Analysis of Insects Occurring at Each Stage of Decomposition
Police Initiate R&D on Analytical Techniques
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] A corpse in an advanced state of decomposition was discovered deep in the mountains. There are no CCTV cameras nearby, and the identity of the deceased cannot be confirmed by the naked eye. No identification was found among the clothing. Determining who the deceased is and when they died is an urgent priority. When there is little evidence and the investigation is expected to be difficult, flies and beetles that have invaded the corpse come into focus. By analyzing these insects, it is possible to determine the time of death. Insects become a clue in death investigations.
The police have launched research and development (R&D) on forensic entomology, which analyzes insects that appear at different stages of corpse decomposition. According to the National Police Agency on the 22nd, from next year until 2026, a total of 6.6 billion KRW will be invested over five years to conduct research titled “Establishment of Forensic Entomology Analysis Techniques Database.” Through this research, the police plan to study the growth rates of major species of necrophagous flies and beetles and the ecological characteristics of necrophagous insects nationwide. The research will not only identify the ecology of forensic insects but also database the analysis results, analyze the transcriptomes (total expressed RNA) at each developmental stage of forensic insects, and develop gene expression kits to estimate the age of pupae.
Previously, from 2016 to 2020, the police conducted preliminary research titled “Development of Postmortem Interval Estimation Techniques Using Forensic Entomology,” led by Korea University. This research involved identifying necrophagous insects by region and environment in Korea and analyzing their DNA profiles, focusing on three species of flies found on corpses. However, due to budget constraints and other reasons, further research was not conducted. It was confirmed that 30 species of flies and 24 species of beetles were found on corpses.
The police plan to analyze the characteristics of the remaining 27 species of flies and beetles and discover other forensic insects. In particular, the research will be conducted in a direction that can obtain death information such as the postmortem interval and whether poison was used. A National Police Agency official said, “Forensic entomology is an undeveloped field with little domestic research and insufficient related information, but the need for research is continuously raised at forensic investigation sites. Once the research is completed, it will be applicable in the field for estimating the postmortem interval of corpses found in various environments.”
Meanwhile, the National Police Agency’s security R&D budget for next year is 59.2 billion KRW, an increase of 10 billion KRW from this year. New projects include ▲ development of a police human resource homeostasis management platform based on the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence ▲ technology development to prevent unauthorized use of mobile phones ▲ driving aptitude evaluation for the introduction of conditional driver’s licenses ▲ establishment of standards and certification systems for the introduction of hazardous police equipment.
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