January 30, 2006

CSI Doesn't Make an Idiot a Smarter Criminal!

Do crime dramas make criminals smarter? Some people apparently think so. According to an article in the USAToday:

Prosecutors have complained for years about "the CSI effect" on juries - an expectation in every trial for the type of high-tech forensic evidence the show's investigators uncover. It also appears the popular show and its two spinoffs could be affecting how some crimes are committed.
"They're actually educating these potential killers even more," said Capt. Ray Peavy, also of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and head of the homicide division. "Sometimes I believe it may even encourage them when they see how simple it is to get away with on television."

The article talks about a murder committed by a CSI fan:

Jermaine "Maniac" McKinney, 25, allegedly broke into a house, killed a mother and daughter and used bleach to remove their blood from his hands, prosecutors said. He also covered the interior of a getaway car with blankets to avoid transferring blood.

The article continues by telling you all of the tricks he saw on CSI to cover up his crime. Sounds like a genius right? Well, maybe you should read about his next move:

He tried to throw some evidence into a lake, including a crowbar used to bludgeon one of the victims. The lake was frozen though and he shouted a profanity when the crowbar remained on the surface, according to the affidavit.

Yep, the moron threw evidence onto a block of ice hoping it would sink. Obviously CSI didn't help him as much as he thought it would. I guess the moral of the story for this guy is " If you're going to cover up a murder using the things you saw on CSI, only do it during the summer, you dumbass!

At USAToday.com