The NET documentary tells the truth about crime-scene investigations through fictional cases studied by Wesleyan forensic science students.
JEFF KORBELIK / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Wednesday, November 7, 2007 6:00 pm
Belinda Potter won’t be mistaken for Marg Helgenberger’s “CSI” character Catherine Willows anytime soon.
Nor does she want to be.
The real-life forensic specialist appreciates Helgenberger’s acting but isn’t a fan of the hugely popular CBS crime drama, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”
“I’m banned for life from watching it with my mother because I mock it,” Potter said in a phone interview from Kansas City, Mo., where she works for the police department.
“It’s so far from reality.”
TV viewers can choose tonight: They can watch the “CSI” and “Without a Trace” crossover special, or they can get an idea what forensic science is really like when NET Television premieres “Murder House.”
Our advice: Record one and watch the other.
The NET documentary focuses on students in Nebraska Wesleyan University’s forensic science program (including Potter, a May graduate) investigating two fictional cases using the skills they’ve learned in class.
The cases they work sound like something from a “CSI” episode.
In the first, a body hangs from a tree in the backyard. In the other, overturned chairs, scattered poker chips and blood stains in the basement indicate something is amiss.
What has happened? Did crimes occur?
The first team processes the scene of an apparent hate crime, in which the victim was viciously beaten and hanged.
The second team investigates the chaotic, bloody scene left behind after a poker game, but there is no body.
Without the high-priced investigative gadgetry seen in the fictional “CSI” worlds, “Murder House” shows how the NWU students process their staged crime scenes and develop their investigative analysis through precise procedures and in-the-field techniques.
Ultimately, the teams present their findings and conclusions to a grand jury with the hope of an indictment.
“We really put a ton of effort into it,” said Potter, who worked the hanging. “We wanted to know what happened and treat it as a solvable case.”
In addition, “Murder House” follows a real-life crime investigation, allowing viewers to compare and contrast it to the student cases. The show presents information from the Douglas County Sheriff’s CSI unit, which worked on the case of missing Omaha woman Jessica O’Grady. Forensic science was key in the case against her former boyfriend, Christopher Edwards, who in March was found guilty of murdering her.
“We decided early on we needed a real-life counterpart regardless of what the case was to show the gravity of the kind of work these folks were studying,” Kelly said.
NET Television opted for the highly publicized O’Grady case because it had access to crime scene footage from Omaha CBS affiliate KMTV.
“They were covering on a day-to-day basis and it was a great opportunity (for the viewers) to see it unfold,” Kelly said.
The documentary shows how the students and experts work their cases. It also features interviews with students and Melissa Connor, director of NWU’s forensic program, and with Douglas County authorities about the O’Grady case.
To hold it together, NET Television uses pulp fiction-cartoon graphics from staff member Tom Floyd.
“He was kind of our secret weapon on this one,” Kelly said. “He was great match for the project.”
The documentary’s taping began in August 2006 and continued through to the mock trials in June 2007.
Potter said having the camera crews on hand made their work a bit more challenging than usual, if not a tad inconvenient.
“We always had microphones on, and you didn’t want to say anything too stupid,” she said. “I’m sure they have me cussing somewhere.”
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.