Truth or Fiction?
All of the Halloween costumes and decorations this week, especially the graveyards and skeletons, provoked a memory from ACE a few months ago. One of the presenters, Mike Tabor, DDS, showed photos and mentioned some fascinating information about The Body Farm in Tennessee and pointed out books by physicians involved with this project. Up until then I thought the books with that title were purely fiction! I was sure I even had a book by this name that I hadn't read yet. It was time to learn more and I was determined to do just that while Halloween decorations served as a daily reminder. I was a woman with a mission to learn something new.
The quest began...I did find my book but it was the fictional title by Patricia Cornwell. That was a good find but I had to hunt further, which led me to the web and subsequent books and articles. I was so excited to finally read about these body farms! There is not only the one original Body Farm but now several in our country. The original facility was opened in 1981 by Dr. William Bass at the University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility in Knoxville. As Tennessee's state forensic anthropologist, Dr. Bass was often consulted in police cases involving decomposed human remains and knew his knowledge would be enhanced if there was specific research in this field of decomposing bodies. He opened the first one, an approximately 3 acre wooded plot, and there are now facilities at Western Carolina University and Texas State University. There are photos and short video clips at the Jefferson Bass website. Researchers study human corpses for DNA degradation, biochemistry of the decomposing body, bugs and night feeders, etc. Research in human decomposition is important for forensic anthropology and related disciplines and, of course, has applications in crime scene investigation. Forensic science is a discipline that would totally interest me if I could choose a new career. Maybe I have watched too much CSI but I love that part where they pinpoint the time of death. I guess part of my brain is still a scientist!
But for now my dilemma is - truth or fiction? Should I read The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell or one of the many books by Dr. Bass and others? Tough choice but either way I am looking forward to it. Happy Halloween!