geoFOR: Where Geospatial Science Meets Forensics
The geoFOR application provides forensic practitioners with a free tool to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI), or time since death. The app uses ArcGIS and machine learning to deliver data-driven PMI estimations via email shortly after case submission.
GeoFOR seeks to address longstanding methodological issues involving PMI estimation by automating the collection of weather data and applying a machine learning model to predict the PMI. The model draws upon a large, ongoing, and collaborative reference dataset derived from medicolegal forensic cases and human decomposition research facilities.
Read more about geoFOR in Forensic Science International:
Weisensee, K. E., Tica, C. I., Atwell, M. M., Ehrett, C., Smith, D. H., Carbajales-Dale, P., Claflin, P., & Nisbet, N. (2024). geoFOR: A collaborative forensic taphonomy database for estimating the postmortem interval. Forensic Science International, 355, 111934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.111934
Smith, D. H., Nisbet, N., Ehrett, C., Tica, C. I., Atwell, M. M., & Weisensee, K. E. (2025). Modeling human decomposition: A Bayesian approach. Forensic Science International, 367, 112309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112309