Hello: The Crime Scene is fictional. William Faulkner, Nobel Prize winner for literature, lived in Oxford, Mississippi. He set his stories in the fictional county, Yoknapatawpha. For news stories about the Crime Scene see: Web Review Magazine, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, and Microsoft Magazine. Now that you've been informed, sign up to get e-mail notices whenever we update--you also get advance information and other perks. We'd like to hear from you. Please contact Tom Arriola at tom@crimescene.com. We hope you'll be coming back. Tom Arriola

Crime Scene features fictional crime cases in a unique combination of interactive fiction and gaming.Each week, Yoknapatawpha County detectives post evidence from the current case.You are invited to participate in the investigation by reviewing the presented evidence and offering your theories and questions to the detectives and other web sleuths. What's the difference between paid and free participation?   UnregisteredViewers[Free] CaseOfficers[Free] CaseDetectives[Paid] View case evidence Yes Yes Yes Participate in discussion with other web sleuths   Yes Yes Comment on case documents   Yes Yes Receive weekly Case Newsletter by email   Yes Yes Access case evidence as soon as it's available     Yes Ask questions and get answers from our investigators     Yes View solutions to previous cases     Yes     Register Now Subscribe Now Preview new case documents before they become available to the general public. Interact directly with our investigators through Ask the Detective. Exchange theories and ask questions to get insights that will help you solve the case. Get exclusive access to the Evidence Search Engine, which allows you to quickly locate all evidence items related to a particular topic. In addition to these special features, Case Detectives have access to all information presented to the free viewers as well as the weekly email newsletter. Case Officers pay nothing to examine the available evidence files or to post comments on case documents. Case files are not released to Case Officers until after Case Detectives have reviewed it and not all information is available for free. If you sign up as a Case Officer, you'll receive a weekly email newsletter to update you on the latest case developments and newly available case information. Registration is not necessary to view the evidence, but it is required to post comments on case documents. {/tabs2} How do I become a Case Detective? You may become a Case Detective at any time during an investigation by clicking the Join Now! link provided in Subscribe section of the menu at the top of each case page. We accept credit cards and PayPal. Get instant access to subscriber-only features and content when you pay online with our secure server. If you feel the hours of entertainment you receive from the Crime Scene are not worth the money you paid, we will refund your money. Details here. How does Crime Scene work? To participate, examine the case evidence. Information is posted every weekday, organized into categories of Interviews, Evidence, Biographies, and Press. Use the links provided on the main case menu and on the right side of each case page to move between categories and view the different pieces of evidence. Some of the items you'll see include witness interviews, forensic analysis reports, and evidence photos. {/slider} Use the comments to communicate with your fellow web sleuths. Pose your questions, view others' theories, and share your thoughts about the case. Do you have a theory about how or why the crime was committed? Who should be the prime suspect? What clues should the detectives follow next and what evidence do they need to gather? Crime Scene investigations are propelled by input from the viewers, so everyone's contribution is helpful. {/slider} To discuss theories with other Crime Scene participants, you must register as a Case Officer (Free Subscription) or a Case Detective (Paid Subscription). Once you've signed up, you can comment on case documents and collaborate with your fellow web sleuths. In addition, Case Detectives can interact directly with our investigators in the Ask the Detective area, available exclusively to paid subscribers. {/slider} Crime Scene is a community of web sleuths who enjoy sharing ideas and theories. Everyone wins the Crime Scene as the participants work together to refine theories and narrow down clues to ultimately reveal the culprit. {/slider} Where is this Yoknapatawpha County? Yoknapatawpha County was created and immortalized by the legendary William Faulkner. The fictional county includes Faulkner's own hometown of Oxford, Mississippi and surrounding areas.   Want to work with Crime Scene?Check out the currently available Crime Scene jobs.   Thanks for your interest and welcome to the Crime Scene!Det. Murphy

