The Science of Murder (a Minicon)
(By a vote of the membership, VCON was replaced by "Something New" in May, 1993.)
Date: March 19th, 1994
Venue: Biltmore Hotel, Vancouver
Guests of Honour/Speakers:
- Vancouver regional coroner Larry Campbell was invited, but Mary Lou Merner, Investigative Coroner, Vancouver Regional Coroner's Office, had to substitute for Larry Campbell and did an excellent job in his place. She described, with the aid of graphic slides, "Behind the Scenes at a Coroner's Office", coroners' methods and scientific techniques, including specific cases where the coroner's office picked up clues that police or ambulance attendants missed.
- Charlie Grant, Monster Fun Movie Special Effects, North Vancouver: Charlie, a movie special effects expert, talked (and gave us samples) of "Faking Murder for the Movies." This master of "guts and gore" talked about "killing" people on screen, using video clips, props, and photos.
- Dr. James "Rex" Ferris, and Sharon Ritmiller, Forensic Pathology, VGH, discussed and illustrated (with a slide show) interesting cases he has worked on, including a controversial case from Australia in which a baby was allegedly killed by a dingo, and a shooting death in Somalia.
- Bill Ferridge, and Carol Palmeter, of Golden West Investigations, Burnaby, discussed and demonstrated the high-tech surveillance methods used by private investigators. (The ballroom was bugged!)
- Dr. Anne Autor, a professor of pathology from the Department of Pathology at the University of BC, presented "Profiling and Identification with DNA.", a slide show and talk about DNA typing, its potential as a crime-solving tool, and its drawbacks.
The Murder Mystery Interactive Event, written and planned by Lisa Smedman, Jason Harris, Brian Loranger, Peter Tupper & Lisa Gemino was a supper event. The ballroom (which had served as function space for all the day's presentations) became the site of a dinner theatre/game played out over supper and afterwards by costumed diners and the team. Since membership in the Science of Murder included the banquet, virtually everyone attended.
| Attending: | 87 |
| Expenses: | $2,078.66 |
| Income: | $2,640.00 |
| Balance: | $561.34 |
Co-Chair: Lisa Smedman
Co-Chair: Clint Budd
Guest Liaison: Lisa Smedman
Treasurer/On-Site Registration: Ed Hutchings
Murder Mystery Interactive Event: Lisa Smedman, Jason Harris, Brian Loranger, Peter Tupper & Lisa Gemino
Technical: Al Betz, Jason Harris & Patrick Quail
Publications/Publicity: Fran Skene & Jim Pook
Pre-Registration: Frances Higginson
Publicity: Alexis McPherson
Program Book: Lisa Smedman
Out-Of-Town Fan Groups/Star Trek: Steve Forty
Fanzine Publicity: R. Graeme Cameron
Electronic Postings: Ted Powell
