Christian Case-Making 101

What You Can Learn from a Crime Scene Investigator

J. Warner (Jim) Wallace was new to homicide. From the front porch, he could clearly see through the window the deceased's body splayed atop a worn recliner, head open and exposed, a handgun lying on the floor to his left as the TV blared on. Wallace suspected the man had committed suicide.

"Be very careful here, newbie," said his senior partner, Alan Jeffries, extending his arm to slow Wallace's entry. "This is a homicide." How did he know? Wallace wondered. Jeffries rattled off several observations. The deceased was right-handed, as indicated by the coffee cup and reading glasses to his right. But the gunshot wound and gun were to his...