Has Rachel Egan’s DNA finally ended Derek Abbott’s involvement in the Somerton Man Mystery?
Is Derek Abbott’s belief that his wife and their children are related to the man at the centre of one of the world's most intriguing mysteries dashed?
Posts from the ‘SOMERTON MAN EXHUMATIION’ Category
Apr 7
The Somerton Man inquest was closed for lack of new evidence despite the police having found more than enough.
Why was the coroner’s court denied the opportunity to subpoena new witnesses?
Feb 27
Was the state of the Somerton Man’s health a factor in his death?
Someone must have a doctor in the family.
Implications stemming from Rachel Egan’s shared DNA and a word from Dr Carolyn Bilsborow.
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.
36 The 2021 Somerton Man Success Scoreboard
2021 was the year not much happened as far as the Somerton Man Case is concerned, except ..
23 Beyond the grave / The Somerton Man … ABC TV, September 6th. The full transcript.
Over 4 months now since the exhumation and beginnings of his DNA search .. Is there a problem?
22 Reasons enough to believe the Somerton Man didn’t die where he was found.
Remarks by Professor Cleland, Coroner Cleland and Professor Stanton Hicks.
20 Why Dr Colleen Fitzpatrick chose her words very carefully.
'More recently, links were also found (in Derek Abbott's wife's DNA) to the grandparents of the man that Jo Thomson eventually married.' NYT 22 May 2021 in an article written by Alan Yuhas, influenced by the recent findings of renowned forensic genealogist Dr Colleen Fitzpatrick, pictured.
16 RACHEL EGAN’S DNA LINKED TO PROSPER THOMSON..
Something Professor Abbott would prefer not to discuss
13 The Somerton Man’s mtDNA haplogroup ..
From Byron Deveson.
It is interesting that Clive sees a resemblance to SM in the Scots-Irish actor Stephen Boyd (AKA Millar) because SM’s mtDNA haplogroup is present at significant levels in Ireland. See:
https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/mt-dna-h4/about/background
It appears that Scots-Irish were mercenaries in Finland in the 16th Century and that could explain the high incidence of the H4 haplogroup in Finland (and Iceland where it constitutes 9%?).
I am reminded that there was a large “tartan” scarf (shawl?) in SM’s suitcase. From memory the tartan looked like a military or an Irish tartan. Or even a Norwegian tartan. But the pattern is oblong and all genuine tartans appear to be square as a consequence of the weaving method.
Tweeds are often rectangular and SM’s “tartan” scarf appears to be a tweed, not a tartan. Unfortunately tweed patterns and colour were chosen for camouflage (hunting) and this is consistent with the appearance of the scarf/shawl in the black and white press photo.
Tweeds are often dun coloured to fit in with the Scottish landscape. A dark blue and green tweed such as the one from SM’s suitcase would be an exception from my vague memory of such things and this might be an overlooked clue. Dark green and blue suggests deep forest to me and, relying on dim memory, these are not abundant in Scotland or Ireland. I note that some estates had their own tweed pattern and some estates had private forests. The possible US belongings (comb, lighter and coat and chewing gum(?) from memory) bolster the case for SM being American and Scots-Irish DNA is concordant with US East Coast heritage.
I started building a family tree commencing with Robin Thomson’s likely forbears Tarleton Pleasants (1778-1836) and Tabitha nee Crew (1788-1819) but I found so much contradictory information that I gave up.
I started by assembling all the available material, regardless of the contradictions, with the intention of straightening it all out. But, I soon found that the descendants of this couple could not agree as to whom begat whom and when, so I didn’t stand a chance.
I pushed on in the hope that one of the descendant lines would show some connection to Australia, and some do. The Merryman family comes to mind. But, nothing crystallised and I decided that there was more than a thousand hours of research required and only a relatively small chance of success. So, there the Pleasants family tree rests.
Byron Deveson.
Scots-Irish actor Stephen Boyd (AKA Millar)
The Somerton Man
I just noticed that Stephen Boyd has a SM type ear and this is fairly rare. DA’s anatomist friend at the Uni says 1% prevalence, but I have yet to see one after years of furtively gazing at ears. It is a dangerous game – try it (furtively gazing at ears I mean). Byron D
10 DNA, mtDNA, genealogy,mass spectroscopy and nuclear related matters. Byron Deveson.
Comments by Byron Deveson and a word from Derek Abbott.
9 The Somerton Man and what may have ailed him. Byron Deveson.
One thousand one hundred and sixty words ... all technical.
The Somerton Man 