Teaching about Cold Cases Experientially: Creating Meaningful Learning Experiences and Products

Abstract

This paper discusses three separate educational projects which involved students working side-by-side with homicide investigators in an effort to conduct cold case investigations. Each project resulted in two different products, one for agency use and the other for public consumption. The cold case investigative reports produced for each case became part of the investigative file and are confidential documents. The video PSAs were for public consumption and were designed to provide additional exposure to the cases with the hope of generating productive tips. Each project was carried in collaboration with local Crime Stoppers programs, law enforcement agencies, and coroner’s offices.

Notes

¹ Experiential learning, here, is intended to also include service learning, internship experiences, and any other activity which takes students outside the classroom in whole or in part during a course.

² A common experience in each project course was student impatience and wanting to “go to the field” earlier than was prudent. In these instances, students had to be reminded of the importance of having sufficient baseline information before doing so.

³ It should be noted that the success of a project of this nature rests with the positive working relationship a faculty member can make with law enforcement agencies. Cultivating such relationships takes time.

⁴ Indiana, along with several other states, has a “coroner system” for medico-legal death investigation. Other states have medical examiner systems and yet others have combined coroner and medical examiner systems. For a nice treatment of the differences, the reader should see Death Investigation in America by Jeffrey M. Jentzen (2009), Harvard University Press.

⁵ The courses were offered within the context of “Immersive Learning.”

⁶ All unexplained and unattended deaths in Indiana are “Coroner’s Cases.” Therefore, any homicide or suspected homicide will be investigated by the Coroner’s Office.

⁷ The term “product” is used in this context because the type of instruction undertaken requires that meaningful products be produced for the community partners (e.g. police departments) by the lead author’s institution.

⁸ The product rubrics are available from the lead author by request.