NATURE explores the fascinating world of wildlife-related forensics in Crime Scene Creatures.
They are among the most reliable witnesses to a crime — expert in their testimony and bulletproof in their account. Yet they never utter a single word. They are the animals, plants, and insects that are being recruited by a special breed of forensic scientists to solve the most seemingly impenetrable of crimes.
Within the United States and around the globe, biologists are joining the ranks of criminal investigative teams to interpret evidence offered by those with a “natural ability” to crack a case. How do ants nesting in a human skull help police to zero in on a suspect? Can microscopic pollen grains track the path of a killer and link him to the crime scene? Astonishing real-life cases illustrate the tactics employed by these supersleuthing scientists and their “wild” associates. We learn how maggots not only can clock the time of death but also are used to trace terrorist activities by revealing the explosives used in a bomb attack, and we meet a dog whose ultrasensitive nose effectively sniffs out a case of arson.
For the investigators, reading the clues requires a strong stomach and a keen eye for the intricate workings of the natural world. A visit to The Body Farm, a forensic research facility in Knoxville, Tennessee, details the various factors in the decay of a human body and how to recognize the false evidence that wildlife may leave. In Vancouver, scientists dive in to explore the more complicated process of underwater decomposition. They are learning how the behavior of curious marine creatures such as enormous sun stars and octopi could taint the evidence.
Step behind the yellow tape and become prime witnesses to the myriad of ways in which Crime Scene Creatures are making it increasingly difficult for criminals to get away with murder.
Production Credits
Television Credits
CRIME SCENE CREATURES
Narrated by
PAUL CHRISTIE
Produced by
NIGEL MARVEN
With thanks to
Avon & Somerset Constabulary
Paul Krushelnicki
Honolulu Police Department
Norris Williams, Florida Museum of Natural History
Evan Roeterdink, Curtin University of Technology
Director of Photography
PAUL ZENK
Additional Photography
ANDREW ANDERSON
NEIL BROMHALL
MALCOLM LUDGATE
ROD CLARKE
Editor
ROB DAVIES
Online Editor
ADRIAN RIGBY
Dubbing Editor
PAUL FISHER
Dubbing Mixer
RICHARD CROSBY
Script Editor
SOPHIE COOPER
Composer
WILL SLATER
Graphics
BIG SQUID
Production Coordinator
FIONA SEAGER
Production Manager
LOUISE DAWE-LANE
Assistant Producer and Sound Recordist
MATTHEW WRIGHT
For NATURE:
Series Editor
JANET HESS
Supervising Producer
JANICE YOUNG
Producers
JILL CLARKE
PATTY JACOBSON
Associate Producer
IRENE TEJARATCHI
Production Secretary
RACHAEL TEEL
Manager
EILEEN FRAHER
Production Manager
JULIE SCHAPIRO THORMAN
Online Editor
MARK SUTTON
Sound Mixer
ED CAMPBELL
Series Producer
BILL MURPHY
Executive In Charge
WILLIAM GRANT
Executive Producer
FRED KAUFMAN
A Production of Thirteen/WNET New York and Image Impact.
This program was produced by Thirteen/WNET New York,
which is solely responsible for its content.
© 2006 Educational Broadcasting Corporation and Image Impact
Web Credits
Director of Production
DANIEL B. GREENBERG
Producer
TANNER VEA
Production Assistant
DANIEL ROSS
Writer
GIANNA SAVOIE
Designer
MICHAEL DIMAURO
Creative Director
NICK MILLER
Pagebuilding
BRIAN SANTALONE
Technical Director
BRIAN LEE
Photos for “Overview,” “Case Files,” and “Resources” from “Crime Scene Creatures.” Photo for “Interview” courtesy of Lee Goff.
About the Writer
Gianna Savoie is a New York based freelance writer and documentary film producer specializing in science and natural history. Her work has appeared on the award-winning PBS series, NATURE as well as on The Discovery Channel. She has also written and illustrated a book on rainforest plants.
Thirteen Online is a production of Thirteen/WNET New York’s Kravis Multimedia Education Center in New York City. Dan Goldman, Executive Director, thirteen.org. Bob Adleman, Business Manager.
To order a copy of CRIME SCENE CREATURES, please visit the NATURE Shop.
Online content for CRIME SCENE CREATURES originally posted May 2006.
