Patricia Wiltshire
Dr Patricia Wiltshire (born 1944 in Glamorgan, Wales)[1] is a forensic ecologist, botanist and palynologist.[2] She has been consulted by the police force in over 200 investigations spread through England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and abroad.[3] She has been instrumental in helping solve a number of high-profile crimes in her line of work. These include the murder of Christopher Laverack, a case that was unsolved for three decades. She was also able help to prove the guilt of Ian Huntley for Soham Murders.[4]
Early life
Dr. Wiltshire had an unconventional childhood education; encyclopaedias formed her major source of learning from age six on account of interruption of formal schooling by whooping cough and measles. This broad approach to knowledge provided a strong foundation for her future career. Starting as a medical laboratory technician, she moved on to study botany at King's College London. She lectured there for several years in microbial and general ecology before taking up a post at the Institute of Archaeology at University College London.[5][6]
High-profile cases
- Soham murder inquiry, 2002: Her analysis of the soil environment of the two dead bodies helped in deduction of the time that the bodies of the victims (Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both aged 10 years) had been placed at the disposal site of their bodies, as well as proving that soil samples from Ian Huntley's car was the same type as the soil at the body disposal site, she could prove that the suspect had been present at the place of murder. Her evidence nailed the suspect, Ian Huntley.[5]
- Christopher Laverack murder case, 2007:Three decades after the nine year old's murder, Dr.Wiltshire linked the unusual pollen and other plant matter on the victim's body along with the ornamental brick used to keep him drowned after death with that found on his uncle's property thus providing substantial evidence to implicate the latter.
Sobriquets
- the queen of forensic science[5]
- the snot lady for her technique of irrigating nasal cavities of the dead to retrieve pollen, fibres and particles that can be used as evidence.[5]
References
- ↑ http://search.findmypast.co.uk/results/united-kingdom-records-in-birth-marriage-death-and-parish-records/and_births-and-baptisms?firstname=patricia&firstname_variants=true&lastname=wiltshire&_page=1
- ↑ "Geoforensics and Information Management for crime Investigation (GIMI)".
- ↑ Introducing Forensic and Criminal Investigation. SAGE Publications. pp. 110–111. ISBN 0857027522.
- ↑ "Waking the Dead" (PDF).
- 1 2 3 4 "Forensic Ecology: CSI hedgerow".
- ↑ "The crime of her life".