FORENSIC PALYNOLOGY IN CANADA - FROM DELGAMUUKW TO HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION (Invited Presentation)

There is power in the flowers, although pollen and spore analysis has historically been an underutilized tool in the field of forensic botany. Palynological information has rarely been used in Canadian courts, largely due to a lack of awareness by police investigators, and consequently very few palynologists have attempted to apply their skills in forensic investigations. After a brief introduction to some basic principles, I will briefly cover three cases I have worked on. Delgamuukw is a landmark land claims case in British Columbia Supreme Court between 1987 and 1997, and I will review how palynology and paleoecology played a prominent role in this case. I have also been involved with a number of homicide cases in British Columbia where palynology has played a significant investigative role. One such case for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is the double murder of two individuals near Kamloops, B.C. in 2009, where pollen analysis and other plant remains provided evidence that was needed to discover their clandestine burial location and ultimate conviction of the murderer. Other cases have also involved “geographic profiling” using pollen, such as police seizure of a human skull from Canada Post, and determining the region of origin.