Criminology and biology students at UFV are getting first hand experience at scoping out a crime scene and a decaying body.

However, the victim is a calf that died at birth and was buried in a farmer’s field in Bradner 10 months ago.

A pair of jeans, some socks, and a corduroy shirt were also tossed into the grave so the students can see how the materials have deteriorated alongside the body.

As part of the introduction to forensics course students are first tasked with finding the “victim”, and then examining and photographing the corpse to extract clues to assist an investigation.

The course introduces students to the techniques and police protocol involved in locating and then interpreting forensic crime scenes, said UFV instructor Ron Wilen .

“Their assignment is to interpret the effects of biological and environmental conditions on this body.”

It’s not going to be altogether pretty, he said.

“There is going to be some goop. But this is anaerobic soil, so it’s not going to be really goopy. Without a lot of oxygen in this soil, the bacterial breakdown will be much slower than if this was a moister or more aerobic field.”

Wilen is being assisted by co-instructor and forensic investigator Carolyn Sinclair, as well as a forensic investigater Sgt. Stu Wyatt from New Westminster Police and Karen Collins from Chief Coronor’s Office.

Entomology, osteology and forensics photography are not something you can teach solely in a classroom, said Wilen.

Biology student Kristine Kooyman said she took the course to see something new.

“I’ve taken some anatomy classes and I am thinking of a career in the medical field, but there aren’t many days at school when you can actually go out with your instructors and search for a dead body,” she said.