Exploration

Crime Scene Layout

Exploration: Part 1

Students will enter the room to find a crime has been committed.  This will immediately probe their interest in trying to figure out what is going on.

Exploration: Part 2

Official Police Report
Hazlet Police Department


Date: June 4, 1998

Location of Crime: Beers Street Middle School,
Science Lab, Room 20

Estimated Time of Occurrence: Sometime between 11:00 p.m. June 3 and 6:30 a.m. June 4

Officers: Detectives Mason and Mullens

On June 4, 1998 Mr. McDermit arrived at Beers Street Middle School at his usual time of 6:30 a.m. About 6:45 a.m. he arrived at the door of room 20 to unlock the door and turn on the lights. This was his normal routine. When he placed his key in the lock he noticed that the door was already unlocked. He cautiously opened the door and discovered the body of a scientist, whose name and identification are being withheld pending notification of the next of kin, sprawled on the floor. The scientist was wearing a disguise and two paper cups containing a liquid and an open package of M&Ms were found near the body. Although there was no evidence of foul play, red spots were located in the area of the body and next to some of the footprints at the scene. The school phone number was written on a section of paper towel near the body. Samples were taken of the red spots and hair samples were collected. The results of these tests are not known at this time. No fingerprints were found at the scene, but the items near the body have not been tested.

Police Report - Update
At 7:00 am on June 4, the body of a scientist found at Beers Street Middle School was being transported to the morgue unit at Bayshore Community Hospital. On its way to Bayshore, as the coroner’s wagon was crossing the intersection of Beers Street and Bethany Road, the car was broad-sided by an unidentified person whose brakes had failed. After an accident report was filed the coroner continued onto the hospital. When the back of the wagon was opened it was discovered that the door had been jarred in the accident and had come unlatched. The body was no longer in the back of the wagon. Although the coroner quickly returned to the scene of the accident the gurney was found along the side of the road, but the body has not been found. There is a rumor that the scientist was seen hopping a train to New York at the Beers Street crossing later that day.

The scientist has been identified as Dr. Bulldog from photos taken at the scene of the crime. His research team has been working on Biodiversity studies. He had just learned the day before that the seventh graders at Beers Street were performing a similar experiment. He told his assistants that he wanted to check out the students’ research. He was concerned that after years of research the students would beat him to the answer. His four assistants are the suspects in this crime.

List of Suspects

Gene Poole:

He had been very frustrated with the research lately and decided to take the day off. He spent the day at the shore walking along the beach in his favorite sandals. He spent the night at his cabin at the shore, but no one can verify his alibi. A black marker was found in his pocket along with a paper towel with a strange stain.

Vera Cruise:

Was working in the lab all night. The night watchman talked to her at 12:00 midnight, but when he returned at 1:00 a.m. she was not there. She says that she had gone to the bathroom around that time. On his 2:00 a.m. round of the building she was in the lab. Her favorite perfume is Kerrie and she always uses a fine tipped black marker to fill out her reports.

Kendra Goode:

Spent the night at home. After watching the first game of the NBA finals, the Jazz won in overtime, she went to bed. She was awakened at 7:30 a.m. the next morning with the news that Dr. Bulldog’s body was found at Beers Street Middle School in the science lab. A black marker was found on the nightstand next to her bed and a pair of sneakers was on the floor.

Alfredo Fettuccine:

Spent the night working on the computer in the office down the hall from the research lab. He was putting all of their data into the computer. The computer had crashed and all of their data had been wiped out. He was busy putting all of their data back into the computer. He had told everyone he would be working all night and he did not want to be disturbed. When the watchman checked on him at 3:00 a.m. he knocked on the door, but there was no answer. All the watchman could hear from the room was some very loud music. Alfredo’s favorite candy is plain M&M’s.