A murder mystery investigation

Teacher’s notes

This is a great speaking and listening activity that will involve the whole class in solving a
whodunit! As with all speaking and listening activities it runs best with a little preparation
before the lesson.

You will need:

• enough copies of the ‘Diamond theft!’ sheet for the class

• a copy of each of the witness role cards
• enough of the court role cards for the rest of the class.

Instructions:

• Give students time to read the information sheet and to discuss the events described.

• Explain the task: to hold a trial to see if General Blake is guilty of Lady Celia’s murder and
the theft of her diamonds!

• Discuss the different roles within a court and what each person does.

• Before handing out the role cards explain that witnesses should not tell each other (or the
court) what is on their card, or say whether they are innocent or guilty!

• Hand out the role cards, ensuring that each of the witnesses is represented and that the
court roles are covered. The number of jury members, clerks, police and barristers can be
adjusted to give everyone in the class a part.

• Give the students some time to read their role card and to think about the questions they
will ask/answer during the trial.

• Have fun holding the trial!

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A murder mystery investigation

Diamond theft!

Lady Celia Delaney was the owner of a set of very expensive diamonds that she wore regularly
and liked to show off in company.
On the evening of her murder, Lady Celia hosted a dinner for four guests. Despite being
known as a boastful and conceited woman with no real friends, all those invited to dinner
turned up.
Lady Celia wore her diamonds to dinner and mentioned their cost several times during the
course of the evening. After dinner the guests and their host retired to the drawing room,
accompanied by the butler. At 10.00pm the guests started to leave and by 10.30pm only Lady
Celia, General Blake and the butler were left in the house.
At 10.31pm a sudden power cut plunged the house into darkness. The butler left the drawing
room and went to examine the fuse box, located in the cellar. By the time the butler had
turned the fuse box back on again and returned to the drawing room, Lady Celia was dead and
her diamonds were missing. General Blake was found crouching next to the body with his
hands on her throat. The police were called and arrived at 10.45pm. Police notes from the
crime scene show that marks were visible on Lady Celia’s neck.
Although neither the diamonds nor a murder weapon have ever been found, General Blake
stands accused of Lady Celia’s murder. But is he guilty, and if he is not, who is?!

Witnesses

1. The Butler. Served at dinner and can confirm that none of those present liked Lady
Celia. He saw the body and was the first to see that it was missing the diamonds. The
butler’s brother is very ill in hospital and the butler is paying for his treatment. Each
month’s bills cost more than he earns.

2. Bishop Reed. A powerful man in the Church of England. He has recently written a
book about the importance of remaining positive in all situations. He is new to the area
and claims never to have met Lady Celia before being invited to dinner. However,
some research has found he attended the same university as Lady Celia, at the same
time.

3. Viscount Delaney. Lady Celia’s son, the viscount has large gambling debts and has
recently started receiving threats on his life as a result. He barely knew his mother as
he attended boarding school and rarely saw her during school holidays as she was often
travelling abroad.

4. Miss James. Viscount Delaney’s date for the evening. She is a shop assistant in a
fashionable London jewellery store. She has a four-year-old son but does not receive
any support from his father. Delaney does not know about her son. They have not
known each other for long.

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A murder mystery investigation

Court role cards

The Jury
Individually
You are the jury for the case. You will need to create a character for yourself and consider
how this person would react in a trial situation. What would their views and feelings be?
Would they be biased? Towards whom?

Together
Appoint yourselves a spokesperson. This person will chair your final meeting (where you
discuss the case), as well as giving your judgement to the court.

The judge and clerks

Decide amongst yourselves who will take on the following roles. You should also consider
how you will do this.

Judge
You listen to the speakers and take overall control of the court room and the trial. You must
also decide on an appropriate punishment for the crime.

Clerks
You run the official business of the court and should decide who speaks and when. In a real
court, you would check that all regulations are being complied with.

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A murder mystery investigation

Police officers

Decide amongst yourselves who will take on the following roles. You should also
consider how you will do this.

