November 4, 2004

'Murder and Maggots' Discussed By Internationally Recognized Forensic Biologist At Free Lectures

An internationally recognized forensic entomologist will discuss 'Murder and Maggots' at free lectures on Tuesday, Nov. 9, and Wednesday, Nov. 10, at Boise State University. The public is invited to attend the presentations by Gail Anderson, a professor in the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. Anderson speaks at 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday in Room 110 of the Education Building and at 11:40 a.m.-12:40 p.m. on Wednesday in Room 108 of the Multi-Purpose Building. The lectures are suitable for a lay audience. Seating is limited and is available on a first-come basis. Anderson is famous for her pioneering work using insects as a forensic tool. She can tell how long a person has been dead by examining the insects involved in decomposing the body. Insect evidence may also show that the body has been moved to a second site after death, or that the body has been disturbed at some time, either by animals or by the killer returning to the scene of the crime. Anderson is among a number of guest speakers who have been featured this semester as part of a new forensic biology course taught by Greg Hampikian, a Boise State biology professor and a nationally known expert on DNA-based forensics. Hampikian is also the co-author of Exit to Freedom, written with former inmate Calvin Johnson, which chronicles Johnsonıs 16-year effort to prove his innocence. The book is the only firsthand account of a prisoner freed by DNA evidence. Pay parking is available in the parking structure just west of the Multi-Purpose Building off of University Drive. -30- Contact: Greg Hampikian, Department of Biology, (208) 426-4992, greghampikian@boisestate.edu  Media Contact: Janelle Brown, communications and marketing, (208) 426-1790, jbrown2@boisestate.edu