With the amount of classes Bridgewater offers, you’re always going to find something you’re interested in. I find myself being drawn to (true crime) and have a passion for it. Once I saw this class, I knew it was right up my alley. I was so excited.
As a true crime aficionado, Emma Longmore, ’28, is fascinated to learn more about the most infamous criminal masterminds During her first year at BSU, Emma explored the topic through an innovative geography course.
“With the amount of classes Bridgewater offers, you’re always going to find something you’re interested in,” said Emma, a criminal justice major from Everett who took the first-year seminar Spatial Analysis of True Crime. “I find myself being drawn to (true crime) and have a passion for it. Once I saw this class, I knew it was right up my alley. I was so excited.”
Taught by part-time geography faculty member Courtney Sutcliffe, ’14, G’18, the class focuses on how geography has influenced crime sprees. Students listen to true crime podcasts, write reports, and present their research to classmates.
With funding from a BSU seminar enhancement grant, the class visited Fall River to tour the home of Lizzie Borden, who was famously tried and acquitted of murdering her father and stepmother.
Sutcliffe started listening to true crime podcasts several years ago and realized this was a topic that would pique students’ curiosity. She appreciated being able to use her creativity in creating this course from scratch.
“Whenever I was listening to these podcasts, I was always thinking geographically,” she said. “Where did these take place? How does that affect the crime?”
Students explored patterns such as murder sites’ proximity to highways that provide easy getaway routes. For a final project, they worked in groups to develop an interactive presentation about serial killers such as John Wayne Gacy, who murdered at least 33 people in Illinois, and Richard Ramirez, who was nicknamed the Night Stalker and killed at least 14 people in the Los Angeles area.
“A lot of them already had a huge interest and knowledge level (about true crime),” Sutcliffe said. “They were able to take that knowledge and think about it in a way they didn’t before.”
In addition to encouraging students to think like geographers, Sutcliffe strives to foster connections between students that extend beyond the classroom. Her students say those goals were accomplished.
“It’s a very comfortable environment. There’s a lot of open discussion,” said Cassidy Goodwin, ’28, a criminal justice major from Pittsfield. “Everyone is a part of every conversation.”
Marketing major Michael Colomey, ’28, of Norwood, said he gained a greater appreciation for the challenges detectives face when solving cases.
Andrew Silva, ’28, a criminal justice major from Haverhill, added: “This class really stood out as a seminar I would want to take.”
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