Page 28 - A Burning Question Fire Debris
P. 28
Mock
Trial
USING THIS KIT
IN THE MOCK While the evidence presented cannot
A Burning Question contains information that prove who was responsible for the
could potentially indicate foul play in the burning presence of the ignitable liquid at
of the crashed vehicle from the crime scene along the crime scene and cannot prove
Backbone Mountain. The evidence collected conclusively that the fire was the result
in this lab cannot prove conclusively that any of foul play, the evidence does show the
specific person was present at the crime scene presence of gasoline in the fire debris.
nor who was responsible for the presence of As the vehicle had a diesel engine, the
an ignitable liquid in the analyzed fire debris. In presence of gasoline should be viewed as
addition, numerous factors must be taken into suspicious.
consideration before foul play can be determined
based solely on the presence of an ignitable liquid,
such as if the ignitable liquid was already present If Fire Debris Analysis is the only kit done in the
at the scene before the fire occurred. If everything Mystery of Lyle and Louise, a mock trial is unlikely
in the lab was performed correctly, you should to be useful, as prosecution has little evidence
have obtained the following information: to try a suspect. Instead, leave the results as an
exercise in the detection of ignitable liquids in fire
debris. If other exercises were performed, a mock
Ignitable liquid residue can be extracted trial can help students take all of the evidence
from fire debris allowing the type of liquid presented in the investigation and available
to be determined from other kits into account and provide a more
The presence of an ignitable liquid, in interesting and thorough trial. Information on
many cases, may indicate foul play in a fire running a mock trial follows.
case
28 THE MYSTERY OF LYLE AND LOUISE
