JtR FINAL Victim Body to be exhumed

[The Good Michael]

Great marketing ploy! Buy my book or no exhumation.


Mike

[Sally]

I hope he can do it, myself. At least he'd know, then - and so would everybody else with an interest in the case.

[Robert]

We'd know more than that, Sally, because we - or rather, WWD - would have MJK's DNA profile (always providing that her bones do still exist and can be verified by means of notches etc). This would furnish a touchstone for anyone else who thinks they might be related. Also they would hopefully provide some evidence as to her probable origins (Limerick or Wales). Maybe stuff about her appearance too.

[richardnunweek]

Yes in all seriousness, the identity of the victim at Millers court, would be a sensational discovery, and could open many doors.
I may appear to have reservations,but I do hope something positive derives from all of this.
Richard.

[Sam Flynn]

I agree, Robert. Over the years, we've seen herculean attempts by several researchers to track Kelly down, but to no avail. In light of the fruitless effort expended on traditional means of research, it seems that such approaches are unlikely to shed any further light on Kelly's identity. Having her DNA profile on record, whoever she was, seems about the only avenue left open to us.

[Dane_F]

The quote in a paper here was

"I will proceed with the exhumation depending on the reaction to the book".

That doesn't mean sales. He said after the book releases and everyone gets to read it more information might come out including information that would mean there would be no point in exhuming the body which would be a huge undertaking.

[NeilG]

I'm in no way even going to pretend to know forensics here but won't they simply stumble into the same DNA brick wall that occurred with the shawl? Mitochondrial DNA proved to be insufficient enough to guarantee a positive enough result.

Will this by now severely decayed body give a higher quality DNA reading?

[Sam Flynn]

Will this by now severely decayed body give a higher quality DNA reading?

Almost certainly, Neil, and there's a good chance of obtaining some viable nuclear DNA (as opposed to the less-definitive mitochondrial equivalent). What's more, by having the body, we'll know for sure where the DNA samples came from... which is more than can be said for the shawl. That stuff on the shawl could have been deposited by just about anybody and - worse still - we can't even be sure that the shawl belonged to Eddowes at all.

[NeilG]

Almost certainly, Neil, and there's a good chance of obtaining some viable nuclear DNA (as opposed to the less-definitive mitochondrial equivalent). What's more, by having the body, we'll know for sure where the DNA samples came from... which is more than can be said for the shawl. That stuff on the shawl could have been deposited by just about anybody and - worse still - we can't even be sure that the shawl belonged to Eddowes at all.

Thanks for that Sam,

I have read there are severe doubts regarding the authenticity of the shawl to begin with and rightly so, the odds of contamination to the evidence particularly throw it further into question.

Fingers crossed the DNA hunt proves fruitful so we can at least shed a little more light on this fascinating subject.

[Sally]

We'd know more than that, Sally, because we - or rather, WWD - would have MJK's DNA profile (always providing that her bones do still exist and can be verified by means of notches etc). This would furnish a touchstone for anyone else who thinks they might be related. Also they would hopefully provide some evidence as to her probable origins (Limerick or Wales). Maybe stuff about her appearance too.

All true. And if she is exhumed, I'm sure facial reconstruction as per Richard III will be on the cards too - maybe a fight to the death between rival T.V. companies? If MJK does turn out to have been EWD, presumably any such venture would be subject to permission from her descendants.

But yes, DNA could prove very helpful in the search for MJK. Maybe science can answer what the records apparently can not.

[John Wheat]

Would the Exhumation be worth it though? I understand DNA may lead to a break through in who Mary Kelly was but so what? I'm 50/50 on wether she should be exhumed or not.

[Robert]

Well, strictly speaking it doesn't concern us since it is WWD's putative ancestor and he would be financing the exhumation. I believe his primary focus is his own family history, with the identity of JTR very much second.

But if as a result of the exhumation it did turn out to be possible to identify MJK or gain other info about her, then that would be of huge interest to us. We study everything - the Ripper, the victims, the police, the lodging-house keepers.....all part of the subject.

[Sam Flynn]

But if as a result of the exhumation it did turn out to be possible to identify MJK or gain other info about her, then that would be of huge interest to us. We study everything - the Ripper, the victims, the police, the lodging-house keepers.....all part of the subject.

If nothing else, it would put a stop to the wacky speculation surrounding her identity, and the even wackier theorising that tends to arise from it.

[c.d.]

Hello Sam,

Far from being the key that unlocks the case it could simply be that Mary chose to change her name so that no family member became aware that she was a prostitute. Similar to a porn star not using their real name.

c.d.

[Sam Flynn]

Far from being the key that unlocks the case it could simply be that Mary chose to change her name so that no family member became aware that she was a prostitute.

Indeed, CD, and perhaps having her DNA might one day allow us to find out who her family was. It should at least provide a means by which "pretenders" can be ruled out empirically.