The Science of Crime Novels

CHEM 101 – Honors: Introduction to College Chemistry
ENGL 203 – Honors: World Literature

Taught by Professors Fred Senftleber and Janet Haavisto

Muddy footprints lead to a broken window in an abandoned, partially burned, two-story house.  Inside, a partially dressed body is found on a torn, gasoline-soaked piece of carpet at the foot of the stairs.  Several feet away lay a discharged gun and a hand-written note wrapped around a plastic bag containing a small quantity of white powder.  No injuries are evident.  Was the fire deliberate?  What caused the death?  Was a crime committed?  By whom?  Why? And, most puzzling of all, how?  Read about crimes, follow the clues, construct the murder story for the prosecutor. As principal investigator and forensic expert, conduct experiments to unravel the secrets hidden in the physical evidence.  Use science and literature to interpret the tale the crime scene tells.