Crime Scene Activity - Putting knowledge to the test!

On November 30th and December 1st, 2011, we came into the classroom to discover three crime scenes set up for us to analyze. I was given the third crime scene, which included the following clues:

Clue 1: High heeled shoe indicates a female victim or criminal was present at the scene of the crime. Footprint does not match the heel's print.

Clue 2: Note that says “Someone please help me!". Handwriting is a match to Tyese Jefferson.

Shown here is Tyese's profile, including her handwriting and blood type

Clue 2A: Note that says “You will never find her” indicates a murder/kidnapping and that the victim was female. The handwriting matches Smokey Johnson's.

Clue 3: Fingerprint- Plain whorl pattern, matches Smokey Johnson’s print.

Clue 3A: Fingerprint- Ulnar loop that matches Sandra O’Connor and Tyese Jefferson.

Clue 4: A golden ear-ring, indicates that either the victim or criminal was a female. Indicates that there was a struggle in which the ring was either ripped out or fell off.

Clue 5: A piece of green nylon, possibly ripped from clothing?

Clue 6: A clear liquid with a yellow-ish tint, contained amounts of iodine. Iodine is used to poison people with thyroid problems, which Tyese Jefferson had.

Clue 7: Large footprint-13.5” long, 4.5” wide. Indicates that either victim or criminal was male

Clue 8: A+ blood sample, matches with Tyese Jefferson.. Indicates that there was a struggle.

Clue 9: A hair strand that matches with black female hair, color was dark brown, light brown, and white. Indicates that there was a struggle that caused the hair to be pulled out, also indicates that the grey hairs would belong to someone old-either Tyese Jefferson or Cindy Brown.

Clue 10: A fingerprint left on glass, could not be identified as either a whorl or a loop due to inadequate powder.

What Really Happened:

Smokey Johnson and Tyese Jefferson are ex-lovers. Upon breaking up, Tyese puts a restraining order on Smokey, although presumably they work in the same school (Tyese as a counselor, Smokey as a cafeteria worker). Bitter from the break-up, Smokey begins lacing Tyese's food and drink with iodine, which he knows is poisonous to her, since she has thyroid problems. 

One day, after beginning to feel the effects of the iodine, Tyese decides to head home early from work. Before departing from school, she stops at the cafeteria to get a drink, which contains iodine. She heads home and, without her knowing, Smokey follows. Soon after arriving at her house, Tyese sees Smokey enter through the backyard, where he leaves a footprint in the sand.

Sensing danger, Tyese writes a quick note, which reads "Somebody, please help me!". Smokey enters the house and confronts Tyese. Although it is unknown what happened between the two, it resulted in Tyese running to the door and Smokey chasing her. At one point, Smokey grabs her and manages to rip free her earring and a few strands of her hair. Tyese escapes and continues to run, and at another point she trips, loses her high-heeled shoe, and cuts herself. She leaves behind a smear of her A+ blood.

As she struggles to get up, Smokey approaches. In an attempt to stop his advances, Tyese grabs at Smokey and tries to push him away. She tears a bit of nylon from Smokey's cafeteria uniform and then drops it as she scrambles to the door. She grabs the doorknob (leaving behind a fingerprint) but Smokey soon catches up. He too leaves a fingerprint on the doorknob. 

At this point, Smokey wins the struggle. He finds Tyese's plea for help and tears it up, and then leaves his own: "You will never find her." It is assumed that Smokey hides Tyese's body, in the case of murder, or takes her away, in the case of kidnapping.