WINNSBORO – Law and Order is not just a TV show…it was the subject of career day at Richard Winn Academy three weeks ago.
Three alums from high schools in Fairfield County introduced students to law and order…and labs, the process of solving crimes and bringing criminals to justice.
Jeff Talbert, a Fairfield Central High School alum and now an investigator with the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Department explained how cases are investigated and the significance of evidence – especially DNA. He walked students through several recent cases, explaining how each was investigated and solved.
RWA graduate Maribeth Coleman McCormack, a forensic chemist, is an agent with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). She explained how lab work determines the identity, quality, quantity and probable origin of illegal drugs in South Carolina. McCormick said her job includes everything from receiving the evidence of a case, to testifying in court as an expert witness.
Frances Brown Anderson, another RWA graduate, is a former solicitor and has been featured on several television documentaries. One involved a case of a mistaken identity of identical twins that was solved with the use of fingerprints.
The presentations emphasized the value of education in relation to career choices.
