[2][3] Notably, he argued (in line with early investigator Hugh Trevor-Roper) that body water would hinder an open-air cremation.

[14] He is a member of the editorial board of the Annals of Improbable Research (Cambridge, US), guest editor for Forensic Science International (Forensic Entomology Special Issue)[15] and scientific advisor to the German skeptic organization GWUP,[16] where he publishes skeptical articles on various topics, including his attempt to explain alleged signs of vampirism.

[19] In 2011, Benecke featured as a vocalist on Sara Noxx's cover of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' song "Where the Wild Roses Grow".

[22] In 2010, Benecke was candidate for the office of prime minister for Germany's largest state, North Rhine-Westphalia, for the satirical political party Die PARTEI.

He also teaches at various police academies and acts as a visiting professor to universities in Germany, England, Vietnam, Colombia, and the Philippines.