You were called to the Delaney house by the butler. Your notes from the scene show that
when you arrived, you found General Blake and the butler in the Drawing Room. Lady
Delaney’s body was lying near the fireplace and there were marks on her neck. You
interviewed the butler and the General who both say there was a power cut and that the
butler went to fix the fuse box, leaving the General and Lady Celia alone. You arrested the
General, as he was the only person with Lady Celia at the time of her death. You searched
the General, the butler and the room, but found neither the diamonds nor a murder weapon.

You may be asked to remove anyone who is in contempt of court and disrupting the
proceedings and take them to prison (the back of the room). You may need to guard the
accused to prevent them from escaping.

Barristers
Decide amongst yourselves who will take on the following roles. You should
also consider how you will do this.

Defence
You represent the accused. It is your job to present the case in their defence through
your interviews of them and the other witnesses. You should also ensure that you have a
good speech to sum up your case.

Prosecution
You represent the Crown who believes that the accused is guilty. It is your job to present
the case against the defendant through your interviews of them and the other witnesses.
You should also ensure that you have a good speech to sum up your case.

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A murder mystery investigation

Witness role cards

Witness 1: The butler

Before dinner you interrupted a heated discussion between Lady Celia and Miss James, but
they stopped talking as soon as they saw you at the door. You served at dinner and say the
atmosphere between all the guests was tense. When you returned to the drawing room after
fixing the fuses you saw General Blake crouched over the body and saw the diamonds were
missing.
You are innocent, but you do not like Lady Celia or her son. You know she had been having an
affair with General Blake. Your brother is very ill and is being treated in hospital. You have
been paying for this treatment but the bills cost more than you earn.
Lady Celia lent you money for your brother’s treatment on condition that you tell no one
about the affair. No one knows about the loan. You think that if you tell no one about it, you
may not have to pay it back. You want to keep quiet about this at all costs! However, you like
the General and suspect that he is innocent as he looked completely shocked by seeing the
body and seemed to care for Lady Celia.

Witness 2: Bishop Reed

You are a powerful man in the Church of England. You have recently written a book about the
importance of remaining positive in all situations. You are new to the area and claim never to
have met Lady Celia before, despite being at the same university at the same time. You
certainly have no memory of her and are a genuinely kind man who sees the best in
everybody. You cannot believe that there was a murder and assume that there must have
been a mistake. You are innocent.

Witness 3: Viscount Delaney

You are Lady Celia’s son. You have large gambling debts and we know that you have recently
started receiving threats on your life as a result. You did not live with Lady Celia for most of
your life, as she sent you to boarding school when you were young and was away when you
were home for the holidays.
You are guilty and will do anything to protect this information. You stole the diamonds to pay
off your debts but did not intend to kill your mother. Her death was an accident as she hit her
head against the fireplace when you ripped the diamonds from her neck. You were intending
to sell the diamonds through Miss James, but she was not involved in the theft and knows
nothing of your plan. You may lie as much as you like.

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A murder mystery investigation

Witness 4: Miss James

Viscount Delaney’s date for the evening. You are a shop assistant in a London jewellery
store and have a four year old son that Delaney does not know about. You have not known
each other for long, and met in the jewellery shop where he was examining some expensive
diamond earrings which he said were a present for his mother.

You are entirely innocent but suspect that Delaney may not be, as after leaving the house he
went back inside to fetch something. You do quite fancy him though and like the idea of
being married to a Viscount, especially as lately you have been struggling to make ends
meet.

The defendant: General Blake

You are prone to wandering off track when answering questions and are becoming a little
hard of hearing. You should wear a hearing aid, but rarely do. You were having an affair
with Lady Celia and were in love with her, but don’t want to tell the court about it as you
want to protect her honour. You are innocent and are shocked that you have been accused
of her murder.

While the lights were out, you thought you heard a struggle by the fireplace and went over to
investigate. When the lights came on you saw the body and crouched down to feel her pulse,
but she was already dead. You are a strong believer in the British justice system and think
that justice will prevail.

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