University News Last updated 14 November 2012
Budding crime detectives are being asked to work out ‘who dunnit’ at a mock murder scene being reconstructed at Birmingham’s NEC later this week.
The mock crime scene forms part of the National Skills Show and is based around the fictional murder of four females around Birmingham between January and September 2011. Visitors will be asked to analyse the crime scene evidence of the four murders to assess if any of the murders are linked in some way.
Using a reconstruction of the bedroom of the fourth victim, participants will wear forensic crime scene officer clothing, and walk through the reconstruction of the bedroom, and try to understand aspects of the crime and the motives of the offender.
In an ‘incident room’ containing footage of the scene where the fourth victim’s body was deposited, as well as the other murders, participants need to assess what may have happened to the victim and whether the murders are linked in some way.
Professor Craig Jackson, Head of Psychology at Birmingham City University and creator of the mock murder scene, said: “The exercise will encourage visitors to consider psychology, criminology or forensics as a career path. We will give people the chance how to think and act like a police detective or forensic criminologist would, encouraging then to ask questions of the scene: did the victim know the attacker? Was she killed in her room? Was the crime scene altered or staged in any way to hinder investigation?
“It promises to be a fun yet educational exercise, and we encourage visitors to come along and have a crack at solving the crime themselves.”
The National Skills Show is taking place at Birmingham’s NEC, from Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 November. The Birmingham City University ‘murder scene’ will take place in Pavillion2, stand 6.