Students get hands-on learning with simulated crime scene

Deep in the woods between yellow tape and teams of professional investigators, 40 Liberty University students gathered together to participate in a simulated crime scene Friday at the Outdoor Recreational Center at Hydaway.

Students worked through five staged crime scenes, using techniques such as forensic entomology to determine the time of death on pigs that were placed in the rugged terrain.

Students worked alongside several law enforcement agencies, including the Bedford County Police Department, Amherst Police Department, Lynchburg Police Department, Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, to work through the investigation.

“I have the opportunity to do the same thing these students are doing today on a daily basis,” Detective John Romano, Lynchburg Police Department, said. “This is a golden opportunity for Liberty students to see what a real investigation looks like as opposed to how the media portrays a crime scene.”

Throughout the woods, trails of blood, tools, and weapons were strategically placed for students to find and investigate alongside law enforcement. After finding all the evidence and investigating the cadavers, students were given a lesson on how investigators use dogs to aid in crime investigation.

Jennifer Zemmel, a senior studying criminal justice at the Helms School of Government, said she was able to gain hands-on experience in forensics, criminology, and criminal justice.

“It was a great opportunity to be introduced to real-world situations and work with the professionals,” she said. “Learning the process of the crime scene was the most memorable part for me, and it was good to see the difference between a TV crime scene and a real one.”

Dr. Joel Cox, assistant professor of criminal justice and criminology, said Liberty is unique in this simulation – not every university links theory and classroom knowledge with practical experience.

“I think we go above and beyond at Liberty University,” he said. “Today we were able to link students with six different professional agencies during this exercise, in turn providing them experience in the field.”

In addition to criminal justice majors, students from the School of Nursing and the Department of Biology & Chemistry’s forensic science program, were able to participate.

This exercise is one of several examples of hands-on opportunities afforded to Liberty students. Students have also been invited to participate in a simulated bioterrorism attack as well as a strategic intelligence operation.