Yellow tape surrounded the crime scene at the Texas Forensics club’s “Murder Mystery Party” on Wednesday in Welch Hall.

Held as a part of the club’s meeting, the club’s officers had students split up into groups of three or four to discover the culprit. Each group looked at evidence around the room and collected information by taking notes and pictures to link the evidence to one of the officers, who committed the crime. The officers also provided how-to guides on analyzing hair samples, DNA and fingerprints.

“Most of the evidence points to one person,” said Lauren Wagner, biology senior and club secretary.

Each meeting, the club also hosts different speakers with particular expertise in the field of forensics. 

Wagner also said the club takes two field trips each semester, with students examining an autopsy during one of them.

Madeline Childs, club president and chemistry senior, discussed some of the speakers the club has invited, such as Houston detective Grace Das and Travis County medical examiner Satish Chundru.

“[Chundru] will come in and talk about the different cases he has, like natural death and suicide,” Childs said. “We also have an entomologist [come talk].”

“We’re a group that has different professionals come in different areas of forensic science,” club vice president Katelyn Bobbitt said. “It’s a good way to make connections with professionals.”

Bobbitt also revealed how hearing some of the speakers discouraged her from pursuing certain careers in forensics.

“After hearing the speakers, I knew that that was not the right stuff for me,” Bobbitt said.

According to Childs, when she started the club four years ago, it only had about six people at each meeting and has since doubled in size.

“Our membership has grown in the last couple of years,” Bobbitt said.