Convince that Jury (Inspired by Roald Dahl's

What happened to a murder case when the police eat the murder weapon? After reading Roald Dahl's dark and ironic short story "Lamb to the Slaughter," students write a persuasive essay to convince a jury that the wife who killed her husband with a leg of lamb is not guilty. They begin with a closing statement, and transition into a full five-paragraph essay. To extend the instructional activity, you could hold a mock trial in your classroom.