Botanical detectives: Harnessing plant evidence in criminal justice

Abstract

Forensic botany is an interdisciplinary science that combines botanical principles with legal investigations to solve crimes. Forensic botany involves various subdisciplines of plant science, including palynology (study of pollen and spores), dendrochronology (study of tree rings), and plant anatomy and morphology. Historically, plant evidence has been underutilized in forensic science, despite its potential to provide critical information. The field gained prominence in the mid-20th century, with pioneering cases where botanical evidence played a key role in criminal investigations. This paper reviews procedures and recent cases where botanical evidence played a role in establishing either manner or time of death. Plant evidence can be useful for determining if the death was due to an accident, suicide, or homicide, or what time of year burial may have taken place. In addition, plant evidence can be used to determine whether a crime scene is a primary or secondary scene and to locate missing bodies.