MURDERS linked to Moffat are the subject of a new exhibition in the town’s museum, opening next month.
‘The Moffat Ravine Murders – The Birth Of Modern Forensics’ tells the story of two gruesome killings in 1935, when Dr Buck Ruxton murdered his wife and maid in Lancaster.
He dismembered the bodies and dumped the parts over a bridge on the A701, just north of Moffat. The investigations into the murder broke new ground in forensic science and the case is remembered for the significant part it has played in the development of the sophisticated approaches taken by police and scientists today.
The museum display will tell the story of the murder and the subsequent investigations, highlighting the innovative forensic techniques that were developed. This includes ‘The Ruxton Maggots’, the first time that entymology was used in forensic investigations.
Furthermore, it draws out the significant roles played by some of Scotland’s leading experts at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as the local police sergeant in Moffat, Robert Sloan.
In addition, the museum will have a small exhibition titled – William Dickson (A Moffat Man) – Slave Abolitionist. This explores Dickson’s experiences in Bermuda and his subsequent campaigning around Scotland for the abolition of slavery.
Both run from April 1 to October 28 and the museum is open Thursday – Monday, 10.30 am – 4.30 pm, except Sundays which are 1.30 pm – 4.30 pm.
For more information, go to www.moffatmuseum.co.uk.
