Perth body farm study on piglets' decomposition to help forensic scientists analyse crime scenes

When police find a decomposed body, the clothing that person was wearing could hold the key to finding out how they died. Key points: Murdoch University used stillborn piglets wrapped in fabric to study the effect of decomposition on textiles A researcher says the findings can help make sure bullet or knife holes aren't confused with damage from insects She says the knowledge will help avoid miscarriages of justice Damage to the fabric could suggest a bullet hole or a cut from a knife, but a group of Perth scientists is investigating if insects and the natural environment could cause similar damage to the clothing. Paola Magni, a senior lecturer in forensic science at Murdoch University, said understanding the difference between marks caused by weapons, compared with those caused by decomposition, was crucial to avoid misinterpretation of evidence that could have grave consequences. Dr Magni and her team studied the bodies of 100 decomposing stillborn piglets wrapped in fabric at a body farm the university owns. Scientists say bacterial clues could help convict sex offenders Photo shows Brendan Chapman and Ruby Dixon wearing white lab coats in a portrait taken inside a Murdoch lab Ruby Dixon says it's the pervasiveness of sexual assault that drives her to find new ways of gathering evidence to hold perpetrators accountable.