Somerton Man Plaster Bust mystery, Part 3...

Ex-Detective Sergeant Gerry Feltus,
SAPOL, Major Crime Squad

In the previous post, I mentioned the issue of the plaster bust and how the journalist Pat Burgess was to be seen in a photograph taken around 1970 examining the bust.

This post follows on from there:


Some news, well, not exactly fresh but recently uncovered is probably a better description.

In the previous post, I wrote about Journalist Pat Burgess. He had written several articles on the Somerton Man going back to 1968. I followed through on that and found another reference to Pat's articles, this one was in Gerry Feltus' book The Unknown Man, you can find it on Page 194, Appendix 10.

Gerry refers to the issue of DNA testing and he makes specific mention of a Pat Burgess article reported to him by another in which Pat had mentioned his discovery of hair in the plaster bust which explains the photo attached here taken around 1970 where Pat is seen examining the bust on the left eyebrow.

To the point, Pat had described the colour of the hair in the bust as being a 'pale ginger', Gerry Feltus agreed stating that he had examined the bust and had wondered whether the hair had any DNA content and that he noted the colour of the hair as being 'pale ginger' in agreement with Pat Burgess. :

Gerry went on to discuss an analysis of the hair he had organised to be carried out by a past acquaintance in the Forensics and DNA field in 2006. The analysis at that time came back with the finding that:

No suitable DNA could be found possibly due to formalin and other contamination. There was noticeable insect damage to the hair shaft. It was noticed that one hair examined had a putrid root which is common amongst hair found on cadavars.

Some thoughts. The journalist Pat Burgess was the first to notice the hair on the bust around 1968. Gerry, learning of Pat's findings examined the bust around 2006 and agreed with Pat regarding the colour of the air being 'pale ginger'. 

I came along after Gerry and mentioned the hair seen in the plaster bust and informed Professor Abbott around 2010. I hadn't read Gerry's book at that time. Professor Abbott dismissed it as being not possible. In 2012 approximately Professor Abbott claimed he had noticed hairs on the bust.

There is also a 2009 video from the ABC that has Professor Abbott mentioning that having seen the bust he thought that the man was 'very hairy'.  

In the IEEE Spectrum Article found HERE

Professor Abbott refers to the colour of the hair as 'light brown'

That is a significant difference, light brown is not light ginger and I believe you will find the reference to the ginger-tinged hair in Dr Dwyer's evidence, I stand to be corrected on that.

According to AI, the difference between Pale Ginger and Light brown is quite noticeable:

The main difference between light brown and pale ginger hair is that ginger hair has a deeper red base color, while light brown hair is a sun-kissed brunette shade:

Having had numerous conversations with Gerry, I can say that I have nothing but respect for him and the service he has given to SAPOL and South Australia. I can also say that I share his disappointment in Professor Derek Abbott.

There’s more information to come.