The bloodied and bruised victim’s hands were bound with tape, and on the carpet where he lay were white powder, a latex glove, a t-shirt, and a water bottle.
This was the scene of the “crime” that a group Year 12 school students were asked to investigate.
As part of the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF), the 32 students came from all over Australia to investigate and learn more about forensic science at Forensic Science Queensland (FSQ) and, through their analysis of this pretend crime scene, feel inspired to pursue a forensic science career.
On Wednesday, 17 January, FSQ hosted the Australian National University-based NYSF Year 12 Program and showed the students the exciting world of forensic science through hands-on investigations.
These included determining the identity of the white powder, recovering DNA from the latex glove, water bottle, and t-shirt, comparing DNA profiles to known persons of interest (POI), and identifying the type of tape used to bind the victim.
Rockhampton Grammar Year 12 student Medha Koduri said after participating in the mock investigations she was now considering a career in forensic science.
“Up until today, I hadn’t considered a career in forensic science,” she said.
“I was looking more into the biomedical science side of things or pharmaceuticals.
“Today, we heard from people who are working in forensic science, and it totally changed my perspective.
The NYSF Year 12 Program is for young people with a passion for science and provides them opportunities to participate in tours of science and technology facilities, such as FSQ, and learn about university, training and STEM career pathways.
At FSQ, Medha said she was excited to experience a day in the life of a forensic scientist and look at the different objects that they analyse.
“We also got to experience some of the different chemicals that forensic chemists look at and categorise. I really enjoyed identifying the white powder from the crime scene.
“We put it through a series of tests; one of them showed a colour, and we had to narrow that down because it was four different possible drugs, so we put it through a centrifuge and added water to it, and in the end, we found what it was.
“That series of steps and problem-solving was really exciting.”
FSQ Illicit Drug Group Chemist Kate Brough was on hand at the event to show the students how they test for illicit drugs.
“The staff here are all really excited to participate and interact with the students to give them a broader understanding of the diverse study options and career paths that are available in the science and technology, engineering, and mathematics fields,” she said.
Kate said she was involved in demonstrating sample preparation and analytical techniques to the students, which are used in the illicit drug laboratory to perform drug identification.
“If it inspires one other person to do the same career, that would be amazing,” she said.
“I think one of the most exciting things about science and forensic chemistry is that it is always changing. It's always evolving. We're discovering new substances and adapting to new technologies all the time. So, the forensic science community is a wonderful thing to be a part of because there is so much collaboration to help each other stay ahead of the changes.”
Student Mary Donnan, from Cannon Hill Anglican College, said she was interested in forensic science because it was always evolving and changing.
“No one case is going to be the same; there are always going to be different circumstances,” she said.
“After I finish high school this year, I’m looking at doing an advanced science degree and majoring in chemistry, which can bring me into forensic science. I’m also interested in medical research.
“I want to keep my options open at the moment, but I’m definitely interested in forensic science and working here [FSQ] one day.”
Within an hour of investigating items from the mock crime scene, the students had their answers and wrote their report:
The white powder was identified as paracetamol. A DNA profile was recovered from the glove and has the same profile as POI2. The tape used to bind the victim located at the scene was determined to be the same as reference sample, Tape F.
A case closed, and what could be the start of forensic science careers for a new generation.