BURT & CLEMENT
8th Grade Forensics
Crime Busters
For this project you will be given the opportunity to participate in solving a mystery and possible crime. This will be a three day assignment.
Introduction:
It’s the morning of September 21, 2008 inElmira, NY. Your office is in charge of the electronic theft division of the local police department. At 9:00 you get a call that someone has attempted to steal an advanced computer chip from the Local Computer Co. You and your team respond to the call. When you arrive you find the building sealed off and all the people that were in the building at the time of the alarm are sequestered in the Employees Dining Room. The Private lab is open and there is quite a sight. Within an hour the missing chip and a disk is found in an envelope in a pile of mail. The envelope is addressed to a rival computer firm. A mini-cassette was also found in the envelope.
Instructions:
As a member of the investigative team, you will need to think about:
Setting
Suspects
Motives
Day 1
Group 1 – Your job is to look at the crime scene and then analyze the witness’ testimonies. You will need to make note (sketch the arrangement of the scenes of the crime) of any physical evidence that you can see that may corroborate or eliminate any testimonies and evidence.
You will need to generate questions that should be answered before the crime investigation is complete.
Group 2 – Your job is to find and label all the physical evidence. Do not remove it yet, just put numbers (post it notes) next to each piece of evidence. Then create a list of evidence to give to the next group. You also will need to generate some questions that may need to be answered before the investigation is complete.
Group 3 – Your job is to sketch the scene and then photograph the scene and each separate piece of evidence.
The sketch should be drawn to scale. These photographs will then be compared with the actual pieces of evidence. You will also begin to compile all the written statements and see if any of the questions generated by the other groups can be answered yet.
Group 4 – Your job is to collect and analyze the evidence that is labeled and begin to make hypotheses about who the possible thief is and why. List the questions, their possible answers and begin to eliminate any possible suspects.
Day 2
Groups 1-4 – You will be given the file with the photos, the written testimonies, the list of evidence and the list of questions that need to be answered. Your group will be divided into smaller groups to facilitate the discussion and analysis.
Your job will be to compare the witness’ testimonies to the evidence present. Who can be eliminated? Come up with some hypotheses about whom you think the culprit is.
You may need to revisit the crime scene to get further information, measurements, etc.
Day 3 – Each person needs to write their version of the crime and why certain people were acquitted or exonerated. You may use examples from the evidence notes and testimonies to corroborate your version.
Your written paper needs to be at least one page typed or 2 pages hand written. Use details to support your decision and explanation.
Witness 1 – According to the custodian, Samantha, the Lab Assistant, Morgan, arrived at 7:15 am, turned on the light for about 5 minutes, like always, and then turned them off again. At about 7:50 the lights were on again and you could see the Lab assistant working in the lab.
Witness 2 – According to Nick the cafeteria worker, the Delivery truck and the UPS truck arrived at 8 am to deliver food and some boxes respectively. They never saw the custodian.
Witness 3 – Hall monitor, Shawn, had arrived at 7:30 am. This is earlier than usual, also noted by the custodian.
Witness 4 – Morgan the lab assistant claims he arrived just before 8 and that nothing appeared unusual. He said he went to the Employee Dining Hall and got a cup of coffee. When he returned the lab door was open and the lights were off.
Witness 5 – Emily the Company nurse arrived at approximately 7:45 and had coffee with the UPS and Cafeteria worker and was just about to go to the Office when the alarm sounded and they were all locked into the Employee Dining Hall. She did notice that Morgan had a bandage on his hand and suggested that he get it changed.
Presidents statement: The Private lab has a special lock that is secured and only 3 people have access to the Lab, Himself, the Lab assistant and the Head Custodian.
Motive: Morgan developed a computer chip and software but has received no recognition or compensation for his efforts or contribution.
Motive: Custodian wants to be the first on the block with new and expensive stuff.
Motive: Nurse is living way beyond her means and drives a BMW and wears fancy jewelry.
Motive: President wants out of the company, but the Board refuses to let him retire. If he leaves it would be without any severance.