By Mark Meredith/TVCC Public Information
Trinity Valley Community College Science Club students recently participated in a forensic workshop on the Athens campus, using standard law enforcement techniques to collect and document evidence, interview suspects and then make an arrest in a mock murder scene in a science lab.
Six teams of students took turns examining the crime scene, examining, collecting and photographing a body, blood and other evidence, then interviewing several suspects, played by TVCC staff and faculty members. After collecting and analyzing evidence, interviewing suspects and conferring, each team accused a suspect. The team of Nazik Orazgeldiyeva, Kiali Herrington, Stephanie Do and Ryan Nguyen correctly identified the murderer, “Jordan Moretti, the janitor from the janitorial services” played by Fine Arts Division Chair Kelly Driskell. “There was something for everybody!” said Herrington. “We got to experience just about every aspect of the forensic science that goes into piecing together a crime.”
The teams were assisted by experts including TVCC police Chief Stewart Newby and former Dallas police officer David McCoy. Before retiring to Athens, McCoy was a consultant on the TV series “Hill Street Blues,” where the colorful character Renko was based on his experiences and personality.
For more information about the TVCC Criminal Justice program, see the TVCC 2015-16 Catalog online at www.tvcc.edu/Catalogs or contact Kendall Wellman at [email protected].