In crime series and movies, a evidence board is often used to showcase the key facts of a murder case in an organized manner on a large board. Connections are often indicated by a red string

stretched between two thumbtacks, and easily movable post-its are used. During the process of solving a murder case, an evidence board can provide a lot of clarity, but how do you create such a board? Where do you begin and how do you make the board comprehensive? Below are some tips we offer.

1. Gather information about the victims

You often have the most information about the victims. Place not only their name and photo on the evidence board, but gather all available information together. Consider details like age, occupation, education, potential partners, friends, family, acquaintances, and other relationships. Sometimes, this can reveal unexpected patterns.

2. Collect potential suspects

Within the case files, identify suspicious individuals. Pin or stick their photos on the evidence board. Gather all relevant information, such as personal details, their relationship to the victim, and details about the suspect's life. Use wool between two thumbtacks to create lines on your evidence board. For instance, if you have multiple victims and/or multiple suspects, connecting them can help bring an overview of the entire case.

3. Mark the locations of significant events

By marking locations, you can quickly see if there's a logical connection between different places where the crime occurred. Highlight not only the murder scenes but also other critical locations, such as where someone was last seen, made a withdrawal, or where a car was stolen around the time of the murder. This helps to assess if there's a logical route the killer might have taken.

4. Information about other items

If you have information about a murder weapon, clothing, fingerprints, stolen items, or other potentially relevant things, place them on the evidence board. Try to establish connections between these items and specific locations, suspects, and/or victims where possible.

5. Create a timeline

To create a timeline, gather as much information as possible about all individual events. Where was a suspect at a specific time? On which date did the murder take place? Where was the victim last seen? Were there any significant conversations between the victim and family, friends, colleagues, or other people? Try to include as much information as possible in the timeline to form a comprehensive view of the sequence of events. This way, it's easier to see, for instance, if it's possible for someone to have been at a specific place at a certain time.

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