CSI:Criminal Science Investigation

Schools’ Edition

Breaking News,Professor Murdered!

Newspaper article about the Professor’s murder

Dear Detectives

You may have seen from The Daily Gossip newspaper that leading Biochemist Professor Johnson has been found dead in his laboratory this morning. Well we think he’s been murdered.

Shirlie Holmes is not on holiday as the newspaper says, she’s just pretending as she thinks that this case is too hard to solve, so we’re hiring you to help us as a Special Detective.

You will need to use all your science and crime-fighting skills on each piece of evidence in the case files to help connect a suspect to the crime.

We need you to help solve this murder case and catch the suspects before they strike again.

The Chief of Police

Professor JohnsonFirst things first, lets start with Professor JohnsonHere is a video of him experimenting in his lab

before the murder

Click Here

A Picture Tells a Thousand WordsWe found this photo, taken on the day of

Professor Johnson’s death. See anything peculiar?

You may want to taker a closer look at the photo with your magnifying glass. If you look close enough you can see marks on the photo.

We believe that Professor Johnson knew that he was going to be murdered and left a series of clues in his lab in order for us to find his murderer.

Use the guidebook to help unravel the code!

Who did it?We pulled in everyone who had the last name

______ for interrogation.

Watch the videos and fill in the Official Interrogation Forms

Interrogation Forms

Discussion – who do you think did it?

Who did it?We’ll start with basics:

“Who are you?”

Murder Suspect 1

Murder Suspect 2

Murder Suspect 3

Murder Suspect 4

Who did it?Let’s see if any of the murder suspects knew

Professor Johnson.

“Did you know Professor Johnson?”

Murder Suspect 1

Murder Suspect 2

Murder Suspect 3

Murder Suspect 4

Who did it?The murderer may be lying about knowing

Professor Johnson. The Professor may have even been good friends with the murderer before his death.

“Were you friends with Professor Johnson?”

Murder Suspect 1

Murder Suspect 2

Murder Suspect 3

Murder Suspect 4

Who did it?Let’s see what our suspects were doing on

the day of the murder – maybe the murderer will let something slip.

They may be lying, so listen carefully for any potential clues.

“What were you doing on the day of the murder?”

Murder Suspect 1

Murder Suspect 2

Murder Suspect 3

Murder Suspect 4

Who Did It?From the interrogation, who do you think

murdered the Professor?

Did any of the suspects say anything that might make you think that they murdered the professor?

Saliva TimeInvestigators took a sample of the professor’s

saliva and tested it with Universal Indicator Paper.

What happens when you test your saliva?

We tested the professors and it turned RED!

This doesn’t look normal – maybe he was poisoned?

Professor Johnson spent all of that day working in the laboratory...

...so that means that the murderer must have gone into the lab to poison him!

Sodium PowderHis lab was covered in a chemical powder

called sodium when we found him.

But what exactly does sodium do?

And what about when it is put into a Bunsen burner?

Flame TestClick me

Sodium PowderThere are other elements that are similar to

sodium but even more reactive.

Click to view the explosive power of rubidium and caesium

Sodium Powder

Investigators also found that 2 of the suspects had sodium powder on their shoes too!

Maybe this will lead us to the killer?

Shoe Size?As well as the sodium we have found a footprint

at the scene of the crimeShoeprints can leave behind key information

about the wearer including the shoe type, where the person has been, whether they have a limp and more simply the persons shoe size.

Look at the casts of the shoes do any have a similar style print as the one found at the crime scene?

What type of shoe was the suspect wearing?To be sure of our suspects we also need to work

out the area of the shoe print to determine which suspect has the same size.

Shoe prints?Although we found sodium on two of the suspect

shoes unfortunately we have mixed up all of the tags and so don’t know which foot print matches with each suspect.

We took photocopies of each suspect’s shoe and put their name on each photocopy.

Look at the casts: do any of the shoe markings match any of the photocopies?

Match each photocopy with the shoe cast number, so we know which shoe belongs to who.

Only 2 suspects – but who did it?We’ve narrowed it down to these 2 murder

suspects.

They both have the same size feet and had sodium on their shoes, which must mean that they were in the Professor’s lab.

What reasons could they have had for visiting the Professor?

We need to find out who did it and fast.

Fingerprint on the Test tube!We’ve had a break through! One of the

policemen found a small test tube which doesn’t belong to the Professor.

This must have contained the poison, and there’s a fingerprint on it.

We need to match up these fingerprints with the murderer!

Fingerprint MatchingHere is the fingerprint we found from the test tube

containing poison.

We also have the fingerprints of the two remaining suspects here.

Which ones match the fingerprints on the test tube?Use the magnifying glass to help make your choice.Why not have a look at your own fingerprints and

make your own CSI Fingerprint Card using the Police Ink Pad?

Fingerprint Guide

What does the suspect have to say?

Well Done!You have managed to solve a difficult case at

which even Shirlie Holmes turned her nose up!

I, Chief Inspector of Police, send my thanks to you all.

To commemorate your achievements I have commissioned these special certificates for you all.

Finishing Certificate

CSI:Criminal Science Investigation

Schools’ Edition

© Steven Forrest 2010