Crime Scene FAQ for Teachers


How does a classroom subscription work?

A classroom subscription gives you and your students detective-level access to Crime Scene.

With a Crime Scene subscription, you and your students will be able to:

  • see the solutions to all previous cases
  • view subscriber-exclusive bonus material where available
  • access the latest updates in the current investigation as soon as it becomes available
  • use Ask the Detective to ask questions and exchange theories with Crime Scene detectives

As the teacher, you decide when to give your students the detective-level access that comes with your class subscription.

When you give them that access, they will be able to see the solution to the case you're working on as well as all other solved Crime Scene cases.

Without detective-level access, your students will be able to view all of the case documents except the solution.


How do I get a classroom subscription?

Visit the Crime Scene subscribe page and select your plan. 


  • Credit card
  • PayPal
  • Purchase order
    • To pay with a school purchase order, email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

After you purchase your subscription, you'll receive a coupon code along with a link where your students can sign up for their own Crime Scene user accounts.

Please note:

  • Your students are automatically opted out of our weekly email newsletter that provides updates on the current case. They can sign up to receive the newsletter at any time if they wish to.
  • To protect user security, each student must create their own account. Student user accounts cannot be added in bulk.

How many cases come with the subscription?

Subscribers always have access to the current investigation at Crime Scene plus our archive of solved cases.

Our 10 most recent investigations are available via the Previous Cases menu at the top of every page.

  • Solutions to the current investigation and the most recently solved case are available to everyone at no charge.

Cases older than that can be found on the Case Archive page, which typically has around 20 additional cases.

  • The solutions to all other previous cases are available exclusively to subscribers.

How do Crime Scene cases work?

Crime Scene cases follow the progress of an investigation via the documents in the case file.

A Crime Scene case begins with the police incident report filed by the detectives who responded to the scene of the crime.

From there, we follow the investigation through the case file documents, including police reports, crime lab reports, interview transcripts, suspect/witness biographies, press coverage, and more.


An active investigation at crimescene.com typically lasts 6–9 weeks, with updates every weekday at noon Central Time.

On average, a case is comprised of between 60 and 95 documents, including police and evidence reports, interview transcripts, biographies, press articles, and more.

Each investigation also has a Case Recap, which is a chronological summary of the investigation—no spoilers—with links to all of the case documents.


How do I use a case in class?

Teachers typically use Crime Scene cases to illustrate lessons.

In a class setting, you'd do best to use a solved case and withhold the solution via password until you're ready for students to see it.

  • Note: You will need a paid subscription to get the password for the case solutions.

Most case documents print well if needed.


Yes! Our Forensic Science Kit: The Missy Hammond Murder comes with free lesson plans and more.

The case documents are available online at https://mommymurdered.com. Click the teacher resource link at the bottom of any page to view sample lesson plans and more.

Note: The Missy Hammond Murder case is recommended for ages 16 and up.

If you only have a few students in your class, a smaller version of the Forensic Science Kit: The Missy Hammond Murder is also available.


Our Forensic Science Kit: The Missy Hammond Murder includes full access to the case documents and incorporates forensic science activities.

The mega kit comes with

  • enough fingerprinting and blood testing forensic supplies for 10 workgroups of four students per group.
  • sample classroom lesson plans

The case documents are available online at https://mommymurdered.com. Click the teacher resource link at the bottom of any page to view sample lesson plans and more.

Note: The Missy Hammond Murder case is recommended for ages 16 and up.

If you only have a few students in your class, a smaller version of the Forensic Science Kit: The Missy Hammond Murder is also available.


Coming up — Additional kits that combine Crime Scene cases and forensic science activities are currently in development. Watch this space for updates!


I have a question that isn't answered here

If you'd like any additional information, please don't hesitate to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Interested in joining the Crime Scene team?

CrimeScene.com has been investigating murder and mayhem in Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, since 1995.

All jobs listed here are telecommute-only and require you to have a reliable Internet connection.

We currently have the following openings:

— Freelance Writers —

We're looking for talented writers with killer instincts.Our writers create the interview transcripts, witness biographies, evidence reports, and all the other documents that go into making a Crime Scene case.

