and pig carcasses to...