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Opposition emerges to proposed 'body farm' in Lithia

 
USF’s Erin Kimmerle says the research could be used to find missing persons, solve cold cases and identify unclaimed bodies.
USF’s Erin Kimmerle says the research could be used to find missing persons, solve cold cases and identify unclaimed bodies.
Published April 23, 2015

TAMPA — The University of South Florida began its push Wednesday to win over public support for the so-called "body farm" it hopes to build in Lithia to study the effects of the outdoors on cadavers.

But in a sign of the battle ahead, the Hillsborough County commissioner who represents that community criticized the project and said the farm belongs on university property instead.

The proposed site is a 2-acre section on the 230-acre Hillsborough County sheriff's training facility in sparsely populated south county. There, USF wants to build an open-air facility where bodies can naturally decay so law enforcement agencies and researchers can better understand how Florida's unique climate affects decomposition.

Already, 33 people interested in donating their bodies to the program have contacted USF.

The research could be used to find missing persons, solve cold cases and identify unclaimed bodies, USF Forensic Anthropology Laboratory scientific director Erin Kimmerle told reporters Wednesday. The project has support from the Sheriff's Office and state Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Kimmerle and others involved in the project will hold a town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. today at Pinecrest Elementary School to explain the proposal and try to assuage any fears neighbors might have. Already, there are concerns about smell and the effect on property values.

Kimmerle said odor is not an issue at similar facilities, such as one in Tennessee. A wall, a wooded area and the surrounding training facility would hide the body farm, and she said the closest residence is a half-mile away.

However, Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy White said this week's public meeting is too late and criticized Kimmerle for not informing commissioners or the community about the project sooner.

"I was shocked that this professor has apparently not engaged in dialogue with any local elected officials," White said. "How in the world would someone think people are going to react when they hear that a 'body farm' might be coming into the community? This is an ivory tower academia mind-set at its finest."

Kimmerle said the university has worked very closely with the Sheriff's Office on the project since March 2014. For months, USF has met with public works and the county attorney's office to finalize the plan and address any county concerns.

It was the county, not USF, that sent out the news release announcing the project and the public meeting.

"I hope that the fact that now it's starting to come out, people will give it a chance to understand it and to get all those questions answered," Kimmerle said, "before deciding whether or not to support the whole program."

Contact Steve Contorno at scontorno@tampabay.com. Follow @scontorno on Twitter.