The Crime Scene
CSI: Mills Lawn
Chemistry and Forensic Science Residency
January 2004

There has been an attempted theft at Mills Lawn School!

In December 2003, on a Saturday morning, it was discovered that a classroom had been broken into and that Mills Lawn's NASA award was missing. Further investigation led to the discovery of the award outside the room in the lawn, wrapped in plastic wrap and some white thread. Apparently the thief was interrupted as he or she was leaving the scene of the crime and threw away the award  to avoid getting caught.

Not far away the police also found a rag that had some cleaning fluid soaked into it.

Inside the room there was another very important clue: a ransom note. The note read:

"I have the NASA trophy. It will be returned for a sum of $5000 in small bills. Leave the money in a paper bag by the seesaw in the playground on January 10 at noon. The NASA trophy will be returned safely the next day."

Four suspects have been identified in this crime based on their presence at a meeting at Mills Lawn School on the day of the theft and the fact that any one of them may have been able to secretly prop open the back door to the classroom during a break in the meeting.