Think you have what it takes to join our team?

The writers we're looking for:

  • Can write in different styles from interviews/scripts to news coverage to detailed evidence reports.
  • Are proficient at collaborating with other writers and experts to develop case scenarios.
  • Enjoy writing both as part of a team and independently.
  • Have excellent English grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills.
  • Are adept at research, including providing relevant source info to fact-checkers when asked.
  • Excel at completing assignments efficiently and meeting deadlines.
  • Have a reliable internet connection to access case resources and staff discussions, all of which are exclusively online.

To apply, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and tell us what qualities and experience you bring to the table that would make you a good fit for the Crime Scene writing team.

Please include two writing samples (e.g., a short scene from a screenplay or script, a short excerpt from a novel or short story, etc.).

Inquiries that do not include samples will not be considered.

Crime Scene writers are paid for their work. Compensation is DOE.

— Freelance Web and Social Media Graphic Designer —

Our graphic designer creates thumbnails to go with articles and larger formatted images to go with our social media posts Monday through Friday. Images and thumbnails can be created in advance.

Think you have what it takes to join our team?

The artist we're looking for:

  • Can tell a story within a single image.
  • Can design realistic-looking fictional graphics including magazine covers, newspaper articles, online personal ads, business or student IDs, crime scene diagrams, and more.
  • Can generate 5-10 JPG/PNGs using Photoshop per week including (but not limited to) thumbnails for articles and images for use on social media.
  • Is adept at working independently and in collaboration with other creators.
  • Excels at completing assignments efficiently and meeting deadlines.
  • Has a reliable internet connection to access case resources, which are exclusively online.

Someone who lives near Oxford, Mississippi, and is able to take web-quality photos would be a bonus.

To apply, send us your resume/a description of your relevant experience and link(s) to samples of your work to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Please note: If we believe you might be a good fit but your samples don't reflect the style we're looking for, we will ask you to create a not-for-publication sample based on specs we provide.

To get an idea of types of the graphics we typically use, take a look around the site and visit us on Facebook and Twitter.

This role involves about 5-10 hours of work per week. Compensation is DOE.

Interested in writing for Crime Scene?

We're looking for talented writers with killer instincts.

Crimescene.com has been investigating murder and mayhem in Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, since 1995.

Our writers create the interview transcripts, witness biographies, evidence reports and all the other documents that go into making a Crime Scene case.

Think you have what it takes to join our team?

The writers we're looking for:

  • Can write in different styles from interviews/scripts to news coverage to detailed evidence reports.
  • Are proficient at collaborating with other writers and experts to develop case scenarios.
  • Enjoy writing both as part of a team and independently.
  • Have excellent English grammar, punctuation and spelling skills.
  • Are adept at research, including providing relevant source info to fact checkers when asked.
  • Excel at completing assignments efficiently and meeting deadlines.
  • Have a reliable internet connection to access case resources and staff discussions, all of which are exclusively online.

If you're interested, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and tell us what you can bring to the table. Please include two writing samples (e.g., a short scene from a screenplay or script, a short excerpt from a novel or short story, etc.).

Crime Scene writers are paid for their work. Compensation is DOE.

If you register at crimescene.com you can choose whether to allow us  to contact you by email or private messaging and the type of personal information that is available using your user profile. You can also opt to subscribe to specific forums or threads which means your email address will be used to send information when new posts are made. All email from crimescene.com includes a link that allows you to opt out from continued subscription to that newsletter, thread or forum. Crimescene.com may use your email address to contact you if necessary.

Copyright Information

Crimescene.com is the longest running web story in existence. It has been online since January 15, 1995. Crime Scene is operated by Tom Arriola. Please direct questions to him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 623-565-8573

All content, graphic design, artwork, and layout are copyright © Crime Scene, Inc. unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

The information presented here may not, under any circumstances, be resold or redistributed for compensation of any kind without prior written permission from Crime Scene.

Crimescene.com Terms of Use

By using this site and/or submitting your original work or material to this site, you agree to the terms and conditions of use described below and accept our Privacy Policy and our Cookie Policy.

