This week: Personal effects Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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Quote for the week:
"Mystery spread its cloak across the sky.
We lost our way.
Shadows fell from trees.
They knew why."
~From "House of Four Doors" by the Moody Blues |
The things a person carries around can tell you a lot about them. If a person is found deceased or unconscious or cannot speak for themselves for some other reason, the things they have with them may be the only way police and other first responders can get information about how to help them.
Here are examples of things people might carry around with them and the information they provide:
Driver's license or legal ID:
In most countries, anyone who is licensed to operate a motor vehicle will be required to carry their operator's license with them whenever they drive. In the US, a driver's license contains the person's full name, address, date for birth, and a photo. It also shows the types of vehicles they are authorized to drive and any restrictions they have such as adequate eyeglasses or contact lenses. In most states, an adult who does not have a driver's license can obtain a legal ID, which has all the same identifying information. Members of the military or anyone who works on a military base will also have an additional photo ID. Many organizations and companies also require their employees to have a photo ID that doubles as an access card to their buildings and property.
Passport:
A passport will contain much of the same identifying information as a driver's license and also a record of all countries visited. Depending on the country in which they are issued, a passport may be valid for ten years or more. Because people frequently change their hairstyle or shave or grow facial hair, the passport photo may not look exactly like the person.
Medical ID:
People with serious health conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy, or life threatening allergies often carry or wear a medical ID that describes the conditions they have and what to do if the person is found unconscious.
Medications:
People who take daily medication often carry it around with them. If medications are prescribed by a physician the containers will contain the name of the medication, instructions for how often to take it, name of the doctor, and the pharmacy. People who are on several daily medications may not carry the entire container around with them. Instead they may use a pill organizer that has separate compartments for each day of the week. People with severe allergies may also carry an Epi pen.
Cell phone:
in today's world, it is unusual for a person not to have a cell phone. In addition to all the numbers recently called, voice mail, and text messages, a smart phone can provide a great deal of other useful information. Depending on the user's preferences, a phone may contain photos, bank and credit card information, social media and email accounts, music, games, and books downloaded, and map locations recently visited or marked with waypoints. Remember that most phones can be locked and additional apps and accounts may also be password protected. Some phones newer phones can be unlocked with the user's face ID.
Credit and debit cards:
Credit cards usually contain the person's name and account number. If the police can get access to the usage history of the card, they may be able to tell where the person has been recently.
Photos: People may carry fewer printed photos since the advent of camera phones, but still might have printed copies of special ones such as wedding photos or children's school pictures.
Business cards: A person's business card will tell you who they work for and their job title. They may carry business cards for other important contacts as well.
Cash: Most of us no longer carry large amounts of cash since the advent of debit cards. If a person does carry extremely large amounts of cash, they may be involved in illegal activities, may have been headed to make an expensive purchase from a private party that does not accept checks or credit, or just may not trust banks. If a large amount of cash is found with a murder victim police may conclude that robbery was not the motive for the crime.
In some cases, what a person does not have with them may say as much as what they do have. For example, if a victim always wore a certain piece of jewelry or carried a certain photo and it is missing, it might have something to do with the attack.
Something to try: Write a mystery story where a case is solved based on things in the victim's pockets.
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|  | Two Films (18+)
I discover two films in my grandparents attic that recorded events during and after WW2.
#2301514 by Kotaro  |
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Mystery: April 30, 2025 Issue [#13105]
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