A problem with the "Eddowes Shawl" DNA match

[jmenges]

I just want to say that the impression (granted, this was a month ago) I got from both Dr. L and his PR agent is that they prefer his appearances be with Russell Edwards rather than solo. The reason given to me for this tag team approach was the Dr's general lack of knowledge about particulars of the Whitechapel murders if ever he was asked about something case related, and he apparently lacks the comfort with the English language necessary if needing to be exact in his comprehension of questions and his replies with a native speaker.

JM

Edit- I'd also like to add that my last contact with Dr. Louhelainen was one day before the start of this thread, and Chris indicated he had given Louhelainen the heads up/chance to respond privately before the first post, and so I suspect I know why they preferred not to discuss their findings in any detail in a podcast format with me and selected guests.

[Archaic]

The ones with that big six inch needle that goes .... OW!!!!

cheers, gryff

Yikes, that's what comes of posting from a so-called smartphone while out in a horse pasture... I typed "super-injunctions" and my phone changed it to "super-injections"!

I keep disabling Auto-Correct, but it keeps coming back.

Time for a large wooden stake I guess.

Cheers,
Archaic

[Chris]

PS: Anyone know about those trips to the BBC and CNN they made Monday? Any appearances on TV etc?

No - I've been wondering about those. My impression is that the telephone interviews he mentioned were for the Finnish newspapers.

[Chris]

Checking for news on Dr Louhelainen's Twitter page I was amused to see the following message (unfortunately from Twitter, not the man himself):

Something is technically wrong.
Thanks for noticing—we're going to fix it up and have things back to normal soon.

[Chris]

and he apparently lacks the comfort with the English language necessary if needing to be exact in his comprehension of questions and his replies with a native speaker.

He must find that a handicap in his work as a Senior Lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University.

[Peter Griffith aka gryff]

No - I've been wondering about those. My impression is that the telephone interviews he mentioned were for the Finnish newspapers.

Agreed Chris. But the BBC and CNN - weird there is no TV, radio or internet video. Could RE and Dr. JL have walked away from them - perhaps after being told that they would be talking about the Independent article?

cheers, gryff

[mickreed]

Agreed Chris. But the BBC and CNN - weird there is no TV, radio or internet video. Could RE and Dr. JL have walked away from them - perhaps after being told that they would be talking about the Independent article?

cheers, gryff

That is an interesting thought, Gryff.

[Chris]

Agreed Chris. But the BBC and CNN - weird there is no TV, radio or internet video. Could RE and Dr. JL have walked away from them - perhaps after being told that they would be talking about the Independent article?

But wouldn't it have been obvious that's what they wanted to talk about, after a month and a half of media silence?

Stephen Ryder did kindly pass on to me an email enquiry from an NBC journalist earlier in the week. She was preparing a report based on the Independent story, but her editor decided to "hold off on writing this, for a few reasons".

[PaulB]

G'day Paul,

I take your point about the meaning of a book to a publisher. But, and this isn't really a good analogy, if your packet of soapflakes was found to make clothes dirtier, they would soon pull it from the shelves, because the furore would continue. They may be misjudging the critics here. This won't go away until either someone proves the science right, or fesses up that it's wrong.

There is a moral issue here. We understood that the Kosminski relatives were not really keen on being connected with JtR and the 'M' retained anonymity for that reason. Aren't they owed the truth?

Of course the Kosminski descendants deserve the truth (and I have always given the descendants of victims, suspects and so on the highest priority), but perhaps the descendantsin have been reassured by Russell and Jari that their findings are correct and that their critics can be answered.

My point is that IF Russell and Jari continue to believe that their findings are correct, they can sincerely reassure everyone who needs to be reassured and then play the game as they see fit.

Jari's treatment of your "lengthy" email is wrong, of course, although a clue to his reaction might be found in the word "lengthy", and a knee to the groin seems the initial suitable response to the "nutter" remark. Talk about digging holes!

[PaulB]

Frankly Gryff, I very much doubt that JL is under any contractual inhibitions over this. In all of the communications from him that I know of, he has pleaded privacy firstly, and then later that he didn't accept the information provided.

Now these could be a form of words used to deflect questions, but somehow I doubt it.

And, I keep saying this, he is still out there with RE promoting. If he knew he was wrong, but couldn't say so (not the case I'm sure) then the least he could do would be to shut up on the promotion front.

I'd just quickly point out that I wholeheartedly agree with you that "if he knew he was wrong....[he could] shut up on the promotion front". But what if he doesn't accept that he's wrong?

[Chris]

... perhaps the descendantsin have been reassured by Russell and Jari that their findings are correct and that their critics can be answered.

But the fact is that the findings clearly aren't correct.

[RockySullivan]

But the fact is that the findings clearly aren't correct.

Well I beg to differ! Now that I've read my copy of "framing Jack the Ripper" I agree with Edwards conclusion...the Michaelmas daisy evidence is far too compelling to ignore. Koz is obviously the ripper CASE CLOSED please move along

[Chris]

Well I beg to differ! Now that I've read my copy of "framing Jack the Ripper" I agree with Edwards conclusion...the Michaelmas daisy evidence is far too compelling to ignore. Koz is obviously the ripper CASE CLOSED please move along

Ah, yes, the Michaelmas Daisies. Maybe they deserve their own thread too ...

But to forestall a wider discussion, I should say I meant specifically the identification of the sequence variation as 314.1C, and the estimate of its frequency as 1 in 290,000.

[PaulB]

But the fact is that the findings clearly aren't correct.

I didn't say otherwise.

I read the following on a blog recently: “The only people who don’t make mistakes are the people who don’t try.” That's so true. There is no shame in being wrong. But there are people who convince themselves they are right even when the evidence against them is overwhelming.

[Chris]

I didn't say otherwise.

I read the following on a blog recently: “The only people who don’t make mistakes are the people who don’t try.” That's so true. There is no shame in being wrong. But there are people who convince themselves they are right even when the evidence against them is overwhelming.

I agree there's no shame in making a mistake. But if it's a very elementary mistake, and it's explained to you clearly, and if for good measure experts in your field confirm it's a mistake - then if after all that you don't correct it, there's something very badly wrong.