After securing the crime scene, snapping photos and collecting evidence, a group of Thurston Middle School students had a pretty good hunch what had happened.
“So far, we’ve found a pit where somebody was burned and then we found the bones nearby,” said Jackson Rowley, 13, who on Thursday, March 21, was leading one of two simulated investigations at Alta Laguna Park. “We also found a body with blood around the neck. And we found a newsletter with bloody fingerprints that said ‘find witches and devils.’ All this leads us to believe it’s connected to the Salem witch trials.”
Rowley, an eighth-grader, is among 15 students enrolled in a forensic crime class and club at Thurston. The students worked the scene, meticulously gathering evidence from three “bodies” and a skeleton found partially buried in the rugged wilderness.
The mock crime scene, set on Gallows Hill in Salem, Mass., in 1692, was taped off and divided in half near the park’s entrance. Each team took a half and examined the bodies and skeleton.
One body was found crushed to death, one was in a medieval stock, and another was partially beheaded after having been burned at the stake. The skeletal remains were discovered covered in ashes.
The students worked with five Laguna Beach Police Department detectives who supervised their evidence-gathering and provided tips for investigating the case. In earlier classes, students were provided with a historical narrative and then worked backward to determine how things happened. This year it was all about the investigation process.
“Working with the police they see firsthand what it’s like,” said Michelle Martinez. a Thurston teacher who five years ago started the program as an afterschool club with an assist from her daughter, Noelle Martinez. “They also see it’s tiring and hard work.”
Laguna Beach police Cpl. Cornelius Ashton, the department’s school resource officer, has worked in investigations as a detective for a decade. On Thursday, he was at the crime scene coaching and giving advice.
“The most important thing when you’re working a crime scene is managing it,” Ashton said. “You work in unison with your team to make sure the crime scene is properly examined and processed. It’s a slow and methodical process. Any fragment or paper wrapper could be part of the evidence. Everyone has a role, whether it’s the team leader, note taker, photographer or the person sketching the scene.”
Mara Williams, 13, worked as a crime photographer. First, she took an overview of the crime scene. Then she combed through the brush and dirt taking detailed shots.
“It’s really important that you keep every single photo,” she said. “We can’t delete anything. Otherwise, when you take it to court, it could be like, ‘What are you hiding?’ or “What have you done with the scene?’”
The most difficult part for her, she said, was getting the correct angle and then labeling each photo.
The weather on Thursday impacted the investigation.
“With rain, the crime scene changes,” said Euan Latimer, 14, who was assigned to speak with the media. “We have to try and get as many photos before it changes.”
Latimer, who also participated in last year’s simulation at Dana Point Harbor, said he appreciated the authenticity this year, partly because of the Laguna Beach police detectives on scene.
“It made it feel much more realistic,” he said. “They’re making sure we’re solving a crime.”
Ashton said the detectives’ participation gives students insight into the details of their work.
“The bread and butter of police work is the investigation,” he said. “TV shows just show a lot of arrests. This gives them a broader view of law enforcement functions.
“We’re building relationships,” he added. “We’re bridging the gap between law enforcement and the community.”
Martinez’s program is one of 45 in Orange County funded by grants from Cox Communications to further science and technology in schools. This year the company provided $5,000 to fund the crime scene and the crime scene house set up at Thurston.
