“In 2002 I had a lengthy conversation with Jessica Harkness.”
In summary:
(1) She continually diverted the topic from the subject in question.
(2) I formed the opinion she was evasive.
(3) I formed the opinion she did not wish to talk about it.
(4) She did not have a copy of the Rubaiyat.
(5) She said it was a book of love poems.
(6) She did not know why it was significant.
(7) She did not remember Alf Boxall.
(8) I mentioned that she gave police his name and address when they first spoke to her.
(9) At a later date I had a further discussion with her that produced nothing of any significance.
Taken from page 179 – The Unknown Man. Gerry Feltus.
Then there’s this, same page:
(10) She did say that about 20 years ago at another address she had a visit from the police.
(11) She said she did not know anything then, and she did not know anything now.
If the 1982 interview was simply the police revisiting a cold case, why wasn’t Detective Sergeant O’Doherty’s witness re-interviewed as well?
I smell a rat
Note: A Final Twist.
Retired Detective Sergeant Don’ O’Doherty produced a copy of a report he had submitted to the Officer in Charge of the Adelaide CIB on 5 December 1959. The report concerned a witness’s account of sighting a man carrying a man along the Shore at Somerton Beach on November 30th 1948.
Feltus identified and located this witness in the latter part of 2003. The witness said he had not received a visit from the police since his initial contact.
So, if GF spoke to this witness, why didn’t he raise this issue again with the police? It would seem that O’Doherty’s report didn’t travel very far-was it too much effort for the police to question the witness?
O’Doherty’s report landed on the desk of the Adelaide CIB Chief in 1959 … that would be a numbered manila folder with the signed statement inside. Trying to track that particular item down may not have been something GF signed up for.