The Moffat Ravine Murders – the birth of modern forensics

The museum is very pleased to announce the first of two new exhibitions for the Spring/Summer of 2023.

The Moffat Ravine Murders – the birth of modern forensics opens on 1st. April 2023. It tells the story of 2 gruesome murders 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 Exhibition tells 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 entomology was used in UK forensic investigations. The Exhibition 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.

The Exhibition runs from 1st April – 28th October 2023.

Moffat Museum is open Thursday – Monday (except Sunday) 10.30 am – 4.30 pm and on Sundays 1.30 pm – 4.30 pm. Last entry is 4:00 pm each day.