With the rising popularity of true crime podcasts and shows, a lot of us may feel we know the inner workings of a forensics investigation.
But one practitioner is lifting the lid on what it's really like and dusting the Hollywood magic dust off the gory details.
After 32 years of working in forensics, Tom Coyle knows what to expect.
"It's gruesome, it's smelly, it's long hours, it's dirty," he says.
He worked as a fingerprint expert for Scotland Yard and the Metropolitan Police and as a crime scene examiner and disaster victim ID expert in New Zealand.
And he knows it's not for everyone.
"I'm expecting some students that come here that want to do forensic science in the future to look at it and go 'that's not actually for me'."
Coyle says most people think they know what to expect based on shows like CSI. But now forensics students can get a taste of a crime scene before they experience the real deal.
To help ease forensic science students and first responders into the profession, Coyle and his wife Allie have created Forensic Insight, walking people through each step taken before entering a crime scene.
It starts with the gear - full PPE so as not to spread your own DNA. Then comes a walkthrough of the scene of the crime.
"We can see with the blood splatter going up there," Coyle says.
And then the investigating begins.
"You can see fingerprints here in blood," Coyle says.
Students can test for DNA and dust for clues.
Coyle says the process will help the 1000s of people trying to get into the field of forensics who are duped by the glamour of Hollywood.
And for Coyle it's more than just the methodology - it's also to help with coping mechanisms.
"I'm there for the victim of the crime. I'm their spokesperson. I'm there to assist with who did this crime for them. Especially those who can't speak," he says.
There for the victims of crime by supporting those who solve it.
