At 10 am, on October 3rd 2014, I was called upon to investigate a crime scene of stolen rare coins. As a good investigator would do, I began by studying my surroundings. Upon arrival at the crime scene I found the classroom secured with physical barriers and tape. Unwanted spectators were quickly eliminated from the crime scene. I started to gather evidence and made sure that there was no evidence manipulation of any sort. It is important to keep everything secure since any sort of contamination can lead to evidence dismissal in court. When I first looked around, I saw that the door of the classroom was open as well as the right side of the back window. Right away, I was suspecting a burglary. Whoever entered the classroom had to be in a big rush to leave. A question that came to my mind right away was: "Was the window opened on purpose to mislead the investigators or was the perpetrator caught off guard and left in a hurry?" To answer my questions I needed to gather more clues. Consequently, on the chalkboard I found a hand fingerprint, which I preserved to be sent to the crime lab for analysis. In addition, a footprint was also found in front of the outside window. The footprint was facing forward, away from the open window. This was a huge piece of evidence since it confirmed my speculations regarding the perpetrator using the window as an exit mode. By the window my team found a ski mask that I believe was used by the perpetrator. It was most likely left in a hurry since I found it by the window where the crime was committed. The suspect must have taken if off upon leaving the scene. This clue can turn out to be crucial in solving this case. Without hesitation I sent it to the laboratory for DNA analysis. If the mask was worn by the suspect, there is a chance that it can contain hair or saliva if worn over the face. Saliva and hair contain cells that can be used to extract DNA.
