DeSalvo to be dug up

[robert newell]

Boston police say they matched DNA from Mary Sullivan's murder scene to that of a nephew of Albert DeSalvo, the man never convicted but confessed to being the Boston Strangler. They plan to exhume the body of DeSalvo next week. Should prove interesting. This has always been a very interesting case. Local news says they got DNA from a water bottle his nephew used......Robert

[Wickerman]

Hello Robert.

But they already exhumed DeSalvo & Sullivan in 2001, and due to DNA testing, determined DeSalvo was innocent.

[sdreid]

Somebody was apparently mistaken or dishonest but which one?

[robert newell]

Hi Jon. In 2001....I know they found dna on her body that did not match DeSalvo. Also he was wrong on numerous points. Time, method and some others. Not only was he wrong on facts in this case, but some of the others. If I recall correctly. I understand from the film on the local (Providence R.I.) news that dna came from a water bottle his nephew discarded and was matched to dna from the scene. What this was I do not know. Mary Sullivan's nephew, who wrote a book questioning DeSalvo's guilt seemed to be excited by the news. Have to wait and see what was matched I guess. I've always leaned toward others involvement, so we'll see what happens....Robert

[jason_c]

Somebody was apparently mistaken or dishonest but which one?

I assume DNA testing has improved leaps and bounds since 2001.

[martin wilson]

That will be interesting, from somewhere I remember reading that the confessions were not as clear cut as it seemed, and involved a great deal of prompting, if that's true I don't know, without research it appears the murders stopped with Desalvo, but who knows?
A Death in Belmont by Sebastian Junger is entirely speculative, but worth a read I think, certainly takes the award for most chilling cover if Desalvo was the guy.