Privacy Statement for Crime Scene Crime Scene has created this privacy statement to demonstrate our firm commitment to privacy. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for this website: crimescene.com. We use your IP address ONLY to help diagnose problems with our server and to administer our website. Crime Scene's registration form requires users to give us contact information (like their name and email address). The customer's contact information is used ONLY to contact the visitor when necessary. Users may opt-out of receiving future mailings; see the choice/opt-out section below. Crime Scene contains links to other sites. Crime Scene is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites. Our online surveys ask visitors for contact information (like their email address). The customer's contact information is used ONLY to contact the visitor when necessary. We run contests on our site in which we ask visitors for contact information (like their email address). The customer's contact information is used ONLY to contact the visitor when necessary. Users may opt-out of receiving future mailings; see the choice/opt-out section below.   Public Forums Crime Scene makes chat rooms, forums, message boards, and/or news groups available to its users. Please remember that any information that is disclosed in these areas becomes public information and you should exercise caution when deciding to disclose your personal information.   Security Crime Scene has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse, and alteration of the information under our control.   This website uses Google AdWords This website uses the Google AdWords remarketing service to advertise on third party websites (including Google) to previous visitors to our site. It could mean that we advertise to previous visitors who haven’t completed a task on our site, for example using the contact form to make an inquiry. This could be in the form of an advertisement on the Google search results page or a site in the Google Display Network. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on someone’s past visits to the Crime Scene website. Of course, any data collected will be used in accordance with our own privacy policy and Google’s privacy policy. You can set preferences for how Google advertises to you using the Google Ad Preferences page, and if you want to you can opt out of interest-based advertising entirely by cookie settings or permanently using a browser plugin.   Choice/Opt-Out Crime Scene provides users the opportunity to opt-out of receiving communications from us at the point where we request information about the visitor. Crime Scene gives users the following options for removing their information from our database to not receive future communications or to no longer receive our service. You can click here to unsubscribe You can send mail to the following postal address:Crime Scene, 3440 N 16th St #4, Phoenix, AZ 85016 You can call the following telephone number: 623-565-8573   Correct/Update Crime Scene gives users the following options for changing and modifying information previously provided. Email support@crimescene.com   Contacting Crime Scene If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of Crime Scene, or your dealings with Crime Scene, you can contact   Tom ArriolaCrime Scene3440 N 16th St #4Phoenix, AZ 85012Voice 623-565-8573Fax 602-274-7280tom@crimescene.com

Copyright Information The Crime Scene Evidence site is the longest running web story in existence. It has been online since January 15, 1995. The Crime Scene is operated by Tom Arriola. Please direct questions to him at tom@crimescene.com or call 623-565-8573 All content, graphic design, artwork and layout are copyright © Crime Scene Productions, Inc. unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. The information presented here may not, under any circumstances, be resold or redistributed for compensation of any kind without prior written permission from Crime Scene. Crimescene.com Terms of Use By using this site and/or submitting your original work or material to this site you agree to the terms and conditions of use listed on this page. General Crimescene.com was created to provide a pleasant online service. We reserve the right to do whatever is required to maintain a high level of quality. Crimescene.com is in no way responsible for any postings by users and/or indecent material. The responsibility for such postings and/or material falls solely on the user posting it. Please respect your fellow on-line users and use courtesy and follow the guidelines below at all times. Failure to abide by these terms may result in termination of access to any or all areas of crimescene.com. Please refrain from harrassing or making obscene comments to other users or in general. Please refrain from spamming, SHOUTING or posting large picture files on the site. Do not post off-topic information or use Crimescene.com as medium for advertising your product, business or site(s), etc. Do not post indecent material, including pornography. Crimescene.com is not responsible for such content. The responsibility of such material falls on the user posting it. Do not upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable. Do not impersonate any person or entity, including, but not limited to, a crimescene.com official, discussion area moderator, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity. Do not disrupt the normal flow of dialogue or otherwise act in a manner that negatively affects other users' ability to engage in exchanges. Do not interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers or networks connected to the Service, or disobey any requirements, procedures, policies or regulations of networks connected to the Service. Do not "stalk" or otherwise harass another. Do not collect or store personal data about other users. Public Content Posted To crimescene.com Crimescene.com has full rights for editing and rewriting of public content posted to crimescene.com as necessary. crimescene.com reserves the right to not display or post any material we deem inappropriate or unacceptable. No age, gender, race or geographical limitations of any sort will be imposed. By posting material to crimescene.com, you agree that crimescene.com can display, modify, transmit, distribute or delete your material without needing prior or further consent from you. Material may be removed by crimescene.com at any time at our sole discretion. Authors certify that this material (written and images) is their own original material (unless otherwise stated) and does not violate any copyrights. Authors agree to forego any payment or compensation for the submitted material. With respect to Content you elect to post for inclusion in publicly accessible areas of crimescene.com that consists of photos or other graphics, you grant crimescene.com the world-wide, royalty-free and non-exclusive license to reproduce, modify, adapt and publish such Content on the Network solely for the purpose of displaying, distributing and promoting the Network, or, in the case of photos or graphics, solely for the purpose for which such photo or graphic was submitted to the Network. With respect to all other Content you elect to post for inclusion in publicly accessible areas of crimescene.com, you grant crimescene.com the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive and fully sublicensable right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display such Content (in whole or part) worldwide and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed. Paid Membership Paid membership gives access to advance information for current case and future cases for a time totalling the length of your paid membership. There is no minimun guarantee of service. Membership is available in several increments.  Refund Policy Refunds for memberships are available at the following rate. 1) If requested within the first 10 days a full refund is granted. 2) If requested after 10 days a pro-rated refund will be given for each remaining full month. No refunds after 60 days.  Refund requests must include a username and password. DISCLAIMER THE MATERIALS IN THIS SITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE PURSUANT TO APPLICABLE LAW, CRIMESCENE.COM DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CRIMESCENE.COM DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE FUNCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE MATERIALS WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED, OR THAT THIS SITE OR THE SERVER THAT MAKES IT AVAILABLE ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. CRIMESCENE.COM DOES NOT WARRANT OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF THE MATERIALS IN THIS SITE IN TERMS OF THEIR CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. YOU (AND NOT CRIMESCENE.COM) ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR CORRECTION. APPLICABLE LAW MAY NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

