Koehler+Case+Study-CMP

=Arthur Koehler-Wood Analyst=

Case Study
Arthur Koehler Case Study

1. In examining the wood, Koehler divided it into pieces in analyzed each piece individually. He carefully studied the ladder and saw that 1) it was made from two different types of wood, and 2) that two of the pieces had identifying marks from the factory at which they had been chopped and prepared. 2. Koehler identified some pieces of the wood as North Carolina pine, and the other pieces as Douglas fir. The marks in the wood turned out to be marks from a belt-driven planer that was used to cut the wood. He then complied a list of all the mills around North Carolina and sent out a letter with the specifications of the marks. Twenty-five companies replied, and he searched each one of them until he received a perfect match. He then spoke with the workers at the mill and learned the general area in which the carpenter of the ladder lived. 3. Because the marks on the wood led Koehler to the mill at which the wood had been purchased, he knew the general area of where the kidnapper lived. Also, the Douglas fir was determined as a board that had been taken from a barn, attic, or other inside room, as it was not damaged by weather and there were holes in it from nails that are specifically used in houses. It helped the investigation because it allowed the police to narrow down the sear by a substantial amount. 4. The nail holes in the wood allowed the investigators to make a positive identification on the suspect when the board fit perfectly into a hole in the floor missing from his attic. With all the evidence, the police were able to prove that Bruno Hauptmann was the kidnapper and killer of the young boy.