Murder in a nutshell the frances glessner lee story

Anthropology 130 Extra Credit - Nutshell Studies 20 points maximum

The documentary Of Dolls and Murder (Marks, 2012) profiled a pioneer in criminal investigation, Frances Glessner Lee. Her nutshell case studies are still used today to train law enforcement in critical thinking and detective work. While official solutions are hard to acquire outside of the training program, we can use these case studies to hone our own skills by evaluating the evidence to form an explanation that covers as many of the observations as possible.

Part One Choose one of the nutshell cases to analyze. The ones most documented are “Three- Room Dwelling,” “The Kitchen,” “Red Bedroom,” and “Parsonage Parlor.” Here are some resources to help refresh your memory and give you more views:

• Watch the edited and captioned film on the Canvas site.

• Website with VR views of select dollhouses. Very immersive if it works! There are also many high quality photographs. https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/nutshells/ inside

• Website about the nutshell cases (Bush, n.d.): http://www.deathindiorama.com/ index.html

• Washington Post webpage with detailed notes on the “Three-Room Dwelling” dollhouse. https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2017/10/19/can-you-solve- this-grisly-dollhouse-murder/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0bd3e8490219

• This website/podcast episode with information on “Three-Room Dwelling” and “The Kitchen” (Mars, 2015). The audio portion has different information than the text: http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-nutshell-studies/

� of �1 3

https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/nutshells/inside
https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/nutshells/inside
http://www.deathindiorama.com/index.html
http://www.deathindiorama.com/index.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2017/10/19/can-you-solve-this-grisly-dollhouse-murder/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0bd3e8490219
https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2017/10/19/can-you-solve-this-grisly-dollhouse-murder/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0bd3e8490219
https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2017/10/19/can-you-solve-this-grisly-dollhouse-murder/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0bd3e8490219
http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-nutshell-studies/
• Large photos of “Three-Room Dwelling,” “Red Bedroom,” and “Parsonage Parlor”: https://hyperallergic.com/396833/nutshell-studies-of-death-smithsonian-frances- glessner-lee/

• A few photographs, but fascinating retelling of the Frances Glessner Lee story: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/10/arts/design/frances-glessner-lee-forensic- science-renwick-museum.html

There are other news articles and websites online that could aid your assignment. None have solutions, though.

Part Two Write a paragraph or two that includes the following about the doll house you chose to

examine:

1. The name of the case study that you chose.

2. Your reconstruction of what happened in the case study. What happened from the

start of your reconstruction to the end? Mention specific pieces of evidence and

observations that support your view.

3. Any evidence or unusual observations that remain unexplained by your

reconstruction.

Your analysis should be at least 300 words. Turn in your completed assignment on Canvas or in class by the due date.

� of �2 3

https://hyperallergic.com/396833/nutshell-studies-of-death-smithsonian-frances-glessner-lee/
https://hyperallergic.com/396833/nutshell-studies-of-death-smithsonian-frances-glessner-lee/
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/10/arts/design/frances-glessner-lee-forensic-science-renwick-museum.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/10/arts/design/frances-glessner-lee-forensic-science-renwick-museum.html
Grading A full score will be given to a reflection that addresses all of the required points. The breakdown of the assigned score is:

• Addresses the requirements in Part Two clearly and in detail (14 points)

• College level writing: free from spelling and grammatical problems (6 points)

References Bush, E.N. (n.d.). Death in diorama [Website]. Retrieved from http:// www.deathindiorama.com/index.html

Mars, R. (2015). Episode 165: The Nutshell Studies [Webpage]. 99% Invisible. Retrieved from http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-nutshell-studies/

Marks, S. (Director). (2012). Of Dolls and Murder. Seminal Films.

� of �3 3

http://www.deathindiorama.com/index.html
http://www.deathindiorama.com/index.html
http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-nutshell-studies/
Anthropology 130 Extra Credit - Nutshell Studies
20 points maximum
Part One
Part Two