Comments on: David Foran http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/features/executed-in-error/david-foran/204/ Part detective story, part true-life drama, SECRETS OF THE DEAD unearths evidence from around the world, challenging prevailing ideas and throwing fresh light on unexplained events. Using the most up-to-date science in the laboratory and in the field, scientists and researchers examine the missing pieces of each puzzle, completing the picture of what had been merely an assemblage of suppositions. Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:49:38 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: PW http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/features/executed-in-error/david-foran/204/#comment-1714 PW Tue, 08 Sep 2009 01:31:08 +0000 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/?p=204#comment-1714 Valerie, where did you hear that the police found a head with hair like Cora's? I have never heard that. In fact, the remains were headless. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawley_Harvey_Crippen -- "Their disappearance led Scotland Yard to perform another three searches of the house. During the fourth and final search, they found the remains of a human body, buried under the brick floor of the basement. Sir Bernard Spilsbury found traces of scopolamine, a calming drug. The corpse had to be identified from a piece of skin from its abdomen, because the head, limbs, and skeleton were never recovered." Valerie, where did you hear that the police found a head with hair like Cora’s? I have never heard that. In fact, the remains were headless. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawley_Harvey_Crippen — “Their disappearance led Scotland Yard to perform another three searches of the house. During the fourth and final search, they found the remains of a human body, buried under the brick floor of the basement. Sir Bernard Spilsbury found traces of scopolamine, a calming drug. The corpse had to be identified from a piece of skin from its abdomen, because the head, limbs, and skeleton were never recovered.”

]]> By: Ignacio Rodriguez http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/features/executed-in-error/david-foran/204/#comment-1193 Ignacio Rodriguez Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:40:51 +0000 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/?p=204#comment-1193 wack!!!!!!! wack!!!!!!!

]]> By: pearl http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/features/executed-in-error/david-foran/204/#comment-1072 pearl Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:24:56 +0000 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/?p=204#comment-1072 i agree thst the slides obtained couldve been a mix up as 10 years is a looong time to keep record of where the slides where held.. though the presence of jus few pieces of flesh along with a curler wit strands of hair that resembled cora's is pretty suspicious... if the rest of the body jus disappeared theres no way the muderer would be as foolish to place few bits of flesh with the 'scar' and the CURLER WITH HAIR in a 'grave'!! its ridiculous! there is a possibility that the wrong slides were tested and also a possibility that there was contamination when the slide itself was prepared! it couldve been a deliberate planting of evidence by the police to convict crippen as he'd 'run away' (most probably with the plans of eloping with his gal)! guess the secret was buried along with crippen. i wouldve loved to see the actual report that they got on dna analysis though... i agree thst the slides obtained couldve been a mix up as 10 years is a looong time to keep record of where the slides where held.. though the presence of jus few pieces of flesh along with a curler wit strands of hair that resembled cora’s is pretty suspicious… if the rest of the body jus disappeared theres no way the muderer would be as foolish to place few bits of flesh with the ’scar’ and the CURLER WITH HAIR in a ‘grave’!! its ridiculous! there is a possibility that the wrong slides were tested and also a possibility that there was contamination when the slide itself was prepared! it couldve been a deliberate planting of evidence by the police to convict crippen as he’d ‘run away’ (most probably with the plans of eloping with his gal)! guess the secret was buried along with crippen. i wouldve loved to see the actual report that they got on dna analysis though…

]]> By: StephanieHalbert http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/features/executed-in-error/david-foran/204/#comment-1008 StephanieHalbert Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:02:41 +0000 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/?p=204#comment-1008 I believe I did see the whole video, and it was mentioned that the original samples of the tissue and hair were requested from Scotland Yard, however Scotland Yard would not release them for additional testing... I agree with the prior comment about the necessity of being objective in the examination of scientific samples. I do not see where the DNA researcher had prejudged the outcome of the sample he was given. I'm also not sure how the torso-rib connection could have been determined if there was only tissue and no bones found in the burial site in the basement. I believe I did see the whole video, and it was mentioned that the original samples of the tissue and hair were requested from Scotland Yard, however Scotland Yard would not release them for additional testing…
I agree with the prior comment about the necessity of being objective in the examination of scientific samples. I do not see where the DNA researcher had prejudged the outcome of the sample he was given. I’m also not sure how the torso-rib connection could have been determined if there was only tissue and no bones found in the burial site in the basement.

