Julie Chen is computer programmer at a high-tech military research facility, which is working on new spy satellite technology. She arrived at her office early this morning and discovered her door ajar, with the glass pane broken. A quick analysis of her computer revealed that someone had used her terminal to hack into and download classified information regarding the satellite’s design. She reported the incident immediately. While Ms. Chen has a perfect record and a high security clearance, the lab’s chief researcher suspects that she may have staged the break-in and downloaded the information herself so that she could sell it to a foreign agency.

You and the other forensic specialists from the National Security Agency (NSA) have been assigned to examine the crime scene. You should look for physical evidence, document everything you find, and carefully package and label any evidence removed from the scene. You will then transport the evidence to your lab and analyze it along with samples taken from possible suspects. Please refer to the “Guide to Crime Scene Analysis” (or your preferred textbook) for specific procedures.

You will be responsible for documenting and gathering the following types of evidence from the crime scene:
Ø Fibers and/or hair
Ø Bloodstains
Ø Miscellaneous trace evidence (pieces of paper, items the thieves may havedropped, etc.)

When you arrive at the crime scene, you are told by the agent in charge that the investigators have tried to keep the area as undisturbed as possible. They inform you that the fingerprint team has already dusted the area and lifted prints, and the glass fracture pattern expert has already examined the broken window.

The NSA wants information from the physical evidence as soon as possible to answer, to the best of your knowledge, the following questions:

1.) Is there any evidence to suggest that a person other than Ms. Chen entered her office recently?
2.) Is there any evidence that would suggest that someone other than Ms. Chen has worked at her computer terminal recently?
3.) Is there any physical evidence present that could link a potential suspect to the crime or be used to exonerate Ms. Chen?

Provide a detailed written answer for each of these questions. Your supervisors may have additional questions for you later. Make sure that when you enter the crime scene, you are wearing adequate protection to prevent contaminating any evidence (gloves, booties, lab coats, hair coverings). Make sure everyone on your investigative team knows her/his role:

- team leader
- photographer and photographic log recorder
- sketch/map artists
- evidence recovery and evidence recording team

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The NSA agents have been identifying and investigating possible suspects in the unauthorised downloading of restricted high-security computer files. Your preliminary results of physical evidence from the scene have been very helpful.

As a result of your report, the agents have narrowed the suspect list to three people. They are:

Ms. Dziga Smirgov
Ms. Smirgov is the receptionist for the floor on which Ms. Chen’s office is located. She is a naturalized citizen of the United States, but the agents think she still might have relatives and friends in the former Soviet republics, who might be interested in accessing the secret information about the spy satellite. She was at her desk late the previous evening. All of the employees on this floor said either that she was still at her desk when they left the building or that they don’t remember whether she had left or not.

Dr. Anna Schneider
Dr. Schneider is a research scientist who works on a different project at the facility – non-lethal weapons development. She was seen by other employees on the floor where Ms. Chen’s office is located late in the afternoon. She claims that she dropped by to say hello to her friend Dr. Puri. Dr. Puri confirms that she did indeed drop by his office late that afternoon just before he left for home.

Ms. Belinda Jones
Ms. Jones is the facilities maintenance staff member who cleans the offices on Ms. Chen’s floor every evening after the rest of the employees go home. She claims that she did not clean the offices on Ms. Chen’s half of the floor yesterday. She rotates which offices she cleans, so that she only does half each evening. Hence, she did not notice anything suspicious. Other employees told the agents that Ms. Jones has been struggling financially.

The police have gathered the following from each suspect:
1.) Samples of their hair and the hair of their pets, if applicable.
2.) Samples of their lipstick and lip prints.
3.) Blood.
You will be asked to analyse these samples and compare them to the evidence collected from the scene. The samples from the three suspects and the evidence sample have been labeled A-D. You will not be allowed to know which suspects the letters correspond to until after you have made your conclusions.