DNA – THE LAST SECRET OF THE SOMERTON MAN MYSTERY.
This case is one of secrets upon secrets: names suppressed, names withheld for generations, police investigation inexplicably delayed, crucial evidence ignored, evidence tampered with, evidence withheld from public scrutiny, crucial fingerprinting not done, police investigation hampered, witnesses not called to give evidence, evidence as a whole not officially secured for over two months, witnesses suspected of being rehearsed, crucial evidence not acted upon, suspected false evidence submitted, inquest closed despite compelling new evidence, witnesses not interviewed in a timely manner, failure to enquire aircraft passenger arrivals of a passenger Keane prior to body being found, false images distributed to the press, failure of police to door-knock nearby Somerton Beach residences after body found, contradictory depositions submitted, false reporting allowed, incomplete analysis of evidence, contradictory depositions not questioned, early loss of crucial evidence and inadequate official reasons given for same, incomplete investigation of poisons as means of death, contradictory legal rulings, key witness not followed up for second interview, key witness not asked whereabouts prior to body being found, key witness’ de facto husband not questioned, his whereabouts immediately prior the body being found not known – and all of this in the middle of one of Australia’s best kept political secrets, the employment of dozens of Nazis in an Adelaide suburb within months of the end of WW2.*
The exhumation of the Somerton Man’s body was completed almost twelve months ago and an investigation into his DNA commenced almost immediately but no results have been made public.
Given the above perhaps they never will be.
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The Somerton Man 
I’ve wondered why nothing has be reported since the DNA testing has taken place. Surely it would have hits all over with Ancestry etc.
L, I’m glad you asked as Clive T has only just enquired from a Professor Linzi Wilson-Wilde of Forensic SA as to DNA progress, only to be informed that any such information wasn’t available …
Hmmm… the attempt to ID SM using DNA from the exhumed body is an active investigation by SA Police. Part of a bigger Operation to identify unknown bodies found in SA. Issues such as obvious privacy principles and sensitivities around investigative matters will prevent any information being provided upon request to staff direct working at Forensics SA. This would be the approach no matter what ID work was being undertaken, political sensitivities or not!
I remember Derek Abbott attempting to raise 20k to cover the costs of exhumation etc through his Facebook website ‘Identifying The Somerton Man’ .. would that have made any difference if, say, he wanted some ongoing information, seeing he bankrolled the exercise?
If those funds that were crowd-sourced by the Professor were actually used to fund the exhumation I’d like some kind of official statement from SAPOL. I’m sure everyone who chipped in would like to know their contribution was used as intended. If that money was handed over to the SA Government I reckon it would be more likely the SA Liberal Party would have accepted it as some kind of donation back in 2021 with the 2022 election on the cards… our academic lobbyist greasing the wheels to get something done. Isn’t that how politics works now.
Covr up
I’ve been visiting DA’s Facebook site for quite some time and have yet to find out what happened to the money he raised, I’m sure it’s all kosher but if my five bucks was in there I’d like to know what he did with it.
If foul play is not suspected police will not take any of those actions, because the police are not curiosity investigators. The DNA sample could take years to profile.
Matthew .. the irony there is that the state Labor govt knocked DA back for exactly that reason, then the liberals got into power and gave it the go ahead in the public interest .. now Labor is back in govt and who knows what the newest official position is.