The Accident 8 th Grade Forensic Science T. Trimpe Case #1

There was nothing Leon, the driver, could do about the impending crash of the car he was driving. Leon knew the car would be completely demolished in the crash. After the crash Leon didn’t have a scratch on him. How can that be?

Leon was driving a remote control car. or He was playing a video game.

Trash Tosser 8 th Grade Forensic Science T. Trimpe Case #2

Hint: Notice the bones in the trash. An inconsiderate slob dumped trash on Rachel Rabbit's lawn. One of these two suspects is guilty. Slylock Fox found evidence that may identify the loathsome litterbug. What did Slylock observe to help him identify the trash tosser? Source:

Slylock found bones in the trash. The bull is an herbivore and only eats plants. The raccoon is an omnivore and eats both plants and animals. The raccoon is the trash tosser.

Snack Shack 8 th Grade Forensic Science T. Trimpe Case #3

Harborville's Beach Snack Shop had been open only an hour when Max stopped in and noticed a new poster announcing a price increase. "I put the sign up this morning," Mr. Levine told him. "I had to raise my prices 10% because I have so many new expenses. Like now I need a new window for my back room. Somebody broke it, trying to get into my store last night." "Have you called the police?" Max asked. Mr. Levine replied, "No. Nothing was stolen." He led Max to a small storeroom in the back and said, “I use this space as an office. Sat here and made my price change poster last night. Soon as I was done, I left it on that old desk. I locked the door to the main part of my store when I left, so whoever got in was stuck in this little storeroom. There’s nothing here to steal." Source:

When Max left he wandered down to the break wall, where Nathan and Trevor were fishing. "Did you hear that somebody broke a window at the Shack?" he asked. "Nope," Nathan said. "We've been here since dawn and haven't talked to anybody." Trevor gestured to the bucket. "We've caught some big ones." Nathan stood. "But now I'm starving. I've got a dollar left from my allowance. If Mr. Levine is there now, I'm going up to the Shack to get a Big Beach Bun." "Better get another dime from somewhere," Trevor told him. "A dollar's not enough any more. As for me, I'm going home to get a couple sandwiches for myself." "You both stay right here," Max said. "I know which one of you broke that window. You'd better think of a way to pay for it, because I'm telling Mr. Levine." How did Max figure it out?

Mr. Levine had just put up his poster about the price increase that morning. Nathan and Trevor said they had been fishing since dawn and had spoken to no one. Since Trevor knew that a dollar bun was now a dollar and ten cents, he must have been the one who broke the window and got inside the back room, where he read the poster lying on the old desk.

Mystery Footprints 8 th Grade Forensic Science T. Trimpe Case #4

One Saturday morning Nina saw the three musketeers in the mall. Jenny, Brittany, and Mitzi called themselves by that name because they always were together. "I've been shopping for sandals," Jenny told Nina. "But I have such a wide foot nothing seems to fit. We've been looking everywhere." "And it's been slow going," Mitzi added. "On account of Brittany's-" "I know," Nina said looking at Brittany, "I heard you sprained your ankle in gym yesterday. Does it still hurt a lot?" "It's okay as long as I move really slowly," Brittany told her. "We're going to get ice cream at the Just Desserts Shop now. Want to join us?" "Better not,” Nina said, “ Max is meeting me at home. See you later." Source:

Nina was taking a short cut through Harborville's city park when she saw Mr. Hansen kneeling beside a new sidewalk. The city maintenance man frowned as she drew closer. "Somebody jumped right in the middle here while the cement was still wet," he said, pointing at two narrow footprints embedded in the concrete. "Now I'll have to rip out this section and re-do it. Sure can't leave the sidewalk looking like this!" "Any idea of who did it?" Nina asked. "A kid over there on the slide said that girls named Brittany, Mitzi, and Jenny were the only ones near here. But he doesn't know which one ruined my sidewalk." "I know who did it," Nina declared. How did Nina figure it out?

The footprints were narrow. Jenny had wide feet. Because of her sprained ankle, Brittany would not have jumped. Since Mitzi was the only one left, she had to be the guilty one.

