By Chris Jessen

Crime Museum forensic science educator Letitiah Etheridge, right, shows Anthony Alfano and Allie Baker one of the skeletal remains for the Crime Museum’s new forensic anthropology workshop at a preview of the museums four new workshops. SHFWire photo courtesy of Chris Jessen

On TV, crime scene investigators put the evidence in clear plastic bags. In reality, evidence is collected in paper bags to prevent contamination. DNA results don’t come back in minutes, it takes months.

“There are so many myths that people are learning on TV and that term has been named the ‘CSI’ effect. The critical element of that is that all citizens are jury members, and so we want to undo those myths,” said Janine Vaccarello, the National Museum of Crime and Punishment’s chief operating officer. “It’s not the click of a button and they have their answer, these things take time.”

To correct some of these misconceptions, the Crime Museum offers a variety of forensic workshops. Four new classes are being added to the list: forensic anthropology, forensic pathology, arson and fact vs. fiction.

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Source: Kansas City infoZine