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Murder at Jefferson Falls

How to investigate a homicide.


This online project involved students from the USA and Scotland working together in order to investigate the double homicide of Jack Booth and

Kate Castle.


Meet the Team

SIO: Kyle Knaust

Forensics Team: •Lisa Murison•Samantha Ellison•Campbell Booth

Public Relations: •Sarah Brynes•Lisa-Marie Russell


Medical Examiners:•Veniesha Clayton •Melissa Przybylski

Internal Affairs: Rhea Jack

Investigation Team:•Michelle Farrell•Lucy Malcolm


The following are summaries of what was expected of each team every week

along with how they reached these goals. This is followed by each team member’s own personal

experiences of the project.


Senior Investigative Officer

Duties -Things that I did…

• Provide weekly reports on the group’s progress to the Police Chief.

• Setup pages for discussion or let the team members take the initiative and setup their own pages.

• Interpret the vague instructions from the Police chief and decide on how to complete tasks.

• Keep the group up to date on muster reports via emails.

• Guide the conversation in different directions if we got stuck on certain issues.

Overall Experience-What I learned and liked aboutbeing the SIO

• We all got along very well, the group generally followed some of my ideas on how to get things done or they came up with better ideas which I would fully encourage. (less pressure on me)

• I definitely learned how to work on my online etiquette and communication skills. I took time to learn some Scottish lingo to help better communicate with the majority of the group and I will probably keep using some of those of words even after this project is done. “Cheers’!!


Kyle Knaust

My personal experience and what Ilearned from the Scots:

• Legal terms such as Culpable Homicide being equal to Manslaughter

• Stricter Gun Control Laws in Scotland as opposed to America

• Slightly different spelling of some words

• Summarise = Summarize• fibre = fiber

• Different phrases • “Cheers”• “Spanner in the works”

• Holidays like Pancake day

Overall team experience on theWiki Project:

• Very Fun• Interesting to learn cultural things and to

know that they do things in a very similar way to us.

• As the SIO I tried to guide the team in some good direction each week and they were very active about voicing their individual ideas which helped us greatly.

• Overall they may have been some miscommunications at first but as the project moved forward we learned more about each other and got very candid. This helped in our work by allowing us to put forth our best ideas without ridicule.

• The best part was that despite everyone's different schedules and the time difference between nations; we were still able to get the job done.


Forensics Team

Working within the forensics team…

• The first steps the forensics team took to help solve this crime was to analyse the crime scene photographs, looking for any evidence the assailant may have left behind. In the photographs, we were looking for evidence such as ;

Whether there was forced entry into the premises, What the inside of the rooms were like, we needed to deduce whether a struggle or

burglary had taken place, What the wounds on the victims were and what the weapons appear to be, to

establish a preliminary cause of death, What forensics evidence was left behind such as DNA and Hair fibre analysis.

• In order to conclude our findings, we had to take our time to analyse each piece of evidence and take the other team members opinions into consideration before completing our finalised statement of the forensics evidence.


Campbell BoothIndividual

• Working through the project allowed me to appreciated subtle differences in the way Scottish and American students work.

• The experience of the project has allowed me to feel confident when tackling an online transatlantic project.

• The project has taught me not to take situations on first impressions.

• As an individual this project has shown me that I can count on other people to handle sections of work which are integral to the projects success.

• The project required me to be committed as contributions were required at certain times.

Team

• The team has learned that their opinions (right or wrong) are welcomed and appreciated.

• As a team we have learned that many hands make light work of a large project.

• As a team we broadened our understanding of how crime scenes are investigated.


Lisa MurisonIndividual Experiences:

• I worked on my communication, organizational, interpersonal and IT skills which will be invaluable in future careers.

• Expanded my knowledge of American legislation on guns and various legal terms.

• As my first Wiki experience, I learnt how to keep on top of a large amount of data via the internet which helped me improve my time management skills.

• As part of the forensics team, I had to carefully examine crime scene photos and as a team, we produced a report that helped the whole of Office 8 to start working out what happened at Jefferson Falls.

• Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and would happily do something similar if the opportunity came up.

Team Experiences:

• This transatlantic experience allowed two separate groups to come together and work on a case which turned out to be very successful.

• We worked well as a team and I’m very thankful for having such a co-operative and supportive team.

• Everyone contributed and put their ideas across clearly which allowed for our conclusions and assignments to be completed in good time.

• I’m glad everyone put their opinions and ideas across because even if they did not seem to add up or were ‘wrong’, it helped come to a conclusions and it showed that everyone was appreciative for the input.


Samantha EllisonIndividual Experience of the Wiki project…

• Throughout the course of this Wiki project I have learned to work as part of a team, to contributing to the discussions each week.