Do not use Crimescene.com if you do not agree to the Terms of Use, the Privacy Policy and/or the Cookie Policy.

General

Crimescene.com was created to provide a pleasant online service. We reserve the right to do whatever is required to maintain a high level of quality.

You must be at least 13 years old to create an account at crimescene.com.

Crimescene.com is in no way responsible for any postings by users and/or indecent material. The responsibility for such postings and/or material falls solely on the user posting it.

Please respect your fellow online users and be courteous and follow the guidelines below at all times.

Failure to abide by these terms may result in termination of access to any or all areas of crimescene.com.

  • Do not harass or make obscene comments to other users or in general.
  • Please refrain from spamming, SHOUTING or posting large picture files on the site.
  • Do not post off-topic information or use Crimescene.com as medium for advertising your product, business or site(s), etc.
  • Do not post indecent material, including pornography. Crimescene.com is not responsible for such content. The responsibility of such material falls on the user posting it.
  • Do not upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable.
  • Do not impersonate any person or entity, including, but not limited to a crimescene.com official, discussion area moderator, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity.
  • Do not disrupt the normal flow of dialogue or otherwise act in a manner that negatively affects other users' ability to engage in exchanges.
  • Do not interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers or networks connected to the Service, or disobey any requirements, procedures, policies or regulations of networks connected to the Service.
  • Do not "stalk" or otherwise harass another.
  • Do not collect or store personal data about other users.

Public Content Posted to crimescene.com

Crimescene.com has full rights for editing and rewriting of public content posted to crimescene.com as necessary. crimescene.com reserves the right to not display or post any material we deem inappropriate or unacceptable. No gender, race or geographical limitations of any sort will be imposed.

By posting material to crimescene.com, you agree that crimescene.com can display, modify, transmit, distribute or delete your material without needing prior or further consent from you. Material may be removed by crimescene.com at any time at our sole discretion. Authors certify that this material (written and images) is their own original material (unless otherwise stated) and does not violate any copyrights. Authors agree to forego any payment or compensation for the submitted material.

With respect to Content you elect to post for inclusion in publicly accessible areas of crimescene.com that consists of photos or other graphics, you grant crimescene.com the world-wide, royalty-free and non-exclusive license to reproduce, modify, adapt and publish such Content on the Network solely for the purpose of displaying, distributing and promoting the Network, or, in the case of photos or graphics, solely for the purpose for which such photo or graphic was submitted to the Network.

With respect to all other Content you elect to post for inclusion in publicly accessible areas of crimescene.com, you grant crimescene.com the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive and fully sublicensable right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display such Content (in whole or part) worldwide and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed.

Paid Subscriptions

A paid subscription gives access to advance information for current case and future cases for a time totaling the length of your paid subscription. There is no minimum guarantee of service. Subscriptions are available in several increments. 

Refund Policy

Refunds for memberships are available at the following rate.

  1. If requested within the first 10 days, a full refund is granted. 
  2. If requested after 10 days and before 60 days, a pro-rated refund will be given for each remaining full month.
  3. No refunds after 60 days.  

Refund requests must include a username and password.

DISCLAIMER

THE MATERIALS IN THIS SITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE PURSUANT TO APPLICABLE LAW, CRIMESCENE.COM DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CRIMESCENE.COM DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE FUNCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE MATERIALS WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED, OR THAT THIS SITE OR THE SERVER THAT MAKES IT AVAILABLE ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. CRIMESCENE.COM DOES NOT WARRANT OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF THE MATERIALS IN THIS SITE IN TERMS OF THEIR CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. YOU (AND NOT CRIMESCENE.COM) ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION. APPLICABLE LAW MAY NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

 

Privacy Statement for Crime Scene

Updated May 25, 2018

Crime Scene has created this statement to demonstrate our firm commitment to privacy. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for crimescene.com.

Information Gathering and Usage

We use your IP address ONLY to help diagnose problems with our server and to administer and secure  our website.

