What was it?What was it?The national "whodunnit" project Who Stole the Minister's Malibu? was an initiative of Griffith University to bring science to the forefront of Australian education.
More than 130,000 school students and members of the public from across Australia were called upon to solve this mock-crime using their forensic science skills. Student can build a career in forensic science and other crime related areas by studying at Griffith University.
On Monday 15 April, Federal Science Minister Peter McGauran had his Malibu surfboard 'stolen' by one of Australia's most famous people as part of a mock-crime scenario.
The celebrity suspects involved were Olympic Skater Steven Bradbury, super band Killing Heidi, surfer Mick Fanning, and Triple J radio personalities Adam Spencer, Wil Anderson, Charlie Pickering and Nicole Fossati.
Students and members of the public performed forensic tests on clues left at the scene which were sent to entrants across Australia in early May as part of a special forensic kit. Upon completion of the tests, most people reached the conclusion that Adam and Wil committed the mock-crime.
They were put on trial in a mock-court on Tuesday, June 11. The Honorable Justice Deborah Mullins of the Queensland Supreme Court presided over the case. Defence and prosecution teams were supplied by the Griffith University Law School.
Witnesses in the case included Steven Bradbury, Mick Fanning, Dr Chris Brown of Griffith University’s School of Science, a police crime scene investigator and ‘expert’ school students from Nerang State High School and Westside Christian College. The guilty suspects were "slimed" as punishment for the mock-crime in front of hundreds of school students at Griffith University's Gold Coast Campus.
Gold Coast based staff and students from the School of Design Studies, Griffith University Queensland College of Art, created the set design for the trial. Still images of the trial are available on this web site as is a video download of the proceedings.