Flies and maggots are not exactly the glamorous side of crime-solving, but at Texas A&M, they are part of the investigative team. Entomologist Jeff Tomberlin has turned insects into forensic witnesses that investigators call in when timelines are murky, using bug life cycles to narrow down when people or animals were first colonized. That timing detail can reshape an investigation and offer families a clearer sense of what happened and when.
According to Texas A&M AgriLife, Tomberlin has consulted on as many as 200 criminal cases. Those range from suspected homicides and child-neglect investigations to international poaching cases. His work is anchored in the FLIES lab and Texas A&M's Forensic and Investigative Sciences program, where active casework is paired with student training.
How Bugs Reveal Time Of Colonization
At the FLIES Facility, researchers report that insects colonize remains in relatively predictable sequences. By identifying which species are present and measuring how far their larvae have developed, entomologists can estimate a time of colonization that investigators use as a minimum time since death, the FLIES Lab explains. The lab also details the sampling protocols and developmental tables that translate insect growth into a usable forensic timeline.
Tomberlin's department profile notes that he is certified by the American Board of Forensic Entomology and teaches courses that combine real-world casework with decomposition research, according to the Department of Entomology.
Central Texas Cases And Local Impact
When Central Texas investigators hit a wall, bug evidence sometimes gets a call-up. KXAN's "Unsolved: Central Texas" series highlights how Tomberlin's insect analyses have been folded into investigative teams across the region, KXAN reports. That coverage shows how an entomological timeline can shift the window detectives use when they comb through surveillance video, cell phone data and witness statements.
Legal Limits And What It Can Prove
Forensic entomology rarely produces a single pinpointed "time of death." Instead, it yields a scientifically bounded interval, a nuance that prosecution and defense experts frequently spar over in court, according to FLIES materials. Tomberlin has described his motivation as "providing insights to bring closure to families and communities," a framing that emphasizes the investigative rather than inherently accusatory role of insect evidence, per Texas A&M AgriLife.
His work has also become a training pipeline. The Forensic and Investigative Sciences program and the FLIES facility support courses, undergraduate research, and casework that prepare students to assist investigators, according to the program overview. As detectives in Central Texas and beyond chase fresh leads in cold cases, insect evidence is expected to remain a niche, but increasingly important, piece of the investigative puzzle.
