Remote approach to crime scene investigations and forensic science

Early this year, our institution (Kean University in New Jersey) transitioned to emergency remote instruction for all programs, including our lab-rich Forensic Science program. As challenging as this was, we tried to turn this into an opportunity to build valuable content that would have covered our learning objectives, but that would have also provided our students with a pleasant, interesting, and engaging experience. One of the classes that I was teaching is called How to Get Away with Murder, and it is a general forensics class focused on the potential consequences of the improper collection and mishandling of evidence during crime scene investigation (CSI) operations and/or during lab analyses, which can result in that evidence being dismissed or misleading, to the point that whoever did commit the crime, gets away with it. In order to maintain the engagement and involvement of the students, we designed online activities that consisted in the presentation of a problematic case where forensic evidence represented a major factor in the investigation and, nonetheless, was collected, preserved, or analyzed improperly. We used official police documents and footage of the crime scene investigation, as well as official reports. Based on that, we discussed how the evidence was obtained and processed, and how it contributed to the resolution of the casas. One of the cases we analyzed was the Amanda Knox case, a case regarding an American girl (Amanda) charged with the homicide of a British girl (Meredith Kercher) while they were both exchange students in Italy. This case received a lot of media attention also for the way the scientific evidence present at the scene was collected, analyzed, and interpreted. Amanda and her then boyfriend were charged and then found guilty on the base of the attitude they had during the investigation and on the base of DNA evidence recovered on the alleged murder weapon and on the victim's clothing. The students were shown videos recorded from the CSI and saw how the scene and the evidence were being handled. They then used a form to record five pieces of evidence of their choosing and for each indicated the respective collection method, number of operators involved, lab analysis, lab results, and interpretation of such results. Once they listed these, they had to state whether or not they agreed with the conclusion, a potential mistake they observed, and the different outcome that could have occurred in the absence of such mistake. An example of a filled-out lab sheet is included. This method allowed the students to actually see the professionals “in action” and witness potential and in-good-faith mistakes that were being made on the scene. It made them aware of the potentiality forensic science and of the effect that a mistake on a crime scene can have on the whole case. This did not replace of course the thrill of being out in the field and partake in those experiences. However, it did give them a great real perspective on CSI operations and protocols and on the importance that forensic science can have on criminal and civil investigations. Appendix S1. Lab Sheet Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.