The fly detective: Tomberlin’s rise in forensic entomology

From curious kid to crime scenes around the world and advancing the future of forensic science

Long before Jeff Tomberlin, Ph.D., professor of forensic entomology in the Texas A&M Department of Entomology, helped investigators solve murders with maggots, he was just a kid glued to the TV watching detective shows.

There have been countless television shows dedicated to detectives who use forensic science to solve crimes. For Tomberlin, it was “Quincy, M.E.” – a forensic pathologist who always caught clues that police detectives missed, that sparked his interest and imagination.  

“That show caught my attention,” Tomberlin recalled, reflecting on his early inspiration. “TV still inspires students to take STEM and forensics classes, but it’s also created paradigms that have to be broken. TV shows like CSI make forensic sciences look simple. In reality, forensic science is much more complex, and much more powerful.”

Science in service of justice

Today, Tomberlin isn’t just any forensic science fan – he’s a leader, helping shape the field.

He is an AgriLife Research Fellow, Presidential Impact Fellow and director of the National Science Foundation Center for Insect Biomanufacturing and Innovation, CIBI.

For more than 20 years, he’s examined the insect lifecycle in dead bodies to help uncover a time of colonization, which often reflects a minimum time since death. By studying fly colonization and insect development, he can estimate how long a person or animal has been colonized by insects, adding a potentially vital clue to any death investigation.

With more than 200 criminal cases behind him, Tomberlin has worked on serial killings and child neglect to international poaching cases that have taken him from Texas to Tanzania, Africa.

His expertise has helped both prosecutors and defense attorneys, and assisted with murder investigations led by agencies including the FBI.

“Every case is unique, and I think that’s why I love it,” he said. “Forensic entomology keeps me engaged whether it’s sharing my expertise in the search for truth in the judicial system or teaching investigators or students how to do the same, I see the impact it’s having on society.”

From cases to classrooms

Tomberlin’s true legacy is not just in the cases he helped close; it’s in the students he has trained.

As director of the Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program in the Department of Entomology and the principal investigator of the Forensic Laboratory for Investigative Entomological Sciences facility, he helped the department build one of the country’s most respected training grounds. The program now boasts three board-certified forensic entomologists who travel nationwide to train law enforcement investigators.

“Forensics is much more than crime scene investigations or CSI,” he says, noting forensic sciences span multiple disciplines from law and medical sciences to agriculture and food safety. “We train students to investigate pollution, food contamination, animal deaths — even Homeland Security cases. Forensics can be anything from the courtroom to the boardroom, and our students are prepared regardless of the application.”

The next frontier: Agricultural forensics

As forensics and forensic entomology continue to evolve, so does the program. The latest expansion relates to what Tomberlin calls “agricultural forensics,” a broad, investigative field that connects entomology with biosecurity, public health and environmental protection.

From tick-borne cattle diseases to invasive species at ports of entry, the work looks like detective fiction — but with consequences that stretch from global food security to national defense.

For Tomberlin, the “cool factor” isn’t in the drama of the case files. It’s the ripple effect of the students he’s mentored, the scientific standards he’s helped legitimize, and the future generations and innovations that will carry forensic entomology forward.

“I feel comfortable with my legacy,” he said. “I know when I step away, the work will continue. That’s the part that matters most.”