College forensics students test their skills at mock crime scenes

It was like an episode of the television “CSI” shows on Monday morning at Flathead Valley Community College, but with dummy dead bodies, students in the white forensic jumpsuits and real police officer consultants.

As a field exercise to test the skills of students, Janice Alexander, Forensic Science I instructor, and Ron Clem, a former Los Angeles police officer, created five crime scenes near a home on a wooded area of the campus.

Crimes ranged from a suspicious drug site to a body swinging from a tree.

To provide as much realism as possible, Kalispell police officers kicked off the exercise by calling in the student forensic teams to take charge of the scene. Real reporters asked questions of student investigating officers such as Patrick Blouin, who politely provided only minimal details.

“Two people appear to be deceased of gunshot wounds. We believe it occurred sometime last night,” he said. “The body was discovered at 9 a.m. KPD Officer David Massie called us. He was alerted by a call disturbance.”

Blouin said the bodies were found on their backs with no identification. One was male and one was female but he refused to speculate on their ages or what had transpired.

Nearby, another group of investigators had found no victims. Student Officer Mark Fallon said their forensic experts were “bagging and tagging” the evidence, which included drug paraphernalia.

“We’ll take it back to the lab for processing,” he said.

A morbid discovery in a field bordered by woods caught the attention of another alert Kalispell police officer. In a scene appropriate for upcoming Halloween, a hand protruding out of a pile of soil pointed to a dastardly deed and a morning’s work for the third college student forensic team.

Student Officer Mitch White said they had no theory of what had happened.

“We’ve got a dirt pile with body parts sticking out,” he said. “We’re doing a grid and line search. Depending on what we find, other tests will be done.”

Three people of interest were found at the scene but no arrests had been made, he said. The forensic part of the investigation would include a week to several weeks of testing.

When the afternoon section of Forensic Science I students arrived, a new wave of crime had hit the area east of the main campus. Student Officer Patrick Ingham was fielding inquiries from the press about the body hanging from a tree.

“We just responded not 10 minutes ago,” he said. “We got a call from our first responders.”

Ingham said the team had cameras including video cameras for recording complete sweeps of the crime scene. Three police consultants stood by watching the students tackle the mystery of a hanging body above a collapsed folding chair.

Back by the house, the gunshot-riddled bodies were gone but a new team was looking for evidence of a different sort.

Serving as the spokeswoman for her team, student Officer Liz Moors said a 5-year-old child was missing from a birthday party. The child first was noticed missing at about 12:45 p.m.

“The mother went inside and when she came back out, her daughter was missing,” Moors said. “Right now, we’re searching and collecting evidence. We just got on the scene.”

Clem and Alexander stood by observing their student teams at work. Clem said Kalispell police officers were able to participate as part of a department training day.

“It’s surprising how realistic it is with the officers actually involved at the scene,” he said. “It imparts more reality and the students really have to know the books well.”

After the exercise, students submit final crime scene reports. Their grade includes how well they maintain the chain of custody of evidence as well as their work maintaining the crime scene and providing security.

“Security is always a big issue at the scene,” Clem said, recalling his L.A.P.D. days. “Everybody and their brother wants to see the body.”

Alexander brings a strong science background to the forensic program. She also serves as a chemistry and mathematics instructor at the community college.

According to Alexander, the two-semester course attracts a variety of students. Some hope for careers as law officers while others may become interested in crime lab careers.

“Some people just take it for fun,” she said.

The course is required for students pursuing an associate degree in criminal justice or transferring to a four-year program. Offered for 15 years, the forensic science class attracted enough students last year to require two sections.

Students first learn to process the crime scene. Upcoming weeks feature such topics as shoe, tire and tool impressions, analysis of glass and soil, hair and fiber, serial number restoration and questioned document examinations.

The second semester requires more chemistry as students explore toxicology, controlled substances, DNA, body fluids, blood splatter, computer crime, vehicle accident inspections, building explosions and accelerants.

Students have taken many paths from these studies.

“One former student is an evidence technician with the Sheriff’s Office,” Alexander said. “Others have gone on to law school or science research.”

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com .