Forensic Science Classes Participate in Mock Crime Scenes

While many classes put a wrap on semester activities, Sacred Heart forensic science students decided to put their detective skills to the test by participating in mock crime scenes.

On Wednesday, Nov. 30 the two forensic science classes, taught by physics teacher Brett Versen, were greeted by Detective Sergeant Rudy Davis, a member of the crime scene unit in St. Matthews. Detective Sergeant Davis had set up four different “crime scenes” spread out through the halls of the third floor; one in the back closet, another in the physics lab closet, and the other two in the physics lab itself.

From there, students were separated into four groups and given positions to appoint each member of the group. The positions were: head detective, who was in charge of logging people in and out of the crime scene, two evidence collectors, who took charge of “collecting” and examining evidence, as well as taking any fingerprints found, a photographer, and an evidence logger.

The groups quickly spread out to find their first crime scene. Each group was allotted 15 minutes to observe the crime scene, which included taking all precautions to ensure a safe crime scene using skills they had learned in class, before moving onto another scene.

As time grew to a close at their final “crime scene,” students gathered to share their final thoughts regarding each scene. The variations in conclusions showed students the importance of paying attention to even the smallest of detail as well as the importance of consulting with each other as a group.

“In doing the mock crime scene I learned how difficult it is to work with so little,” senior Abby Ebersold said. “It really combined every chapter that we covered and gave me a sense of how it would be applied in a real crime scene.”

Both classes took this opportunity as a great way to review the forensic science skills learned this semester and put them to the test. They would like to thank Detective Sergeant Davis for guiding the activity and sharing his experiences.