'Insects are a cop's best friend'

[dArKeR]

Many crime investigations are helped by identifying insects which were found at the crime scene. This is according to Mervyn Mansell of the Agricultural Research Council in Pretoria.

He was addressing a group of police, district surgeons and members of the Forensic Department of the South African Police Services at the Durban City Hall on Monday.

Mansell said insects were the "best friends we have". They responded to crime scenes more quickly than anybody or anything else. They also laid eggs which indicated the duration of the person's death.

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