When you register for an account at crimescene.com, we ask for contact information such as your name and email address. Your contact information is used ONLY internally and to contact you when necessary, and it will not be shared. You may opt-out of receiving future mailings; see the Choice/Opt-Out section below.

Crimescene.com collects the email addresses of those who communicate with us via email and information submitted through voluntary activities such as participation in contests or surveys. This contact information is used ONLY to contact you when necessary. You may opt-out of receiving future mailings; see the Choice/Opt-Out section below.

Crimescene.com also collects aggregated, anonymous user data regarding website usage. The user data we collect is used to improve Crimescene.com and the quality of our service. We only collect personal data that is required to provide our services, and we only store it insofar that it is necessary to deliver these services.

Crimescene.com contains links to other sites. Crime Scene is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites.

 

Your Data

Crime Scene uses third party vendors and hosting partners to provide the necessary hardware, software, networking, storage, and related technology required to run Crimescene.com. Although Crime Scene owns the databases and all rights to Crimescene.com content, you retain all rights to your data.

We will never share your personal data with a third party without your prior authorization, and we will never sell data to third parties.

We process data inside of the United States.

We transfer data with third parties necessary to our ability to provide our services, all of whom are GDPR-compliant and provide the necessary safeguards required if they are outside of the EU.

 

Cookies

We use cookies to store visitors' preferences, and other stuff. Cookies are not required to view content on crimescene.com, but cookies are required to register or subscribe to crimescene.com and to make a purchase in the Crime Scene store.

 

Public Forums

Crime Scene makes site comments, chat rooms, forums, message boards, and/or news groups available to its users. Please remember that any information you disclose in these areas is public. You should exercise caution when deciding to disclose your personal information.

 

Security

Crime Scene has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse, and alteration of the information under our control.

All data and information transmitted with Crimescene.com is secured by SSL protocol.

 

This website uses Google AdWords

This website uses the Google AdWords remarketing service to advertise on third party websites (including Google) to previous visitors to our site. It could mean that we advertise to previous visitors who haven’t completed a task on our site, for example using the contact form to make an inquiry. This could be in the form of an advertisement on the Google search results page or a site in the Google Display Network. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on someone’s past visits to the Crime Scene website. Of course, any data collected will be used in accordance with our own privacy policy and Google’s privacy policy.

You can set preferences for how Google advertises to you using Google Ad Settings, and if you want to you can opt out of interest-based advertising entirely by cookie settings or permanently using a browser plugin.

 

Choice/Opt-Out

You may opt-out of receiving communications from Crime Scene at any time using any of the following methods.

  1. Click here to unsubscribe

  2. Send postal mail to: Crime Scene, 3602 N 16th St, Phoenix, AZ 85016

  3. Call us at: 623-565-8573

 

Correct/Update

You may change or modify information you provided previously by emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Contacting Crime Scene

If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of Crime Scene, or your dealings with Crime Scene, contact:

 

Tom Arriola

Crime Scene

3602 N 16th St

Phoenix, AZ 85016

Voice 623-565-8573

Fax 602-274-7280

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Changes

If our information practices change at some time in the future, we will post the policy changes to our website to notify you of these changes. Only data collected from the time of the policy change forward will be used for these new purposes.

If you are concerned about how your information is used, you should check back at our Web site periodically.

chalk board with link to teacher faqCrime Scene features fictional crime cases in a unique combination of interactive fiction and gaming.

Table of Contents
  1. How does Crime Scene work?
  2. What's the difference between paid and free participation?
  3. How do I become a Case Detective?
  4. What is Yoknapatawpha?

How does Crime Scene work?

Each week, Yoknapatawpha County detectives post evidence from the current case.

You are invited to participate in the investigation by reviewing the presented evidence and offering your theories and questions to the detectives and other web sleuths.

To participate, examine the case evidence. New information is posted every weekday at Noon Central Time.

Case documents for the current investigation* are presented in reverse chronological order so you can see the most recent information first.
* For previous cases, the case documents are in chronological order so you can start at the beginning.

