Forensics: Crime Scene Detective – Paper Trails Walkthrough

Paper Trails Evidence Overview

Evidence given:
Fingerprint (Michael Brandt)
Biological Sample (Michael Brandt)

Photos and Evidence at the Crime Scene:
10x Fingerprint (Unknown)
3x General
3x Biological Sample
Digital Device Flashdrive

Web of Evidence Whiteboard Overview

Evidence to send:
13x Fingerprint Analysis
3x DNA Analysis
1x Digital Device Analysis

Briefing

Officers were dispatched after receiving a call from Claudia Reuter, a neighbor who noticed strange chemical smells and late-night noises coming from one of her neighbor’s garages. Upon arriving, officers discovered equipment consistent with document forgery, including blank IDs, a printer, and chemical supplies. The scene was cleared and the owner of the garage, Michael Brandt, was taken in for questioning. His fingerprints and DNA were taken as comparison material.

Witness Statement Claudia Reuter:
I have been noticing strange chemical smells and loud noises coming from my neighbor’s garage lat at night for several weeks now. It started getting worse recently, and I decided to call the police.

Travel to the Crime Scene

The crime scene is a small room in a basement of a residential building.

Let’s start with the fingerprints. There are 10 fingerprints and 2 items with fingerprints in total. number them, take a photograph and extract them with the Fingerprint Kit. When evidence is close together like this you may have to remove some of them first to be able to properly use the evidence marker and camera for the other pieces of evidence.

There are five fingerprints and a pair of scissors on the table with the printer and the laminating device. Three prints are on the table’s surface, one on the blank ID card and the fourth on the white laminating device’s top. All four prints and the scissors have to be marked and photographed before removal.

Next to the printer table is a shelf with more blank IDs and a black bottle. You need to crouch to reach it. Mark this bottle and photograph it. Then you can pick it up.

On the desk with the computer are five fingerprints around the table’s edges and also a stack of blank IDs. The five prints and the stack of cards have to be marked and photographed before removal.

Evidence:
10x Fingerprint (Unknown)
1x General Plastic Bottle
1x General Scissors
1x General Blank IDs

As for the blood samples, there are three to collect. All three are near the equipment cases. One is on the floor next to the Fingerprint Kit and Bio Material Kit case, the other two next to the Evidence Marker and Camera case. Here, place the evidence markers to the right and to the left.

Evidence:
3x Biological Sample (Unknown)

There is one flashdrive on the desk with the monitor.

Evidence:
Digital Flashdrive – Bluegrain

Analyzing the Evidence

Back in the Lab, read the email. One collected sample matches Sven Hartmann from the criminal database. There is also a fingerprint matching Sven Hartmann. One fingerprint also matched Patrick Vogel from Whiskey and Gunfire at the Pool Bar. Michael Brandt’s fingerprints could not be found, but Dennis Eckstein from the criminal database was a match.

Evidence:
Fingerprint (Patrick Vogel)
Fingerprint (Dennis Eckstein)
Fingerprint (Sven Hartmann)

Let’s start with the Cyanoacrylate Fuming. This is for the collected scissors, the plastic bottle and the Blank ID’s. Open the chamber, place the first item, close the chamber and interact with the computer to start the extraction. Do this for all three items. Then, collect the results.

Evidence:
3x Fingerprint (Unknown)

Analyse all the Fingerprints at the Fingerprint Analysis station to compare them against the four suspects Michael Brandt, Patrick Vogel, Dennis Eckstein and Sven Hartmann. Seven are a match for Michael Brandt, 2 are a visiual match to Patrick Vogel, but the machine won’t let me mark obvious similarities. I marked them match but I couldn’t find enough connections that the machine wanted to accept. Two prints are matching Dennis Eckstein and two match Sven Hartmann.

Continue with the Digital Evidence Analysis station to analyse the found flashdrive. Decrypt the Flashdrive – Bluegrain, export the results and pick them up.

Now head over to the Bio Evidence Analysis Station. Put four samples inside: The sample from Michael Brandt and the three unknown samples from the crime scene. Wait until all samples are analysed, then pick up the results.

Then do the DNA Comparison. Compare the crime scene samples to Sven Hartmann. One sample matches Hartmann in the top row 25-28

Another sample matches Sven Hartmann at the fourth row 13-16. There is no Match at all for Michael Brandt. Export and pick up all results.

The third sample also matches Sven Hartmann at the fourth row 6-12. There is no Match for Michael Brandt. Export and pick up all results.

Send off your evidence by email and close the case.