2008 Acting on information, police enter an apartment in Ang Mo Kio at 4 a.m.

They find the dead body of an adult female on the floor of the front room. There is no sign of any disturbance in any other room. Inspection reveals severe bruising and abrasion to the head and abdomen. The rectal body temperature is f ound to be 33C. You may take normal body temperature as 37C. The temperature in the room is 25C. There is no air conditioning. The arms but not the legs are stiff. The window is broken, but there is hardly any broken glass on the floor. Enquiries yield the following information. Witness 1 reports hearing a disturbance in the apartment at 10 p.m. Witness 2 reports that the resident of the apartment was on bad terms with the landlords, Mr. and Mrs. A, and their two sons. Witness 3 reports seeing the sons of Mr. and Mrs. A in Jurong Point at 10.20 pm. Scrapings from under the deceased fingernails provide material for DNA analysis. The STR gel electrophoresis of this material and some suspects are shown in figure 1. Diagrams showing blood spatter patterns in the room are shown (figures 2-4)

1. What marks would you expect to find on the attacker? Scratches, coffee stains

2. What additional evidence might be found on the door handle? Fingerprints

3. Where is the likely place to find the weapon? Outside the broken window

4. Considering all of the evidence presented, which parts do you consider to be unreliable? The eye witnesses

5. Reconstruct the events in the apartment in as much detail as you can. Give the evidence for each event.

4) First Blow Struck 5) Victim tries to escape

6) Collapses 7) Unconscious / died near north wall as attack continues

1) Murderer Admitted

2) Have coffee 3) Start fight

6. Who is the prime suspect, if any? Give your evidence.

Not Mr A

Not Mrs A

Not the oldest son, therefore it is the youngest son.

2009

(a) What is the time of death? Give the most precise estimate you can. Briefly explain your answer. (98.6 92.6) / 1 = 6 hours (98.6 92.6) / 1.5 = 4 hours Count back from 4am, 10 midnight but TV shuts down at 11pm Answer : 10pm 11pm

(b) Given that this is a shooting, what additional piece of evidence would you expect to find on the floor? Cartridge Cases

(c) Give one good reason to indicate that this is a genuine suicide. Explain. Door locked no way for a murderer to exit

(d) What additional piece of forensic evidence would you look for to support this suicide theory? Be specific. Briefly explain how this item of evidence will support the theory. Gun Shot Residue on victims right hand

(e) Give one good reason to indicate that this is a murder. Explain. Bullet is at X. If it was suicide it would be near TV. OR Curtain has been moved after the gun was fired.

(f) What additional piece of forensic evidence would you look for to support this murder theory? Be specific. Briefly explain how this item of evidence will support the theory.

Signs of exit through window or bathroom.

(g) Do you think that this is a murder or a suicide? Tick one box only. One of your answers (to either c or e) above contradicts your opinion given here. If you were presenting your opinion in court and that reason was raised by the opposing legal team, how would you refute that suggestion?