Humber College holds its real-life game of Clue today where students can solve an array of mysteries surrounding a staged murder in the L-Space Gallery.
‘This Show Is To Die For’ is held by Humber’s own Police Foundations and Criminal Justice program, allowing students to join a team to help solve a crime by tracking blood splatters, witnesses, and suspects. The four-day run of the event will offer new clues to be released throughout to track the evolution of crime solving in order to give students new insight into the work done by police and forensics.
Officers Ricardo Pinto (right) and Isaac Maningas (left) of the 22nd Division (PHOTO: Kyle Wyskiel)
“I think it’s awesome. I spoke with someone earlier and told her that I wish something like this was around when I was taking police foundations at Sheridan,” says Const. Ricardo Pinto of the 22nd Division Toronto Police Service. “It’s a really cool opportunity to see all the different aspects from being at the crime scene, to forensics, to interviews, it covers a lot of that.”
The mock murder scenario showcases a life-sized dead dummy in a taped off scene, print outs of blood splatters and how to read them along with footprint molds, facial reconstructions and real crime scene photographs.
“You watch suspect and witness videos, you identify and observe different components of the crime, you learn about blood splatter analysis and all of the other things that are involved in a crime scene investigation,” says Tara Mazurk, the curator of the L Space Gallery at Humber College Lakeshore Campus. “Anyone can come in and learn about the realities of crime scene investigation in comparison to popular belief.”
Mock crime scene complete with dummy body and props (PHOTO: Kyle Wyskiel)
Students can join up in teams of four in order to solve the staged murder, being walked through the different components of an investigation in order to piece together evidence and clues to solve the crime. The first of the evidence includes the taped off murder scene with the body still in place along with the suspects footprint moulds. As the days go by the teams will uncover and be presented new evidence in the case and race to solve the crime.
Mould of the suspect’s footprint taken at the scene of the crime (PHOTO: Kyle Wyskiel)
“It’s like a board game but better, you feel really into it,” says Claie Gabb a first-year creative advertising student at Humber College. “Whether you solve it or not you feel good, like you’ve gone that extra step into solving it.”
Claire Gabb taking samples of evidence at the crime scene (PHOTO: Kyle Wyskiel)
‘This show is to die for’ runs until Thursday where the team who collected and analyzed the evidence of the crime best will be dubbed the winner of this real-life game of Clue. As for the life-sized dummy, his memory will live on through the now better educated students of Humber College.