• As part of the forensics team, I have learned how to deduce facts from evidence left behind, learning that even the insignificant pieces of evidence can turn out to be substantial.

• I have learned not to always take things at face value and to always investigate further, demonstrated by the way in which the evidence was pieced together and theories formalised at the end.

• As the project entailed weekly deadlines, it has given me the opportunity to enhance my time management and organisational skills.

• From working within a team, I have learned to welcome others ideas and not be critical of them which I believe has been an important part of deciphering the evidence to uncover what had happened.

Team Experience of the Wiki Project…

• As a team, we have learned to be appreciative of others work and that each contribution has been valuable in forming our end conclusions.

• As there are international member in the team, we have learned to understand each other expressions and styles of working.

• Our team was very efficient in completing the tasks and keeping up to date with each others comments which was one of the main reasons we have succeeded as a team.

• In all, the group has worked together. Due to the high participation rate amongst the team members, it has made the differing tasks each week and reaching our final conclusions easy and simplistic.


Press Release Department

The PR department had 2 tasks to carry out. The first was to inform the public of the murders, the progress of the investigation and appeal forinformation that may encourage progress of the case.

The PR team therefore;

• Filtered important information that should be released to the public from information perhaps not relevant or that should remain confidential

• Ensured the public that the team were working tirelessly to bring justice for Kate and Jack

• Carefully selected information to help the progress of the case and ease public concern


The second task was to construct another press release regarding a

police officer disclosing confidential information to the press relating to

the murder investigation.

With regard to this press release we;• Constructed a concise press release to the public, stressing the

team’s sincere apologies to the public for the unnecessary panic the misconduct may have provoked

• Identified the officer who was involved in the misconduct• Provided a quote by the Chief Inspector of Constabulary to

reassure the public our understanding of the importance of police legitimacy

• ensured the public that action was being taken against the leak caused by the police officer and therefore of his suspension, but also for them to know that further disciplinary action would not be taken until a full investigation was carried out in order for both sides of the story to be heard. That is after all what the justice system is all about.


Sarah BrynesMy individual experience of the Wikiproject…

• I learned what it really means to be part of a team and contribute ideas whilst critiquing the work of others in a respectful manner to ensure the best decisions were made

• Has improved my time management skills as the project had deadlines each week which required me to keep on top of things

• Allowed me to improve my analytical skills as each week we were given new evidence to interpret and come to a conclusion on

• Provided me with an understanding of the American Criminal Justice System and how it, along with culture, differs to that in Scotland.

• Overall, I found the experience highly enjoyable, particularly the opportunity to work with intelligent minds from a different nation and was impressed at how well the group worked as a team

Our team experience of the Wikiproject…

• With new information each week we worked together as a team sharing opinions, critiquing each others theories and ultimately agreeing or compromising in order to meet the task in hand

• We learned how to appreciate the opinion of others, even if it differed to our own and subsequently, how to undertake intellectual debate

• If anyone was unsure of anything or needed something explained further, our team never failed to respond quickly and in a respectful manner

• I think it’s important that although we had deadlines to meet and a lot of work to be done, our team still managed to make the experience an enjoyable one

• Each member encouraged debate, ensuring that the opinions and theories of each person had to be expanded upon and explained. In doing so, this sometimes prompted new questions and new theories which ultimately led us to our final group theory.

• Overall, our team worked particularly well together and enjoyed the invaluable experience this project provided.


Lisa-Marie Russell

Throughout the course of the Wik Project, individually I…• Learned how to piece various chunks

of information together to contribute in gradually painting a clearer picture as to the events at Jefferson Falls.

• Critically evaluated the most important information released weekly.

• Enjoyed sharing words and phrases commonly used in Scotland with American team mates.

• Kept on top of a wealth of information, updates and opinions in order to form and modify my own.

• Was impressed at how well our team got along, communicated and worked together.

As a team we…• Used regular pieces of information to

come to the most logical conclusions through sharing of opinions, agreement and compromise to weekly deadlines.

• Gained a unique experience to work with students from another country.

• Shared details of our local justice systems, which often aided the project e.g. American team members had a better knowledge of American gun legislation.

• Exercised the ability to share our opinion respectfully and take other team member’s theories in to account.


Medical Examiner• The Medical Examiner team was responsible for reviewing the photos of the victim,

reviewing the investigation and forensic team reports and then fill out a Medical Examiner preliminary report to conclude findings. After analyzing each photo and reviewing the reports the Medical Examiner team concluded that the two victims; a 32 year old white male and the 31 year old white female caused of death was homicide. The Medical Examiner team also noted that there was difference in body temperature of the victims. The female victim temperature was 79.5F/26.4C which indicate she died ten to twelve hours prior to her body being found. The male victim on the other hand temperature was 73F/22.7C meaning his body was still warm so he was killed within two to three hours of the body being found.