Surprised Visitor 8 th Grade Forensic Science T. Trimpe Case #5

The clock in the courthouse ahead of Max showed six o'clock. As it began chiming, he noticed a tall man with a briefcase walking towards him. The man turned around, looked at the clock, and then quickened his steps. He took an envelope and dropped it in a mailbox as he continued on. Max moved faster, too. Miss Fritz had invited him for dinner. He didn't want to be late. "I'm glad you could come," Harborville's oldest music teacher said. "I've made a lovely salad for us." She gestured Max to a chair. "Good thing I prepared ahead. A surprise visitor just left." "Who visited?" Max asked. "A teacher from Harborville's School for the Deaf,” she replied. “He was totally deaf himself; poor man, but he could read lips perfectly. He had the loveliest penmanship when he wanted to tell me something." Source:

"Why was he here?" he asked. She said, "Well, evidently the school is low on funds. I was glad to help out. I had just cashed my social security check so I was able to give him five hundred dollars." "Did he just leave?” he asked. “Was he a tall man with a brief case?" "Yes," she replied. "We'd better phone the police. I think that man was a phony. I know for sure he wasn't totally deaf." How did Max figure it out?

The clock was behind the man as he was walking, so he could not have seen it. He turned around at the sound of the chimes, so he obviously heard them.

The Broken Window 8 th Grade Forensic Science T. Trimpe Case #6

One evening as Max was out walking, Mrs. Zenitt called his name. He hurried across the street. She was standing in her front yard, but she guided him around to the back. "I was watching TV in the living room," she told him, "and I heard a crash. Just look!" She pointed to her back porch window. "Someone threw a rock through it. It's broken into a dozen pieces!“ "Do you know who did it?" he asked. "No,” she replied, “He ran off, but I think maybe it was David Loring. We had a spat the other day because I told his parents he had to stop using my yard as a short cut. But I wouldn't accuse him of breaking a window without more proof.“ "I'll talk to him," Max said. Source:

He found David panting as he bounced a basketball under the light on his garage. "Did you just run from Mrs. Zenitt's?" Max asked. "Did you break her window?" David shook his head. "No. I'm all out of breath because I've been out here shooting baskets. I don't know anything about a broken porch window." "You're not telling the truth," Max said. How did Max figure it out?

Max knew David was not telling the truth because he said "porch window." Max had not mentioned which of Mrs. Zenitt's windows had been broken. "This case was a real pane, but the solution was as clear as glass," Max told Nina later.

Stranger Danger 8 th Grade Forensic Science T. Trimpe Case #7

David was sitting in his hotel room reading a book, when he heard a knock at the door, and the sound of someone trying the door handle. He opened the door, where he saw a man whom he had never seen before. The man said, "I'm terribly sorry... I thought this was my room. Wrong floor, I guess." He then walked off down the hall toward the elevator. David went back into his room, thought about what had just happened, and then phoned the front desk, suggesting they call the police, since the man at the door had obviously been a thief. Why was David so sure the man had been a thief? Source:

The man had knocked first. He wouldn't have done that if he'd thought it was his room.

Missing Masterpiece 8 th Grade Forensic Science T. Trimpe Case #8

A painting by a world-renowned artist was stolen from the Forest Museum. The missing masterpiece is now in Kopy Kat's studio. The feline forger has already painted a copy of the artwork. Which one does Slylock Fox suspect is the original painting? Hint: What is different about the owls? Source:

An owl cannot move its eyes from side to side, but must turn its head to see in other directions. The painting with the eyes pointed straight ahead is the original.

The Music Hut 8 th Grade Forensic Science T. Trimpe Case #9

Someone stole a CD and a portable CD player from the mall music store. Shady Shrew claims he saw the stork unwrap those items and immediately start listening to music. Slylock Fox strongly suspects Shady's account is false. Why? Hint: What is the power source for the CD player? Source:

The CD player needed batteries before it could be used. Shady Shrew made up the lie. The stolen items are in his bag.