Prof. Huntington shares forensic science expertise

On a day that other college professors might have spent grading papers, Dr. Tim Huntington was hiding a human arm near the banks of Plum Creek, just east of Seward. It wasn’t a real arm though. Just your standard fake dead arm. And Dr. Huntington’s limb-hiding activity was part of a workshop for law enforcement, not a reason to call 911. 

Huntington, an assistant professor of biology at Concordia University, Nebraska, is a forensic entomologist. On Nov. 6, Huntington conducted a seminar for the Seward County Sheriff’s Posse, “Locating and Recovering Human Remains.” A day earlier, Huntington went to Plum Creek Park and concealed a simulated human arm. During the workshop the sheriff’s posse had to find the arm, and then Huntington taught members how to properly recover remains at the scene of a crime.

“I was really impressed they found it,” said Huntington. “It was hidden pretty good.” Huntington, who is also a reserve Seward county deputy, was asked to lead the workshop by Seward County Sheriff Joseph Yocum.

Access to an expert such as Huntington for small communities is rare. Huntington is one of only 15 board certified forensic entomologists in the United States. 

“Dr. Tim Huntington was invaluable to our training with the sheriff’s posse. He has and continues to be a great resource for area law enforcement,” said Yocum.  “His knowledge of forensics and the training he’s receiving as a deputy sheriff makes him an even greater resource in the event we have a major crime/homicide occur again in our area.”

In addition to the workshop in Seward, Huntington conducted a seminar, “Forensic Entomology: Recognition, Collection, and Preservation Training Workshop,” for the Pottawattamie County Medical Examiner’s Office in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Nov. 12.

“I had recently done a case for the medical examiner, and she asked if I did workshops or training,” said Huntington. His presentation was part of a larger in-service training attended by nine agencies including the medical examiner, police, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and some students.

In all, Huntington has lead five similar workshops this year. Along with the two in November, he also gave a workshop in Lyon County, Kan., a five-day seminar for the Southern Institute of Forensic Sciences in St. Joseph, Mo., and an annual presentation for the forensic science graduate program at Nebraska Wesleyan.