Flies and Maggots in the trunk - forensic entomology #1

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I believe the worst about the trunk, but flies will lay eggs on whatever is handy. I've already mentioned, my experience using a trash can without a lid and the very nasty result. Well, there were even eggs on the outside of a tightly closed bag...not even on the actual garbage itself (which was partly exposed on other bags, due to birds pecking some of them). Also, my son is starting to collect insects (for 4-H) and trapped a fly in a sealed baggy. A while later, the fly started laying eggs inside it. When 'it's time', it's time...with or without ideal conditions.
 
:confused:there are a couple of things I am confused about. If the trunk is such a sealed environment, then how did the smell get into the passenger portion of the vehicle? I remember reading George opened the driver side door first and was hit with the smell.
That car is 10 years old and it is possible there were rust holes in the floor boards that allowed the flies to enter at a later date. That isn't something I am sure about, just throwing it out there.

When my daughters were teenagers, they had to take turns doing dishes. We had a pork roast in a crockpot that through their craftiness and evasion of it, sat rotting for about 3 days before I noticed it. I never smelled it at all during that 3 day period. I went to use the crockpot and when I lifted the lid off, I thought I was going to fall over from the smell. It was in the middle of summer and it was filled with maggots. I wrapped the entire thing in a bunch of garbage bags and threw it away.
So, the lid was tight enough that I never smelled the rotting, maggot infested pork roast. I wondered at how they got into it. And I wondered at how they survived without oxygen. I still don't know, but I do know the smell was unbearable and they got into it somehow although it didn't seem possible for as tightly as the lid sat on it.
 
This way I read this 'cycle' it seems the body coulda been in the trunk anywhere from @ least 6/22 back to 6/19........because we KNOW when the car was stored, both the flies & maggots had to be second generation.....

However, what if the body was placed in the trunk on 6/16 (with no flies) then moved sometime later, & the trunk left open ('cause your moving the body) & this is when flies are attracted to any fluids/tissue that remains in the trunk ??

JMO....& if my math/understanding of the cycle is wrong, feel free to correct me........;0)

Not a correction by any means, just a thought. It's possible that if there were a body and it had been, let's say, left outside for a day or so, hypothetically, the first of the flies could have gotten on the body then and started laying eggs. Then, maybe, the body was put in the trunk to be moved somewhere and there was transference at that time. Once a couple of them were there, they probably had a field day with whatever there was in there for them to eat. JMO IMO and only based on my limited experience with forensics.
 
So, the lid was tight enough that I never smelled the rotting, maggot infested pork roast. I wondered at how they got into it. And I wondered at how they survived without oxygen. I still don't know, but I do know the smell was unbearable and they got into it somehow although it didn't seem possible for as tightly as the lid sat on it.

We had the same thing happen when we forgot to wash out the slow cooker before we went away for the weekend. That was the first (and hopefully the last!) time I saw maggots...gross! I wonder the same thing, about not being able to smell it, and how the fly ever got in to lay the eggs...

But, I think Quick is right on...that's what I believe happened (tho I don't know if I think Caylee was dumped at Amscot).
 
Thank goodness for that.

This could be VERY important evidence for the prosecution... it might help pin down an approximate time of death.

I wonder WHOSE fingerprints will be found on that bag. (Besides the person who removed it & threw it away)

Yep, I also thought about fingerprints on or in the trash....I first thought this trash might have been planted (to make a bad smell)......now I'm beginning to think someone attempted to clean the trunk ( arm & hammer det), & also
sacked up trash.......& then the car broke down before they could dispose of it.
 
Wonder if she was potty trained yet? My grandson just turned three and he is.. I was thinking mine where trained by 2 anyway.

I would place bets that she was not. With Casey's transiant live style I doubt she had the committment or time to do it. It appears as though Caylee was dragged around so much. This is JMO of course. Age 3 is the "average" age that kids are potty trained normally girls are before boys.
 
Not a correction by any means, just a thought. It's possible that if there were a body and it had been, let's say, left outside for a day or so, hypothetically, the first of the flies could have gotten on the body then and started laying eggs. Then, maybe, the body was put in the trunk to be moved somewhere and there was transference at that time. Once a couple of them were there, they probably had a field day with whatever there was in there for them to eat. JMO IMO and only based on my limited experience with forensics.


Yep, your theory works too.....but I really hope the experts can pin down a certain date (better than us...LOL)

My earlier reply was to post 6, that says "No body in the car before 6/24".

Seems to me there are several explanations placing a body in the trunk days before the 24th.
 