• Throughout the process the Medical Examiner team learned and used medical terminologies like:

• Rigor – a chemical change in the muscles after death causing the limbs of the corpse to become stiff and difficult to move or manipulate.

• Livor Mortis – the settling of the blood in the lower portion of the body, causing a purplish red discoloration of the skin.

• The Medical Examiner Team worked along with the other members of the office to solve the case. Each person’s contribution was vital and necessary in reaching a conclusion.


Medical Examiner’s Preliminary Report

The medical examiners use Preliminary Reports is to determine the nature of the accident and provide conclusions regarding the causes of the fatality.Medical examiners investigate fatal accidents and publish reports to obtain and utilize information about the cause of the victims death. The preliminary report allows investigators to break down: the description of the deceased, information about occurrence, means of death (other than natural), crime scene conditions, medical history and a narrative summary of circumstances surrounding death.


Veniesha ClaytonMy Individual Experience of the WikiProject:• I learned about the Scottish Justice System

and how it varies from the American Justice System and also the different legal terms they use like culpable manslaughter.

• Working on the Wiki Project was an eye opening experience because of how different our point of view was on the murder case.

• Communicating with a team from a different country was an excellent learning experience. We had an open and clear communication.

• The project enabled me to look at things from many different perspective and show me how a different set of eyes on things can turn a case around.

• It allowed me to analyze information logically and gives me a greater appreciation for the Criminal Justice System

• Although I was working with team members from a different country our analytical points were very similar, which made coming to a conclusion easier.

• My time management skills were put to the test because the project had weekly deadlines and sometimes more than one task per week. This allowed me to stay on top of things.

My team experience:• My office role on the team was a

Medical Examiner. Working as a Medical Examiner allowed me to determine how the victims died and how long were they dead before the bodies was found. While performing this particular duty I learned many new medical terminologies I was not familiar with for example Rigor.

• Working on a team was great, we had different opinions but we worked through them together respectfully in order to come to a conclusion.

• After having the opportunity to be a part of this project, it makes me look forward to being apart of the Criminal Justice System to make sure justice is given to all and not only a few.

• It was great working with you all my American counterparts but most of all it was my pleasure working with the Scottish students, I will miss you all “CHEERS”


Melissa Przybylski

My Individual Experience…• The communication between

American & Scottish students allowed me to compare similarities and differences on how individuals problem-solve.

• Allowing plenty of time to critique pieces of evidence allowed me to focus on obvious and hidden clues, used to draw conclusions.

• My critical thinking skills were constantly being used and tested. With each assignment, different ways to critique evidence was exercised.

My Group Experience…• Learning teamwork and ways to

view different perspectives allowed me to view evidence from several stand points.

• The variety of team roles taught me the importance of individual duties in order to solve a murder.

• The easy way Wiki allowed our group to ask questions, learn different opinions and receive answers in a very short amount of time.

• Working with helpful, hardworking students made it almost impossible to fall behind on assignments. Seeing my team work together influenced me to become a better team player.


Internal Affairs Division

• The Internal Affairs Divisions had to investigate a complaint made against a police officer accused of not complying to the code of ethics and professionalism required of all law enforcement personnel.

• In order to achieve this the Internal Affairs officer had to:– Encourage the team to discuss a complaint made against a

police officer with regards to unethical conduct.– Encourage discussion on the appropriate punishment for the

officer in question.– Ensure that the correct course of action satisfied the interests of

the public as well as serving as a stark warning that such behaviour is not tolerated by any police officer.

– In addition to this, a decision had to be made ensuring that this leak of information did not hinder the investigation in any way.

– Submission of a report on behalf of the team, summarising our main points and outlining the advised course of action.


Rhea Jack

My experience of the Wiki Project…

• I gained an understanding of the American Criminal Justice system and how it varies from the Scottish Criminal Justice System.

• Tight deadlines and a time difference for the project allowed me to further develop my organisation skills.

• It was important to both be critical and welcoming of others ideas to be sure that the true story of what happened in Jefferson Falls was uncovered.

• Culture played a role in this project. I gained an understanding of American phrases as well as contributing some insight into Scottish culture.

• The project challenges team members in that the e-communications platform requires investigation of a crime which would otherwise be done in reality. This was difficult but encouraged my analytical skills.

