CRIME SCENE SIMULATION

The following simulated crime scene is designed to test your observation and knowledge. Observe each image and respond only to the questions associated with each image.

You are an investigator responding to the scene of a shooting in a hotel room, where you observe the following:

A male, apparently African American, is sitting on a sofa and appears to be the victim of a shooting. A Crime Scene Investigator has photographed the scene, and is awaiting your instructions regarding the collection of evidence.

There is a firearm at his right hand. There is no sign of a struggle, but there are a great many objects in the room.

Does this appear to be:

A suicide An accidental shooting A murder A suspicious death Too early to make a determination

Incorrect.

Correct!

Observation indicates that there is a single gunshot wound in the forehead of the deceased. There are what appear to be bloodstains on the subject’s shirt.

Does this appear to be:

A suicide An accidental shooting A murder A suspicious death Too early to make a determination

Incorrect.

Rationale: Most suicide victims do not shoot themselves in the forehead. An exception might be when a rifle or shotgun is used.

Correct!

Is the weapon:

An automatic A revolver A semi-automatic Unable to determine

Incorrect.

Correct!

Observe the blood splatter.

Is this consistent with:

A wound from a gun fired from the right side of the victim A wound from a gun fired from the left side of the victim A wound from a gun fired from above the victim A wound from a gun fired from below the victim A wound from a gun fired directly at the victim

Incorrect.

Rationale: The blood splatter appears to be from a gun fired almost directly at the victim.

Correct!

CRIME SCENE SIMULATION

Based on your observation, do you feel that this is:

A suicide An accidental shooting A murder A suspicious death Too early to make a determination

Incorrect.

Rationale: At this point it is too early to classify this as a murder, but it is certainly a suspicious death.

Correct!

Before disturbing the body, you now turn to other evidence that may be present at the scene. Observe the coffee table.

Of the objects on the coffee table, from the following list what do you think is likely to be most important?

The coffee cup. The white plate The gold-colored plate The spatula

Incorrect.

Rationale: The white plate contains fingerprints.

Correct!

There are at least four fingerprint impressions on the plate that may assist in identifying the victim or perhaps other individuals who might have been present at the scene. The spoon is from a Chinese restaurant. Autopsy revealed that victim had consumed Chinese food prior to his death.

CRIME SCENE SIMULATION

View the image and click on the items or objects that you feel would be most important in pursuing the investigation. (Keep in mind that all of the items would be collected if this was a real investigation).

CRIME SCENE SIMULATION

A search of the victim produced a wallet with a Canadian driver’s license and a photo of the victim with the name Van Koover.

In his pocket was a lottery ticket with a winning number.

CRIME SCENE SIMULATION

Detective Doe located Mr. Koover’s wife through the cell phone on the coffee table that was listed under Mr. Koover’s name.

Mrs. Koover stated that her husband had left their home in Toronto a week earlier to meet his daughter, Vanessa Koover, who called to state that she had won a lottery in Connecticut and that she and her boyfriend, Ivan Krook, a “friend,” were arguing over the money, amounting to more than $150,000, which they had not yet cashed in. Mrs. Koover stated that her husband had come to the city to support his daughter. Mrs. Koover e-mailed a photo of her husband and her daughter to Detective Doe. She had not talked to him since he left a week ago.

The photo matched the deceased male and the female in the picture on the dining room table. Mrs. Koover could not identify the male in the photo.

CRIME SCENE SIMULATION

Firearms investigation revealed that the revolver was purchased in Vancouver by the victim. It had not been fired.

Autopsy revealed that the victim had been shot in the forehead with a 9mm automatic. A bullet was lodged in the wall in behind the victim. Shell casing was not recovered. Firearms investigation revealed that the bullet was consistent with a bullet recovered in the death of a liquor store owner two weeks earlier in connection with an armed robbery.

CRIME SCENE SIMULATION

A total of 12 latent fingerprints were recovered at the scene, including two that were adequate from the plate, one of which matched Mr. Koover. The other was unknown. Two fingerprints from one of the beer bottles were also being processed through the State and FBI crime labs.

This weapon was recovered on the landing in the stairwell adjoining the room where the crime occurred.

The weapon is:

A semiautomatic pistol A revolver

Incorrect.

Correct!

CRIME SCENE SIMULATION

Firearms examination confirmed that this was the pistol that fired the bullet recovered at the Koover crime scene. The magazine had been removed. The pistol was reported stolen during a burglary.

Krook’s photo matched that of the individual in the photo at the Koover crime scene.

Fingerprints at the burglary scene matched those of a suspect, Ivan Krook, who was later apprehended and released on bail. The fingerprint report from the laboratory in the Koover case matched that of Ivan Krook.

CRIME SCENE SIMULATION

The victim in this case was identified as Vanessa Koover.

What similarities did you notice between this case and that of Mr. Koover’s homicide scene?

CRIME SCENE SIMULATION

If you noticed that the chopsticks on plate indicate that Chinese food was consumed, you are correct!

DNA evidence recovered at the scene was linked to Al Krook, who was subsequently arrested a Chinese restaurant that he frequented in the neighborhood where both homicides occurred.