]]> By: George Carlson http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/features/executed-in-error/david-foran/204/#comment-962 George Carlson Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:20:31 +0000 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/?p=204#comment-962 There was soft tissue from dinosaurs bones recovered using a diluted acid was, any DNA found? Is Jurassic park around the corner and, what is the oldest DNA found? Thank you, George L. Carlson There was soft tissue from dinosaurs bones recovered using a diluted acid was, any DNA found? Is Jurassic park around the corner and, what is the oldest DNA found?

Thank you,

George L. Carlson

]]> By: valerie http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/features/executed-in-error/david-foran/204/#comment-960 valerie Thu, 02 Oct 2008 05:11:25 +0000 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/?p=204#comment-960 What this researcher fails to mention, in his assertion that the torso found buried in the basement of Crippin's home was male, is that the hair he sought for testing was found with the torso and was identified as Cora's hair by it's hideous color and treatment. It was wrapped around one of Cora's hair curlers, having been ripped out of her head by the murderer complete with pieces of her scalp. I am not suggesting that the tissue offered "free" to this researcher was not male. I am suggesting the tissue offered for "free" to this researcher was not from the murder scene. It may very well have been a slide from another case mixed in with the Crippen case evidence by a careless person as long as 100 years ago, at the time of the trial. I would very much like to see DNA analysis on the hair that was wrapped around Cora's hair curler that was found in the "grave" and let us discover whether this researcher finds that the scalp tissue and hair come from a male. Males of that time did not keep their hair long or use women's curlers. Also, women of the time would undergo surgery to remove the last ribs on either side. It was a dangerous surgery and purely for fashion, but Cora had it done. She bore the scars from this surgery and those tell-tale scars of a woman having healed for a long period of time after rib removal were on the torso remains found in the "grave". Males of that time did NOT have their ribs removed. I believe this researcher began his work with a mind toward disproving Crippin's guilt. A scientist MUST remain objective or the science breaks down. Just as soon as the researcher realized that his DNA came from a male, he should have paid for a hair sample from Scotland Yard to verify that it was a woman's DNA, establish a DNA profile for the woman who belonged to the curler, and check THAT against Cora's female relatives. At that point, he could have gone back to the drawing board with the Museum and informed them that their tissue samples could possibly be mismarked or mixed in with another case. What this researcher fails to mention, in his assertion that the torso found buried in the basement of Crippin’s home was male, is that the hair he sought for testing was found with the torso and was identified as Cora’s hair by it’s hideous color and treatment. It was wrapped around one of Cora’s hair curlers, having been ripped out of her head by the murderer complete with pieces of her scalp.
I am not suggesting that the tissue offered “free” to this researcher was not male. I am suggesting the tissue offered for “free” to this researcher was not from the murder scene. It may very well have been a slide from another case mixed in with the Crippen case evidence by a careless person as long as 100 years ago, at the time of the trial.
I would very much like to see DNA analysis on the hair that was wrapped around Cora’s hair curler that was found in the “grave” and let us discover whether this researcher finds that the scalp tissue and hair come from a male. Males of that time did not keep their hair long or use women’s curlers.
Also, women of the time would undergo surgery to remove the last ribs on either side. It was a dangerous surgery and purely for fashion, but Cora had it done. She bore the scars from this surgery and those tell-tale scars of a woman having healed for a long period of time after rib removal were on the torso remains found in the “grave”. Males of that time did NOT have their ribs removed.
I believe this researcher began his work with a mind toward disproving Crippin’s guilt. A scientist MUST remain objective or the science breaks down. Just as soon as the researcher realized that his DNA came from a male, he should have paid for a hair sample from Scotland Yard to verify that it was a woman’s DNA, establish a DNA profile for the woman who belonged to the curler, and check THAT against Cora’s female relatives. At that point, he could have gone back to the drawing board with the Museum and informed them that their tissue samples could possibly be mismarked or mixed in with another case.

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