  • Click the Day tags at the top of the Case Files page to filter case documents by the day they happened in the investigation.
  • Click the Evidence, Interview, Biography, or Press tag at the top of the Case Files page to filter by document type.

Some of the items you'll see include witness interviews, forensic analysis reports, and evidence photos.


Use the comments to communicate with your fellow web sleuths. Pose your questions, view others' theories, and share your thoughts about the case.

Do you have a theory about how or why the crime was committed? Who should be the prime suspect? What clues should the detectives follow next and what evidence do they need to gather?

Crime Scene investigations are propelled by input from the viewers, so everyone's contribution is helpful.


To discuss theories with other Crime Scene participants, you must register as a Case Officer (Free Subscription) or a Case Detective (Paid Subscription). Once you've signed up, you can comment on case documents and collaborate with your fellow web sleuths.

In addition, Case Detectives can interact directly with our investigators in the Ask the Detective area, available exclusively to paid subscribers.


Crime Scene is a community of web sleuths who enjoy sharing ideas and theories. Everyone wins the Crime Scene as the participants work together to refine theories and narrow down clues to ultimately reveal the culprit.


If you have questions about a case, post in the forums or the comments of the case document you're wondering about.

If you need help using the site or with your subscription or registration, email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..


What's the difference between paid and free participation?

  Unregistered
Viewers

[Free]
Case
Officers

[Free]
Case
Detectives

[Paid]
View case evidence green check mark green check mark green check mark
Participate in discussions with other web sleuths red X green check mark green check mark
Comment on case documents red X green check mark green check mark
Receive weekly Case Newsletter by email red X green check mark green check mark
Access case evidence as soon as it's available red X red X green check mark
Ask questions and get answers from our investigators red X red X green check mark
Use the evidence search engine to look for clues within the current case red X red X green check mark
Access bonus content where available red X red X green check mark
View solutions to previous cases red X red X green check mark
   

hand pointing to sign up button

hand pointing to subscribe button

green check icon by kliwir art | red x icon by Pixel perfect | signup icon by Freepik | subscribe icon by Freepik
  • Preview new case documents before they become available to the general public.
  • Interact directly with our investigators through Ask the Detective. Exchange theories and ask questions to get insights that will help you solve the case.
  • Get exclusive access to the Evidence Search Engine, which allows you to quickly locate all evidence items related to a particular topic.

In addition to these special features, Case Detectives have access to all information presented to the free viewers as well as the weekly email newsletter.


Case Officers pay nothing to examine the available evidence files or to post comments on case documents.

Case files are released to Case Officers one week after Case Detectives have reviewed them and not all information is available for free.

If you sign up as a Case Officer, you'll receive a weekly email newsletter to update you on the latest case developments and newly available case information.


Registration is not necessary to view the evidence, but it is required to post comments on case documents and in the forums.


How do I become a Case Detective?

You may become a Case Detective at any time during an investigation by clicking Subscribe in the top right corner of any page. We accept credit cards and PayPal.

Get instant access to subscriber-only features and content when you pay online with our secure server.

If you feel the hours of entertainment you receive from the Crime Scene are not worth the money you paid, we will refund your money. Details here.


You can also become a Case Detective for free with Case Credits
1. Register for a free Crime Scene account to become a Case Officer.

2. Get to work investigating the case and earn Case Credits at the same time.

There are lots of ways to get Case Credits including reading case documents, posting in the comments and the forums, and customizing your Crime Scene profile.

3. When you've collected 400 Case Credits, redeem them for one month as a Case Detective.

The more you examine the evidence, the more Case Credits you earn.


What is Yoknapatawpha?

Yoknapatawpha County was created and immortalized by the legendary William Faulkner. The fictional county includes Faulkner's own hometown of Oxford, Mississippi, and surrounding areas.


We'll let Mr. Faulkner himself explain.

Thanks for your interest, and welcome to the Crime Scene!

Det. Murphy

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Contact

Crime Scene
3602 N 16th St
Phoenix, AZ 85016

Voice (623) 565-8573
Fax (602)-274-7280

For Crime Scene Store inquiries: store@crimescene.com

For technical assistance: support@crimescene.com

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