The paradigm of interdisciplinarity in forensic investigation. A case in Southeastern Spain

Abstract

The paper presents the procedure followed to fully solve a forensic case which occurred in Southeastern Spain through the collaboration of specialists from different scientific areas belonging to two different government institutions, a public University and the Guardia Civil. Entomological evidence was required to estimate the PMI in order to settle the perimortem circumstances. Piophila megastigmata (Diptera: Piophilidae) is reported for the first time from a forensic case in Spain, enhancing the interest of its presence in corpses to estimate the PMI. The procedure followed for each scientific specialist is detailed and the possibilities and requirements of each discipline are discussed in detail. Taking into account that institutional interdisciplinary collaboration is not a rule in solving cases of forensic investigation in Spain, the relevance and need of such interdisciplinary collaboration in solving cases of forensic investigation is emphasized.

Keywords: Fingerprints; Forensic entomology; Forensic sciences; Interdisciplinary studies.