A murder has been committed. Sarah Melville has been found in her apartment, shot dead. Three suspects have been identified. It’s up to visitors to the Autopsy of a Murder exhibition to shed light on this somber affair, a presentation of Musée de la civilisation, from June 8, 2005, to August 27, 2006. This exhibition is a production of the Montreal Science Centre, in close collaboration with the Musée de la civilisation in Québec City and the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa. The narrative is the work of author Chrystine Brouillet. This game/exhibition for families and for youth aged 10 to 14 challenges visitors to find the murderer. How? By playing Miss Marple, Columbo, Monk, or Maude Graham, at the crime scene, the archives, and the autopsy room. Visitor-investigators use a variety of legal techniques that reveal key information: ballistics, genetics, biometrics, fiber analysis, and chemistry/toxicology. During their investigation, visitors will also see and hear statements by suspects and witnesses. From their observations, specimens, interrogations, and scientific analyses, they’ll piece together the clues—three pieces of evidence—to incriminate the killer and lead to his arrest. At the crime scene Visitors step right into the action. A four-minute video takes them through the crime scene. Inspector Catherine Nelson presents the suspects and sets visitors off on their own investigation, pad and pen in hand, to record the clues leading to the killer’s arrest. Video capsules on fingerprinting, DNA, and autopsies prepare you for the job before you even enter the scene. Jean-Sébastien Ouellette plays the role of a security agent fascinated with criminal investigation. Visitors take the investigation in hand Visitors are invited to observe, analyze, compare and deduce. A hair was caught in the wristband of the victim's watch and analyzed in the lab. Is it the victim’s or one of the suspect’s? Is the thin skin sample, found under Sarah Melville’s nails during the autopsy, the result of a fight with the attacker? The visitor can also compare firearm projectiles, analyze invisible fingerprints found on a glass at the crime scene, and more. To test their hypotheses, they visit reproductions of specialized labs. At the end of the exhibition, visitors use their findings to choose a suspect, identify the three pieces of incriminating evidence, and validate their findings. If they identify the murderer, they’ll see the confession and a video confirming the accusation. For the sake of realism, the exhibition includes equipment typically used in forensic sciences (a science now essential to prove suspects’ guilt). The main principles and procedures used in real legal science and forensic medicine lab