Lucilia Illustris - Forensic Importance

Forensic Importance

Blow flies typically are the first to arrive when blood or body fluid is present. Hence, blow flies are the primary means of estimating a time of death in case work. The life cycle from egg to maggot to adult has been researched thoroughly; therefore, the estimation from egg to adult is accurate within simply a few hours based upon temperature and climate during previous days. This estimation is crucial when determining a time of death to further an investigation. Specifically, Lucilia illustris is found on carrion located in sunlight or otherwise bright areas.

For example, the body of a young, white female was found on a roadside in the northeastern part of the United States. Cause of death was a single shotgun blast to the right side of the head. While processing the crime scene, samples of blow fly adults and maggots were taken from the wound. Upon review, entomologists determined the woman had been killed about five days prior to her discovery and that the body had been placed in that location close to the time of death based upon the samples recovered at the scene. Further investigation revealed the woman’s boyfriend as the prime suspect. He was later found hanged in a motel with a suicide note that stated he committed the homicide five days prior in the location the body was discovered.