The Case of the Missing Dog

Mr. Wooley had gone home at lunch and returned with his dog because Shady had an appointment with Dr. Love at 3:50p.m.. His dilemma was that he couldn’t take Shady to the vets because he had a Fantasy Football meeting after school. He was asking around the teachers’ lunch room if anyone else could drop off his dog for the vet appointment. There were no volunteers. Before Mr. Wooley returned to class he left a note on one of the tables asking if anyone would be free after school to drop off Shady at Dr. Love’s office.

Mr. Wooley was giving an algebra test in the afternoon so he put Shady in the courtyard with some balls, water bowl, and toys. Between classes he checked on him to see that he had enough water in his bowl and that Shady was okay.

When Mr. Wooley checked on Shady between classes, he was fine; however, when Mr. Wooley looked out the window after school, the dog was gone! The balls and toys were still there, but Shady was nowhere in the courtyard. There were some footprints around the DAMP area. Also found was a crumpled brown lunch bag and a partially eaten piece of candy. Among the trash was a torn sheet of paper. On the paper was written, “I took Shady and…”. The rest of the note was missing.

Mr. Wooley checked with the office and the security camera showed four people had been in the hallway between the time Shady had last been seen, and the time Mr. Wooley went out to check and found him gone. The camera showed that amongst the students walking down the hall were Mr. Behrendt, Mr. Dubil, Mr. Richards, and Mrs. Dill.

Time to call in the CCSI team. Technicians collected and bagged the evidence for you to examine.

CAN YOU SOLVE THIS CRIME?

Using Inspiration, construct a graphic organizer of suspects. Attach the organizer to the back of this packet.

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In the table below list evidence obtained from the crime scene.

SUSPECTS	EVIDENCE

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List 5 questions that need to be addressed and answered each day of the investigation.

Day 1: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 2:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 3:

Day 4:

Teeth Impressions

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Go to this site to read how to use Styrofoam plates to make impressions of lower and upper teeth: http://www.cyberbee.com/whodunnit/teeth.html

You will need to obtain teeth impressions from the suspects. You will need a subpoena for each suspect.

After you obtain the impressions, put his/her impressions in a plastic bag labeled with his/her name and upper or lower teeth.

On the chart below put the name of the suspect at the top and then count the number of teeth in the top and bottom impressions.

Write down any other characteristics of the impressions that you notice. Compare the top teeth to the bottom. Are there teeth missing, spaces, chips, etc.?

Upper Ms. Behrendt Mrs. Dill Mr. Dubil Mr. Richards

Picture of impression in the candy found at the crime scene

Lower

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You can determine the height of a person by measuring their footprint. Read the information at the web site below and use the excel graph provided to compile your information.

http://www.cyberbee.com/whodunnit/foot.html

Name of Suspect	Foot length in inches and centimeters	Multiple by inches by 100	Divide by 15	Approximate Height in inches and meters/centimeters	Divide by 12	Height in feet (decimals) and meters/centimeters	Height in feet and inches and meters/centimeters

Read about characteristics of shoeprints

http://www.mshp.dps.mo.gov/MSHPWeb/PatrolDivisions/CLD/Firearms/impressions.html

SOIL ANALYSIS

Once you find the shoes check to see if the soil where the shoe print was obtained matches any soil stuck in the shoe. Follow the directions for soil analysis listed below.

In this lab, you will be comparing soil samples that a known with those gathered from suspects as well as the crime scene. Follow the directions listed and complete the chart on this page. Once you have completed the lab, answer the lab questions.

1. Gather all materials for this lab.

2. Place the fluid into the density-gradient tube, placing the most dense solution in first

and ending with the least dense solution.

3. Describe the physical characteristics of the soil samples. Note your observations in the

chart below.

4. Examine the soil samples under a microscope. Note any observations you make in the

chart below.

5. Place one soil sample into each density-gradient tube. Allow time for the soil to “settle.”

Once the soil is no longer moving in the tube, you can read your results. Place your

results in the chart below. You can use comparisons such as “Suspect One matches

Known 2 but is more dense that the Crime Scene.”

6. Answer all lab questions in complete sentences.

	Physical Properties	Microscopic Exam	Density-Gradient Tube
Known #1
Known #2
Known #3
Suspect #1
Suspect #2
Crime Scene

Statement of Investigative Question: What is the percentage of different sized particles in a soil?

Soil Name (potting soil etc...)
Mass of Rock (in grams)
Mass o Gravel (in grams)
Mass of Sand (in grams)
Mass of Silt (in grams)
Mass of Clay (in grams)
Total mass of cups: (in grams)

Calculating Percentage: Divide each soil fraction by the total mass of the soil sample. Next multiply by 100 to move the decimal point for the PERCENTAGE.

Mass of rock _________÷ Mass of soil________ = _______ X 100 = _________

Mass of gravel________ ÷ Mass of soil________ = _______ X 100 = _________

Mass of sand_________ ÷ Mass of soil________ = _______ X 100 = _________

Mass of silt __________÷ Mass of soil_________ = _______X 100 = _________

Mass of clay__________ ÷ Mass of soil________ = _______X 100 = _________

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Handwriting background information

http://science.howstuffworks.com/handwriting-analysis.htm

The CSI technicians have collected and labeled pens from each of the suspects. Read below how to test the ink.

How to test ink (paper chromatography): http://www.yesmag.bc.ca/projects/paper_chroma.html

CHROMOTOGRAPHY CHART

Attach the chromatography swatch from each of the suspect’s pens

to the chart

Mr. Behrendt

Mr. Dubil

Mrs. Dill

Mr. Richards

Handwriting background information: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Atrium/5924/handwriting.htm

Investigators analyze handwriting on a written document associated with a crime:

a. The form of the handwriting, such as the shapes of the letters and their slant, angles, connections, and curves.

b. The line quality, or the thickness of the line as a result of the type of writing

instrument used and the pressure exerted while writing.

c. The arrangement on the page, including spacing, alignment, formatting, and unique punctuation.

d. The content, including the spelling, phrasing, punctuation, and grammar.

Use your investigative skills to study and compare the handwriting.

Handwriting Analysis Worksheet

Suspects:

Indicators for Analysis	Note found at crime scene	Mr. Behrendt	Mr. Dubil	Mrs. Dill	Mr. Richards
Spacing of letters (small/ ave/wide)
Slant of Letters (forward/backwards/none)
Spacing of Word (small/ave/wide)
Formation of loops (small/ave/large)
Dotting of letters (all/none/random)
Crossing of the letter “t” (short/ave/long)
A combination of printing and handwriting
Formation of less common letters (q, x,z, etc)
Size of words (small/ave/large)

What types of forensic evidence were discovered at the scene? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What method of chemistry was used to tie the evidence to the crime? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What evidence will be used to convict the suspect? Why? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________