Baca’s path to forensic science began in an unlikely place — a video game. As a kid in Los Angeles, she played Murdered: Soul Suspect, where a detective solves his own murder from beyond the grave.
“I fell in love with it,” she said. “It was all about collecting clues and solving a puzzle. I realized that’s what I wanted to do in real life.”
That fascination led her across the country to WVU, home to one of the few fully accredited forensic science programs in the country.
When Baca received an email to students from Edwards seeking new members for her cold case research group, she didn’t blink an eye.
Neither did Camryn Davis, a senior from Portage, Pennsylvania, whose curiosity was sparked by virtual reality forensics classes in high school.
“At first, I had imposter syndrome,” Davis admitted. “I’d never even seen a police report before. I thought, ‘You’re trusting me with this?’ But it’s very rewarding.”
Case files arrive in every imaginable format, from typewritten reports, Polaroid photos, VHS tapes, audio cassettes, to handwritten notes. Students scan, organize, and study every piece, preserving it for investigators while forming their own working theories.
“We have the technology to be able to take all of that hard copy evidence and digitize it,” Edwards said. “We'll also make spatial relationship maps on Google Maps, family trees, and theory boards.”
Through the process, students reconstruct scenes, map alibis, and compile suggestions for modern forensic testing. That can include reanalyzing DNA to exploring genealogy databases. After all, the technology and resources of today did not exist in the forensic science world of yesteryear.
As part of their research on Joan’s case, students visited Frostburg State University and the crime scene.
“It was surreal,” Davis said. “Walking the same path she (Joan) would have, knowing her case still isn’t solved — it kept me wanting to push forward.”
Sgt. Taylor believes cold cases like this benefit from fresh eyes and minds. Students were not even born yet when the crimes were committed.
“The students (guided) by Professor Edwards represent the younger generation that think and react to life differently than their older counterparts,” he said. “They look at things differently and aren’t influenced by the ‘old school’ way of doing things. They also have the uncanny ability to use social media to locate witnesses, suspects, and persons of interest, as well as potential evidence.”
For both Baca and Davis, the experience has been transformative. Baca is eyeing medical school, with the hopes of becoming a medical examiner. Davis plans to pursue a career as a crime scene investigator.
And while none of the cases have yet been officially solved, the students’ leader, Edwards, sees every breakthrough as progress.
“Even if we don't get that win that everybody’s seeking,” she said, “I think just the ability for them to lay eyes on an unsolved case and be part of something bigger than themselves while still a student … continues to add fuel to that passion.”
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