On Friday 16 May, the Social Sciences Festival concluded with a simulated crime scene investigation, offering students an engaging opportunity to apply their analytical and critical thinking skills in an effort to identify the perpetrator. The activity began with an emergency phone call reporting the fictional crime, prompting participants to commence their inquiry.

Students examined the crime scene, collecting physical evidence using evidence bags. They also reviewed witness testimonies, suspect interviews, fingerprint analyses, and a crime scene report to narrow down the list of potential suspects.

As the investigation progressed, one group became convinced that the perpetrator was a character named David, while another suspected Heather. However, their theory regarding David was challenged when it was revealed that he had a verified alibi—his roommate, Jeff, had confirmed that David was at home at the time of the incident. As I explained to the students, “I can’t authorise an arrest based solely on suspicion; the narrative doesn’t hold, David’s has an alibi.” This unexpected development temporarily stalled their investigation.

Nonetheless, a breakthrough came when a student identified a key piece of evidence: a broken watch paused at 5:48am. They observed that the time of the crime did not align with the evidence presented, stating, “The time of the crime is wrong—it’s been altered, and the watch is paused at a significant moment.” This crucial detail ultimately led to the identification of David as the true perpetrator, despite his initial alibi.