In 2008, Finnish police were investigating a stolen car when they stumbled upon an unexpected piece of evidence—a dead, blood-filled mosquito inside the vehicle.
Suspecting it might hold a clue, they sent the insect to the National Bureau of Investigation. There, forensic scientists extracted DNA from the blood the mosquito had recently consumed.
The analysis revealed a match with a known individual in the criminal database, who was not the car’s owner.
The suspect claimed never to have been in the car, but the DNA evidence from the mosquito directly contradicted that, placing him at the scene.
This clever use of insect-based forensics provided the crucial link needed to move the case forward.
The case became internationally known as an example of how innovative and detailed forensic science can be—demonstrating that even the smallest clues, like a mosquito, can help solve crimes when analyzed carefully.
In 2008, Finnish police were investigating a stolen car when they stumbled upon an unexpected piece of evidence—a dead, blood-filled mosquito inside the vehicle.
Suspecting it might hold a clue, they sent the insect to the National Bureau of Investigation. There, forensic scientists extracted DNA from the blood the mosquito had recently consumed.
The analysis revealed a match with a known individual in the criminal database, who was not the car’s owner.
The suspect claimed never to have been in the car, but the DNA evidence from the mosquito directly contradicted that, placing him at the scene.
This clever use of insect-based forensics provided the crucial link needed to move the case forward.
The case became internationally known as an example of how innovative and detailed forensic science can be—demonstrating that even the smallest clues, like a mosquito, can help solve crimes when analyzed carefully.
