The Deadly Picnic
Background Information
Centerville police discovered the body of a 36-year-old white male (later identified as
Ross Geller) in an open field of daisies about five miles outside of town. Mr. Geller’s body
was discovered at 10:02 P.M. Friday night, October 25. He was found lying face up on a
yellow, queen-size sheet. According to autopsy reports, one fatal gunshot to the back of
the head ended Mr. Geller’s life. The coroner estimated that death occurred at about
7:45 P.M. As investigators scanned the crime scene, they made the following notes:
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Paper plates filled with partially eaten fried chicken, potato salad, and chocolate cake
were located near Mr. Geller’s body.
An open bottle of red wine and two partially filled glasses of wine were found next to
the yellow sheet.
One of the wine glasses had a smudge of red lipstick on the rim.
A recently smoked cigarette butt was found near the sheet.
Footprints from the road to the field where those of a male, size 10, and a female,
size 5. The only footprints from the field back to the road were those of a female, size
5.
Car tracks of the same wheelbase and tread pattern as Mr. Geller’s automobile were
found at the road. The car was not found at the scene.
Later that evening Mr. Geller’s car was found abandoned in an empty parking lot in
downtown Centerville.
Investigators believe that a female friend of Mr. Geller’s was responsible for his demise.
After questioning family and friends, it was discovered that the deceased had frequent
social outings with six women who live in or near Centerville. The women’s names are ,
Rachel, Phoebe, Janice, Susan, Carol and Emily. Your goal is to solve the murder!
Special Police Notes
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Janice works full time as a cosmetologist.
Rachel and Susan are school-teachers.
Phoebe and Rachel live together in a two-bedroom apartment in downtown
Centerville.
Susan lives in a nearby town called Jordan.
Carol lives in a country house about three miles west of Centerville.
Rachel and Janice are very petite women-they wear size 4 blue jeans.
Susan and Janice are nonsmokers.
Janice works part time as an aerobics instructor at a health club in Centerville. She
teaches a 7:30 P.M. step aerobics class each Friday night and has not missed a class
in two years.
Phoebe is a highly allergic to grapes.
Phoebe doesn’t wear lipstick.
Susan attends the aerobics class that Janice teaches; she has not missed a Friday
night class in nine months.
Emily works at a chemical supply house.
Carol’s father owns a rifle range.
Emily is allergic to all species of flowering plants.
Carol is a florist.
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Carol doesn’t wear lipstick.
Janice and Susan hate the color yellow.
Emily played center for a semi-professional basketball team five years ago. She has
red hair and is 6-feet, 1-inch tall.
What to do:
1. Read the “background information” and create and record the important background
information in a data table known as Data Table #1.
2. Read the “special notes” that the police gathered during their investigation and create
and record this information in another data table known as Data Table #2.
3. Answer the questions below: the answers to the questions below (1-5) and the 2 data
tables you create is your assignment. In case you do not know what a data table is, it
is a visual instrument comprised of labeled columns and rows, used to arrange
information. Its purpose is to organize disparate data as well as to permit data to be
easily manipulated and analyzed.
Questions:
1.
Who is your prime suspect?
2.
Cite key pieces of information that lead you to believe that the other 5 women are
more likely to be innocent (explaining your answer to #1.)
3.
What information helped identify the prime suspect?
4.
Consider the physical evidence at the scene and/or that could be gathered from the
suspects. Given budgets that limit CSI’s in real life, try to think of 2 forensic tests
that you would like to have performed in order to find more evidence. What would
you hope to find?
5.
As they would say on CSI, “call the scene”, describe how the crime might have
happened in a way that fits all of the facts. Explain how the couple got to the
murder site, why they went there, what happened while they were there, and how
the murderer escaped. What do you believe was the motive?
Sample of what a data table looks like..it is a way to categorize information