National Science Week’s Mock Murder Mystery

Picture this: it is 2045. Pacific offers innovative subject choices including echolocation of water/plants/animals, 3-D printing foodstuffs, extra-terrestrial communications, holographical chemistry, space elevator technology and a Certificate XXXXV in Travel Agency for space travel. However, a dark cloud descended upon the College when one of our own was found deceased in the car park. The question is, WHODUNIT?

To solve this mystery, students were provided clues through Schoology each day last week. These included everything from trying to work out who the four suspects were from their silhouette, to reading police witness statements as well as additional pieces of evidence collected along the way.  Finally, the person who was charged with attempted murder was revealed in the encrypted clue below. Can you crack the code?

Fortunately for us, detectives Astrid Williams and Lachie Buchanan were on the scene and managed to piece the clues together. Their solution is below.

1. Mrs Empson wrote the note about how to get amygdalin and left it in Mr Pohlner’s room;
2. Mrs Empson gets the amygdalin from the apricot seeds;
3. Mrs Empson baked the banana bread and gave it to Mr Pohlner, laced with amygdalin;
4. Mr Pohlner takes a Panadol out of his backpack for the headache (caused by the cyanide);
5. Whilst in the car park he sees Mr Hooper driving towards him and tries to run away, but he exhibits signs of cyanide poisoning, including dizziness;
6. Mr Hooper swerves (tire tracks on grass) and runs over Mr Pohlner (accidentally), gets a dent in his car, whilst also leaving a fingerprint on Mr Pohlner’s backpack as he checked for signs of life;
7. Mr Hooper immediately takes his car to the body shop to get it fixed;
8. He calls his wife to get her car;
9. Mr Hooper drives back to school in his wife’s car as they live just five minutes away; and
10. Mr Hooper ‘discovers’ the body and calls the police while Mrs Empson covers her tracks.

Case closed!

Miss Rebecca Ross, Head of Science