Implications stemming from Rachel Egan’s shared DNA and a word from Dr Carolyn Bilsborow.
Updated Jan 6, ’22
Dr Carolyn Bilsborow, who directed the documentary Missing Pieces about the case, told the ABC she believed the Somerton Man took his own life.
“I think the Somerton Man did know Jo Thomson, but when he came back to visit her, she rejected him.”
Sept 7, NCA NewsWire, Catie Mcleod
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“More recently, links were also found (in Rachel’s DNA) to the grandparents of the man that Jo Thomson eventually married.” Dr Colleen Fitzpatrick, the man being Prosper Thomson.
So my head is spinning,” Dr. Abbott said. “Does that prove she’s (Rachel) not connected now to the Somerton man? Or does that prove that somehow the Somerton man is related to her assumed grandfather?’
NYT 22 May ’21.
In other words … does Colleen Fitzpatrick’s DNA finding prove the Professor is right and that SM is Robin’s father – and this is where it gets murky – he is also a member of the Thomson family?
Not a Russian spy or a Nazi weapons technician, not a black-marketeer or a nit-picker, not an American spy or a uranium fossicker, none of those. He was one of Prosper’s family and the father of her son and this was the explanation for Jessica’s reaction when confronted by his bust six months after he died and her subsequent and lifelong refusal to answer any questions about the matter.
Byron Deveson has kindly let us have access to his Thomson Ancestry file but that in itself may not hold the fuller details of the entire Thomson clan, the nephews and cousins near and far, the uncles, all of which leads to the speculation that the reason for Jessica’s secrecy was purely to protect Prosper and his family from any scandal, knowing that Robin’s father, having been confronted with her and his son’s domestic situation in Adelaide, experienced a despair so deep he could only alleviate it by taking his own life.
This may also provide an explanation for the apparent removal of his body from where he died to the place by the Children’s Home where he was found. It would be one thing to ask someone to move the body of a murdered man, another to dispose of the body of a suicide.
The Somerton Man 
I wonder if the the man who stood at the top of the steps and looked down for ‘five minutes’ was also one of Prosper’s relatives? Did he and the SM travel to Adelaide together to meet with Prosper/Jessie? Leaving the body opposite the CCH was perhaps meant to drive home the point that a child was involved, plus the ‘Taman Shud’ slip in his pocket, it was finished.
Keep the plot simple, Clive, give the punters too much and you’ll have their heads spinning.
We could go really crazy, what if it’s something stranger.
e.g. Prosper and Jess are half-siblings to the Thomsons and SM is the father.
Their marriage makes this a bit weird, but give me a little time and I’ll make up a story. Don’t forget JE claimed to be Thomson before the marriage and I think there was some talk about Prosper and J’s marriage not appearing to be particularly intimate.
Although this probably raises more questions – specifically it still leaves a paternity question over J’s kids.
This is something I’ve wondered for quite a while now–Has anyone ever looked into the possibility that Jo Thomson was somehow related to Prosper? I was thinking I’d heard that she’d used the name “Thomson” or “Thompson” before she ever married Prosper, and here you state that she did. He was some years older, too, wasn’t he? It wouldn’t be the first time people married within the family, so it’s a possibility.
I guess there’s always the possibility the Somerton Man was somehow related to Prosper Thomson, as well. Both of these possibilities could be explored.
Kana, the probable reason Jo used the surname Thomson was that she didn’t want to be known as the mother of an illegitimate child and was passing herself off as being married to Prosper before he got his divorce.
As far as Prosper being related to the Somerton Man : Rachel got her Thomson DNA through one of her parents, Roma or Robin.
Not only that, but there’s young Robin and Roma putting their first born on the NZ adoption market, baby Rachel, whose recently discovered DNA link to grandad Thomson has upset the apple-cart big time..
Can you remind us what the family narrative was? It’s clear that Prosper in some way “saved” Jess/Jo, made an honest woman of her, etc etc. But IIRC there’s something a little more dramatic sounding. A sort of talking-down-from-the-cliff-edge? But I can’t recall who was on the edge and who did the talking down.
I remember something along those lines but could not pin it down to a credible source. There was a mention of Prosper stopping Jessica from launching herself off a cliff in Mentone on Randomstuff Somerton Man blog, dated 9 Nov 2018, the word ‘alleged’ was used.
Ta!
Was wondering if Prosper saved not only Jess but someone of his own family. Reputationally, I mean. Was he righting a wrong? Covering up? For some sort of transgression committed by a less honourable family member, for example.
Geez Andy, you’re going a bit deep here, physiologically speaking.
Birth mothers go through a lot, Andy, and this being 1948 the police interest in Jestyn had to be extremely stressful for her. So in a way, yes, I think you are right Prosper saved her from her situation.
Rachel having Thomson DNA is inexplicable without more hard information, but TSM himself being a Thomson would make a lot of sense. I believe I read somewhere that a Carl Thompsen was proposed as the TSM, but not much in depth research done about that lead. Spellings were not consistent before the 20th century.
I wonder if anyone else in the Thomson family has the rare traits, calves, interest in dancing, etc. Has anyone looked into this?