We may soon have more information on the eleven bodies found at the home of a suspected serial killer in Cleveland.
While we still don't know the identity of the eleventh victim in the Imperial Avenue serial murders, we may find out just how long the bodies were in the Anthony Sowell's home and yard.
It's thanks, in part, to Joe Keiper. He explained how bugs could help answer questions about the dead.
Keiper looks at bugs in the basement of the Cleveland Natural History Museum. He said each one tells him something.
"I mean it just depends on the situation. Sometimes it's purely ecological. You know what is this bug feeding on, where does it lay its eggs," said Keiper.
He studies insects for a living, but he's also a forensic entomologist. Keiper works with the Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office on suspicious death cases.
"We look at the insects. We look at the stage in decomposition and the growth rates of these
insects. We put all that together to attempt and determine a timeline."
Right now, Keiper is working on the Imperial Avenue murders. He was called in when police
found just two bodies and a pile of dirt.
"Other investigators began to turn up further bodies and we recognized immediately that this
was a much larger situation than we could have imagined."
Based on the bugs he finds, he can tell how long the eleven bodies were in the home and if they were ever moved.
He said they're close to releasing the timeline and with it, could come answers so many are waiting for.
"We are a community organization. We want to support the community in any way we can and in this way, its maybe a bit morbid, but it's certainly something we can do and other's can't."
