Mark Benecke


Mark Benecke is a German forensic biologist.
Benecke was born in Rosenheim. After receiving a Dr. rer. medic. at Cologne University in 1997, he worked in the Chief Medical Examiner's Office in Manhattan, New York from 1997–1999., he works internationally on forensic cases as a freelance expert witness. He also teaches at various police academies and acts as a visiting professor to universities in Germany, England, Vietnam, Colombia, and the Philippines.
Benecke has worked on the identification of Adolf and Eva Hitler's skull and teeth in Moscow, and is the only forensic scientist to work on the case of Colombian serial killer and rapist Luis Garavito. Some of his forensic cases have been covered by the National Geographic Channel and the History Channel.
Benecke has published several popular science books about the biology of aging, criminal cases and forensic biology. He is a member of the editorial board of the Annals of Improbable Research, guest editor for Forensic Science International.
In 2010, he was candidate for the office of prime minister for Germany's largest state North Rhine-Westphalia for the satirical political party Die PARTEI. Since 2010, he is Chairman of Die PARTEI in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
In 2011 Mark featured as a vocalist on Sara Noxx's cover of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' song "Where the Wild Roses Grow".
He was married to the criminal psychologist Lydia Benecke.

Books