Sioux Falls State Theatre Sioux Falls, SD
Dr. Kenneth Snell
Minnehaha County Coroner and Medical Examiner
Psycho— From Hitchcock to the morgue: The science of sharp-force trauma
Program Description
Few scenes in film history are as iconic—and chilling—as the infamous shower scene in PSYCHO. But how realistic is Hitchcock’s depiction of sharp-force trauma? Join us for a thrilling Science on Screen event as Dr. Kenneth Snell takes us into the world of forensic investigation.
Dr. Snell will break down the science of sharp-force injuries, including the forensic techniques used to analyze stab wounds, determine cause of death, and distinguish fact from fiction in Hollywood’s most memorable murder scenes. How does real forensic pathology compare to what we see on screen? What can a single wound reveal about a crime?
Prepare for a fascinating and spine-tingling discussion, and don't miss this killer combination of cinema and science!
Presented At
Sioux Falls State Theatre Sioux Falls, SD
Film Synopsis
A Phoenix secretary steals $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.
Phoenix secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), on the lam after stealing $40,000 from her employer in order to run away with her boyfriend, Sam Loomis (John Gavin), is overcome by exhaustion during a heavy rainstorm. Traveling on the back roads to avoid the police, she stops for the night at the ramshackle Bates Motel and meets the polite but highly strung proprietor Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), a young man with an interest in taxidermy and a difficult relationship with his mother.
About the Speaker
Originally from Gadsden, Alabama, Dr. Kenneth Snell earned his undergraduate and medical degrees, as well as completed his pathology training, at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. He went on to complete a fellowship in Forensic Pathology at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Dr. Snell is board certified in both Anatomic/Clinical Pathology and Forensic Pathology. His career has included work in the medical examiner offices of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Memphis, Tennessee. From 2006 to 2010, he served with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, including two years as Chief Medical Examiner.
Since January 2011, Dr. Snell has served as the Coroner and Medical Examiner for Minnehaha County. In recognition of his service, he was honored with the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award in 2022.