Story and Photos by University Communications.

T hunder is safe, and his kidnappers are in custody.

Thanks to a team of dedicated crime scene investigators, the Forensics Night mystery is solved.

Volunteer investigators of all ages collected trace evidence of tire tracks, blood samples, shoe prints, uniform scraps, fingerprints, paw prints and fur. They processed it through a series of five forensic lab stations to narrow the suspect pool and help Georgia College & State University (GCSU) Public Safety catch the kidnapper.

Under the guidance of faculty and student volunteers in the new GCSU forensic chemistry lab, community members got the chance to complete actual forensic analysis—like the Kastle Meyer test.

“Forensics Night was designed to celebrate National Forensics Science Week and promote our new forensic chemistry program at Georgia College,” said Dr. Catrena Lisse, professor of chemistry and director of the Science Education Center. “So, they were exposed to technology that they would use in a real crime scene lab.”

The experience in the lab was energetic, welcoming and fun for all ages. Lisse and a group of students came up with the idea for Forensics Night after the creation of GCSU’s forensic chemistry concentration last year.

The program is the first of its kind in Middle Georgia and has the potential to open new interdisciplinary pathways, exposing students to criminal justice, law, biology, genetics and more.

“I’ve always been interested in forensics,” said senior chemistry major and Science Education Center volunteer, Liam Newsome. “I was really excited when I heard that we were actually going to have a program dedicated to that.”

“I’ve been very involved in setting up this entire event,” he said, “and I’m very excited to share this with the community and Georgia College.”

After their guided evidence analysis and crime scene investigation, most participants identified the true culprit.

Brutus Bear and his assistant kidnapped Thunder, and GCSU Police Chief Brett Stanelle apprehended them both.
 
Case closed.
 
Welcome home, Thunder!