Who Murdered Dr. Bootney Farnsworth

By Adam Williams and Karen Vanegas

There is a mystery at McKinley Tech. Who murdered Dr. Bootney Farnsworth on December 19, 2007? He was shot three times: in the knee, chest and head. Professor Farnsworth was a contemptible person and despised by many. There are seven official suspects: his wife, his eldest son, his youngest son, his daughter, his mistress, a student teacher, and the principal. At the scene of the crime, investigators gathered blood, hair samples and bullet casings and took them to the CSI lab- Mr. Isaac's biotech class. The students analyzed a crime scene that was so realistic, it was eerie. Mr. Isaac obtained the materials for the crime scene from the George Washington University Forensic Sciences Program. Some 50 students worked on the project from December to February.

"He did a very good job emulating what a dead person would be like...he made it very believable," said 12th grader Obinna Ukwuani.

"I wanted students to increase their critical thinking skills, and to work with one another to solve problems in real world situations," said Isaac. "To put it in a real world perspective, if you mess up, the killer gets away."

The students worked on the case, compiling evidence, and eliminating suspects from the list. Solving the case was their midterm exam.

This comprehensive project has pushed our biotech students to their limits and has set a new standard. They have learned the main concepts of forensics and gained laboratory techniques.

Elishauntae Lindsay collected blood samples and fingerprints and did DNA analysis. She also took pictures of the crime scene. "This project has sparked my interest in studying forensic science in college," she said.

"I thought it was going to be like 'Law and Order' or 'CSI'. I thought it was going to be easy," said Trevor Wood, 12th grader. "It was no cake walk."

By Anna Kinsman |  February 15, 2008; 9:06 AM ET News
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