Did you see that they recovered the white garbage bag that was in Casey's trunk and George and the tow truck guy threw away? I just caught that and see that the sent this to the lab - I wonder if they collected the maggots - they can tell what they were eating . . . now how long does it take to get this evidence back?
 
Did you see that they recovered the white garbage bag that was in Casey's trunk and George and the tow truck guy threw away? I just caught that and see that the sent this to the lab - I wonder if they collected the maggots - they can tell what they were eating . . . now how long does it take to get this evidence back?

I would bet that they put the maggots in preservative and sent them to an entemologist. Even if all they got were the pupae casings, those would tell the entemologist exactly what species of fly it was, and the entemologist would be able to narrow down the timeline to HOURS, not days.
 
Thanks for the patience with detail and, um,... fortitude, QuickAttack.
This all needed to be pointed out.
Would you say that this brings the strange gas can story back into play, in terms of timeline?
 
Yes, on 7/16......collected as evidence, & sent to the lab.

I'm so glad they were able to collect that bag! I wonder what was left inside it? Such a mystery.

I'm sure there were still maggots unless it rained heavily or something.
 
Thanks for the patience with detail and, um,... fortitude, QuickAttack.
This all needed to be pointed out.
Would you say that this brings the strange gas can story back into play, in terms of timeline?

I don't think that George ever saw Casey and retrieved the gas cans from her trunk...I think that was a lie to help establish a defense fact.
 
I'm very sorry for those who have had to deal with a crockpot full of maggots *goes to retch a bit*, but i STILL must insist that maggots do not spontaneously generate.

It's just not possible. They are not magical creatures who appear to give prophetic messages. Only other flies can produce flies. So at some point during your tasty pot roast dinner, a fly had to have come in contact with your roast and deposited an egg, or just stayed inside before the lid was replaced.

That's the most palatable idea.

The other one would be that your roast was rather rare and you didn't fully kill the eggs that may have been there from when the meat was packaged...But we don't have to go there.
 
Wonder if she was potty trained yet? My grandson just turned three and he is.. I was thinking mine where trained by 2 anyway.

I don't know but they found Caylee's backpack, clothes, doll and toothbrush... no mention of diapers so I'd say she was potty-trained... remember grandma had her most of the time.
 
I don't think that George ever saw Casey and retrieved the gas cans from her trunk...I think that was a lie to help establish a defense fact.

Possibly, or he LIED about the date... it wouldn't be the first time a member of the Anthony family did that.
 
I'm very sorry for those who have had to deal with a crockpot full of maggots *goes to retch a bit*, but i STILL must insist that maggots do not spontaneously generate.

It's just not possible. They are not magical creatures who appear to give prophetic messages. Only other flies can produce flies. So at some point during your tasty pot roast dinner, a fly had to have come in contact with your roast and deposited an egg, or just stayed inside before the lid was replaced.

That's the most palatable idea.

The other one would be that your roast was rather rare and you didn't fully kill the eggs that may have been there from when the meat was packaged...But we don't have to go there.
The roast cooked all day on high while I was at work and it was falling apart by the time I got home. So there's no question of it being undercooked. I was thinking about it last night and think a fly must have laid the eggs right on the edge of the lid because of fluid or food particles and once the eggs hatched, the newly hatched maggots are so tiny they were able to slide into the crockpot.
It happened about 15 years ago and I remember it as if it were yesterday because of that smell and the sight of those maggots. It was horrible. There were screens on all my windows and the door so I have no idea how the original fly got in and knew exactly where to find food.
 
CJ thank you, I may just become a vegetarian now.. lol

I don't know but they found Caylee's backpack, clothes, doll and toothbrush... no mention of diapers so I'd say she was potty-trained... remember grandma had her most of the time.

This is a good point; however they don't disclose the contents of the backpack, do they?

There is also the possibility of an underwear-accident, would give the same result.

FYI I do believe a corpse is the "most likely" cause, just threw this out there ok. It's all supposition till we have the test results back right?
 
From the onset of this case, it has been reported that GA threw away garbage from the trunk that was infested with maggots. The OCSO had GA retrieve some of the garbage, and I also think I read somewhere that they themselves collected evidence from that same garbage can / dumpster - I think the garbage bag & pizza included (but not limited to) in this collection. I think it is important to note that maggots feeding off of a cadaver can hold the cadaver's dna. While it's been reported in the media by police that they're doing forensic testing on the hair and stain found in CMA's trunk, it hasn't been reported that they actually tested the maggots. Does anyone think this is something the OCSO & FBI are testing? Maggots can provide ALOT of info regarding crimes done to humans.
Please see this link: http://www.forensicentomology.com/info.htm
 
I think they are testing EVERYTHING, we are just not privy to all that info......yet!
 
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