“Bacteria, odours and corpses” (02.07.) | “Cases at the edge of the possible” (03.07.) | “Bodyfarm” (04.07.)
The Cologne forensic biologist was trained by the FBI and operates internationally. BENECKE has set up specialised laboratories in Colombia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Numerous radio and TV appearances testify to the great public interest in his work. Here the visitor gets an insight into the work of one of the most famous and successful forensic biologists in the world.
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Dr. Mark Benecke
Dr. Mark Benecke bei der Spurensuche
Dr. Mark Benecke betrachtet eine Leiche
“Bacteria, corpses and odours”:
One day, a student enters the classroom and collects odors. He uses special devices that capture odor particles and store them for further examination.
This unusual activity brings back Mark’s memories of a previous criminal case involving a notorious serial killer that kept police and investigators on hold for a long time. Investigators used the scent of the perpetrator’s left behind at the crime scenes to finally catch him.
These memories give Mark the idea of paying more attention to odors in his own work. He decides to take a closer look at the corpses he is examining and analyse the odors in order to possibly find new clues that have eluded him.
“Cases on the edge of the possible”:
On the periphery are cases that even Mark Benecke’s colleagues are becoming too weird: accidents or murders? Can people be killed with body parts? Did a man who trades guns and runs a brothel really fail to shoot the now-dead man in his bar this time?
Can policemen forge clues in such a way that the person who was last seen with the now-dead woman is wrongly suspected? The answers are tricky, but exciting — as long as you don’t think, but make the clues speak without assumptions.
"Bodyfarm":
Mark has been both a guest and a trainer for the FBI at Body Farm, a unique research and training facility at the University of Tennessee. The facility specializes in systematically studying the decomposition process of human corpses under different environmental conditions. Officially known as the Anthropological Research Center, Body Farm plays an essential role in educating law enforcement and forensic scientists.
Dr. Mark Benecke tells us what it really is like there – very different, of course, but much better than in the cinema.
(LECTURE IN GERMAN)
Additional information
Dates
July 2025
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