• As the Internal Affairs officer I had to encourage discussion to ensure that everyone was involved to fulfil my role in writing a report based on our findings making it a valuable experience for my future career.

Our team experience of the Wiki Project…

• We had to learn to be appreciative of others opinions and learn how to communicate our own without dong so forcefully.

• Whilst the pressure of meeting strict deadlines was felt, our team got on well and we had some fun along the way.

• As our theories developed we grew more excited and there was a sense of achievement within the group.

• There was no such thing as a silly question. Everyone was encouraged to flag up any ideas or concerns and as a team we worked through these.

• Simply stating that ‘I agree’ with a theory (even if this was the case) was not enough and our team consistently promoted discussion from all slants. Posing questions to ensure that we came to the most plausible answer.

• Getting on so well as a team has left us all a bit disappointed that the project has come to a close. We thoroughly enjoyed working together.


Investigation Dept.As the Investigation Team, we had to carefully consider all the information given throughout thevarious muster reports each week and begin to piece together what happened in Jefferson Falls.The investigation department were required to work with the team to establish the most likelysuspects for the murders by analysing the suspect profiles and sworn statements.

• This was achieved by discussing the key points about each of the suspects in order to rule out certain people and define who would be carried forward as the main suspects for the case

• We looked at the physical features such as height and weight in relation to who would have the capability of moving the bodies if this had been carried out following the murder

• Potential personal motives were considered for each of the suspects and we came up with reasons why the suspects may have been provoked so far as to kill the victims

• We also looked at previous offences, if any, committed by the suspects and whether the nature of the crimes committed made them likely to have the capability of murder

• Making current and past connections between each suspect involved was also important.• Through the group discussion we worked on the clues and came up with the most plausible

theory in relation to the sworn statements and suspect profiles- Week 3 the suspect list and statements were released, we had to thoroughly reflect on all the different stories and information supplied by each suspect.

• This task helped improve problem solving skills of not only those involved in the Investigation Team but also the group as a whole.


Lucy Malcolm

My individual experience of the WikiProject…• I enjoyed the cross-cultural nature of

the project, it allowed me to learn more about the American legal system.

• The e-communication platform of the project was new to me but it was an effective medium, allowing us to debate and discuss our different theories efficiently.

• I spent time considering all possible theories as new information was released each week and enjoyed discussing everyone’s opinions.

• The various weekly deadlines allowed me to keep on top of what was expected of me and improved my time management skills.

Team experience of the wiki project…

• We all worked well together as a team in general and everyone was happily in agreement when it was time to choose roles within the group.

• We learned throughout the course of the project to be patient and understanding of everyone’s opinions about the case.

• No one’s ideas were ever seen as silly or unimportant.

• All of our tasks were completed in a timely fashion each week by the various members of the group.

• The international collaboration throughout the project was very beneficial to all of us and we enjoyed working together to discover the truth of the investigation.


Michelle Farrell

Individual experiences of the project:

• The case studies gave me an insight into American legal terms such as first degree murder and the possibility of receiving the death penalty. I also learned about indictments and the different forms of homicide present in American law.

• I also enjoyed contributing my own case as it gave me the chance to analyse the investigation of a real-life local murder.

• When analysing the scene photographs, I learned how to analyse and look at the closer details in order to obtain clues for the case.

• There were a couple of details in my personal opinion that differed slightly from the team, e.g. I believed that Jack had left the murder scene after killing Kate and disposed of his own weapons and clothing rather than Angela disposing of both weapons. However, when working as a team I realised the importance of negotiating a theory that met the opinions of the team as a whole and I was happy with the work we produced. I feel that the experience significantly improved my team working skills.

Team experiences of the project…

• When choosing the roles, everyone was in agreement about what we were going to do and how we would contribute to the investigation in different ways.

• It was interesting to discuss the differences in legal terms between Scotland and America and questions were raised regarding culpable homicide – it was a good experience sharing this information with others who were willing to find out more about the Scottish legal system.

• The challenges of working with the team were keeping up to date with the discussion and providing new thoughts that were different to what had already been mentioned.

• Being part of the investigation team I learned how to bring the groups opinions together in order to define main suspects.

• The group worked well together as a whole and we were all open to debate while also negotiating our final theory as a team.


To ConcludeWith all this valuable experience in analysing, listening,

voicing opinion and critical thinking having been gained, we feel confident to come to a

final conclusion as to what occurred in Jefferson Falls. As a group we decided thatthe most likely scenario is that Jack killed

Kate in a drunken rage and then Angela killed Jack upon seeing her lover lying lifeless and

covered in blood on the bedroom floor, thereforeAngela should be considered the number one

suspect.

Technology

Wikiproject office 8 slide show