Ninth-grader Anrai Richards, standing, searches a mock crime scene Thursday during an advanced biology class at Central Junior High School. The Lawrence Police Department worked with about 50 students in three classes to help investigate the scenes. Ninth-grader Chase Westheffer acts as a victim.

Ninth-grader Lacy Sheley dusts for fingerprints.

The auditorium at Central Junior High School became a crime scene for the day, complete with sprawled-out bodies and a student-run crime scene investigation unit.

Three crimes were committed – a murder and two staged suicides – so ninth-grade advanced biology students could practice what they’ve learned about forensics during the past three weeks.

“(School Resource) Officer Don Hicks comes in and teaches them how to do fingerprints,” said biology teacher Julie Battaglia. “We taught them how to do hair analysis. We taught them how to do handwriting analysis.”

Then it’s off to the crime scene. “We have the collectors collecting the evidence, diagrammers who are drawing the crime scene and photographers who are taking pictures,” said ninth-grader Katy Thellman, who manned her team’s command post.

Five teachers were brought in as suspects. They played their part, from slyly trying to give alibis to complaining about getting fingerprinted.

But the real thing isn’t as glamorous as it seems on television.

“It’s much more dramatic (on TV),” said ninth-grader Zoe Limesand. “There’s a lot of stuff that you have to find, and it’s harder than it looks on TV.”

Daniel Gonzalez said the TV shows are “nothing like real life. In those shows, they have a lot more money. They can do a lot of different stuff.”

But the students love the hands-on experience. “I just think you learn a lot about how CSI would operate in real life, as opposed to what you’d see on television,” said ninth-grader Calvert Pfannenstiel.

Battaglia teaches three advanced biology classes, the only ones that get to do the investigation. The scenes are set by Hicks and student intern Mike Karlin, complete with student victims.

“It hurts my neck,” said “victim” Nate Davis, as he played dead. “But otherwise, it’s pretty cool.”

This is the CSI setup’s fifth year. Students won’t know the offenders until Monday, when they complete their analysis.