Case Detectives: The Kudzu Kids are worried. Why are so many dogs missing in Yoknapatawpha County? Maybe the county's animal control officer can provide some clues. Coming up… Rachel, Zach, Melody and Emma try to figure out if there's a pattern in where the missing dogs were last seen. Will you help? Case Officers: Your investigation into the murder of Missy Hammond wraps up on Friday. Do you know who strangled this young mother and left the body for her seven-year-old daughter to find? Coming up… an all-new Crime Scene case for all ages begins for you on Monday, October 31st. Join the Kudzu Kids in solving a neighborhood mystery. Examine the evidence, and share your theories in the forums and the comments.

Case Detectives: Your investigation into the murder of Missy Hammond concluded on Monday. Did you accurately identify whodunit? Coming up… an all-new Crime Scene case for all ages begins for you on Monday, October 24th. Join the Kudzu Kids in solving a neighborhood mystery. Case Officers: You're closing in on Missy's killer. Does private investigator Pam Thompson hold the key to cracking the case? Learn more in today's update. Examine the evidence, and share your theories in the forums and the comments.

It's always hard to be in the middle of an acrimonious divorce, and it's even worse when you're just seven years old. Liddie Hammond found herself caught between the two people she loved the most and their extended families. Who told her to lie about what happened and why? Examine the evidence, and share your theories in the forums and the comments.

Maureen Kirby makes no secret of her feelings about Missy Hammond, her husband's high school girlfriend. She thought Missy was threatening her marriage, and she didn't like it. But was Maureen "running errands" when Missy was murdered, as she claimed? Examine the evidence, and share your theories in the forums and the comments.

Selena Crosscroft is smart, driven and clearly devoted to her boyfriend, Roger Hammond. But can she vouch for his whereabouts at the time his ex-wife was murdered? Examine the evidence, and share your theories in the forums and the comments.

Gloria Hammond, Missy's former mother-in-law, never had much use for Missy, even she was still married to her son. After Missy and Roger divorced, relations got even frostier — until Gloria realized that Missy was the gatekeeper standing between her and her granddaughter. They reached a kind of detente that let Gloria and her husband, Thomas, see seven-year-old Liddie. Now Missy is dead, murdered in her own home. How sad do you think Gloria Hammond is about it? Examine the evidence, and share your theories in the forums and the comments.

Everyone knows that Missy Hammond's divorce was ugly, and the battle over custody of their daughter was heated. Now Missy is dead. Where was her ex that day? Examine the evidence, and share your theories in the forums and the comments.

Seven-year-old Liddie's grandparents brought her home one evening, and she found her mother "asleep" in bed. When her grandfather arrived the next morning, her mother still hadn't woken up. What happened to this young mother? How much did this child witness? Examine the evidence, and share your theories in the forums and the comments.

The local newspaper reports on the arrest of a suspect in the murder of Missy Hammond.

The detectives spoke again to their prime suspect in the murder of Missy Hammond.

The Crime Lab provided findings on their analysis of additional evidence collected in the Hammond investigation.

The Crime Lab provided findings on their analysis of trace evidence collected in the Hammond investigation.

The Crime Lab provided findings on their analysis of DNA evidence collected in the Hammond investigation.

All case files are listed here chronologically.

Member News

The Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department is investigating the murder of young mother, Missy Hammond.