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| Photo contributed by Alana Margeson Maine State Police investigators were on hand Friday at CPAC to discuss elements of crime scene investigation with Caribou High School juniors. Having read about the early 1900’s murder case of young factory worker Mary Phagan, the students wanted to compare investigative methods from that time with those of the present day. Ready to share their expertise with the group are Detective Jason Fowler, State Trooper Corey Hafford and Detective Micah Perkins. |
By Paula Brewer
Staff Writer
Caribou High School juniors delved into a bit of “C.S.I.” Friday, when members of the Maine State Police shared some of the fine points of crime scene investigation.
According to Alana Margeson, English instructor at Caribou High School, the eleventh-graders all read “An Unspeakable Crime: The Prosecution and Persecution of Leo Frank,” which focuses on the early 1900s case involving the murder of factory worker Mary Phagan. The hourlong assembly was a culmination of their efforts to relate forensic procedures in the early 1900s with those of today.
“There were many flaws in the procedures and protocols used by Atlanta police in investigating the murder of young Mary Phagan, a worker at the National Pencil Factory where Leo Frank was the superintendent,” Margeson pointed out.
“The text points out not only shoddy crime scene analysis, but also flaws in the criminal justice system which found him guilty despite much evidence pointing to another suspect,” she noted. “This was largely because Frank was a Northern industrialist and also Jewish, and much of the sentiment in the South at the time was resentful of Jewish culture and entrepreneurship.”
During the assembly, State Trooper Corey Hafford and Detectives Micah Perkins and Jason Fowler discussed the actual investigation completed in the Phagan case, and then detailed procedures and strategies the Maine State Police Evidence Response Team uses today.
The goal for many students was to compare and contrast the Frank investigation with what actually happens in a present-day murder case. “At the end of the presentation,” said Margeson, “students understood not only how the Leo Frank investigation was botched, but also how crime scenes are investigated in Maine. Additionally, students learned about education, training and habits of mind used in such police work.”
Following the troopers’ program, a question-and-answer session ensued in which students asked about specific investigations and experiences of the three law enforcement officers.
Margeson was enthusiastic about Friday’s event, including the students’ response and the participation from the State Police representatives.
“The assembly not only supported and brought to life content we have been studying, it also bridged school and community by allowing students to hear more about a potential career field in law enforcement,” she commented.
“I cannot say enough about the willingness of the three guest speakers to travel, research, prepare a presentation and candidly answer student questions. They were wonderful to work with and truly piqued students’ interests while supporting their learning with real-world connections.”
Hafford works in Aroostook County, while Perkins, who also teaches evidence response team training at the Maine State Police Academy, and Fowler traveled from the Calais area to join the presentation. CHS’s law enforcement class also attended, which made for about 100 students in the audience, Margeson said.
