Somerton Man Plaster Bust Mystery, Part 4 Serious Inconsistencies In The Carl Webb Claim..

 ...THE DETAILS...

This post outlines inconsistencies and uncertainties surrounding the claim that Carl Webb is the Somerton Man, an unidentified man found dead in Adelaide in 1948. The text focuses on discrepancies in hair color descriptions, the origin and documentation of a hair sample used for DNA analysis, and potential contamination of evidence. It also highlights the importance of maintaining a robust chain of evidence in forensic investigations, drawing upon historical examples of misidentified DNA samples and the implications these have on individual lives and justice. The story of the Somerton Man and the evidence surrounding the claim that he was Carl Webb is as layered and complex as the mystery itself. I've put a timeline focusing on the details and nuances framing the discussion. The intention for this post is to clarify as many issues as I can and to highlight some unusual inconsistencies regarding the, as-yet, unproven DNA analysis claim that Carl Webb was the Somerton Man.

1. The Initial Discovery and Challenges

On December 1, 1948, an unidentified man was found deceased on Somerton Beach, Adelaide. By December 3, following the autopsy, police photographer Jimmy Durham captured images of the body at the morgue. These photographs would later serve as a reference for reconstructing the man’s likeness by Paul Lawson.

Just a few days later, on December 10, the police arranged for the man’s body to be embalmed. Undertaker Laurie Elliot carried out this task, visiting the West Terrace Cemetery morgue 50 times over three months to monitor and top up various embalming fluids. Formaldehyde, a chemical known to destroy DNA, was heavily used during this process. It’s important to note that the freezing and thawing cycles the body underwent during this period could also have degraded any DNA that remained, further complicating future analyses.

LINK TO SOMERTON MAN PHOTOGRAPHS

2. The Creation of the Plaster Bust

Fast forward to June 1949, when Coroner Cleland ordered a plaster bust of the man’s head and shoulders. Taxidermist Paul Lawson was entrusted with this task, which proved particularly challenging due to the body’s altered condition—likely a result of the embalming process. Lawson relied on the post-autopsy photographs to model the bust’s features and noted that the body’s appearance had changed significantly. LINK TO PAUL LAWSON's DIARY POST

There’s an interesting historical note here: in the mid-20th century, it wasn’t uncommon to use human hair as a strengthening agent in plaster molds. While we don’t know for certain if human hair was included in the Somerton Man bust’s plaster mix, it’s a possibility worth considering. In an interview, Mr. Lawson mentioned that he used mortuary soap to slick down the man’s hair before casting the mold. This soap contained sodium hypochlorite, a substance known to destroy DNA and still used today in forensic labs to prevent contamination.

3. The Question of Hair Color & The Twist

The bust, left unprotected for decades, became a key focus of later investigations. In 1968, journalist Patrick Burgess examined the bust while writing a series of articles to mark the 20th anniversary of the case. Burgess noted that the hair embedded in the bust was “pale ginger,” a description that he repeated in a 1970 article. Significantly, Pat Burgesses's statement matches the observation made in 1949 by pathologist John Burton Cleland, who in his evidence (correction, the description was in Professor Cleland's notes and not in his evidence) to the 1949 inquest described the man’s hair as “fair to ginger-colored.” Excerpt from Wiki

According to the pathologist, John Burton Cleland, the man was of "Britisher" appearance and thought to be aged about 40–45; he was in "top physical condition".[16] He was: 180 centimetres (5 ft 11 in) tall, with grey eyes, fair to ginger-coloured hair,[17] slightly grey around the temples,[7]

Importantly, the citation

LINK TO WIKI HERE

Contrast this with a later observation. In his IEEE Spectrum article, Professor Derek Abbott refers to a hair sample from the bust as 'light brown' in colour. Here's the extract from that article:
'The body was reported to have had graying hair at the sides; this gray hair [left], shown under magnification, was pulled from the mask. A light brown hair was also found [right]; the man had been reported as having “mousey” colored hair.'

Here's a link to the IEEE article:

LINK TO ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY WIKI

These discrepancies in hair color—“pale ginger” versus “light brown”—raise an important question: are we potentially looking at hair samples from different individuals? If Charlie doesn't have pale ginger hair then, by default, he could not be the Somerton Man.

The family group of four to the right shows 'Charlie' with his hair looking quite sunbleached. I cannot say with 100 % confidence that his hair has a reddish tinge, we don't have a colored image. I would say that it is more blond than that of his brother Roy to the right of the image who is known to have brown hair. It must be said that two siblings can have different colored hair and red hair does not necessarily have to come from the parents, it can 'skip' a generation.

The images shown here on this page reflect the colors nominated by Professor Cleland, Gerry Feltus, and Pat Burgess.

These comparisons are close to the core of the inconsistencies in the Carl Webb claim.

In the case of the Somerton Man, Professor Cleland in his evidence also stated that the man had grey eyes. Statistically, those having a combination of red hair and grey eyes are very rare, the estimate I

came across suggested that about .001% of the population had such a combination. As far as countries of origin are concerned, Ireland, Scotland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden were most likely but some examples would be found in Central Europe as well.

This next image shows light brown hair as indicated by Professor Abbott in his IEEE Spectrum article

As you can see in the image above to the left of the pair, is said to be grey in color and the one to the right is said to be light brown. The evidence from Professor Cleland clearly states that the hair was 'mousey ginger' and in fact that same term. 'Mousey ginger' is used in the Adelaide University wiki. It seems a small point but it is a critical one as it raises the question as to why the 'ginger' as mentioned and quoted by Professor Cleland was committed. 

The other question that is raised is could this mean that we have two different coourd hairs located in the plaster bust? If so, how would that have occurred? Is it possible that the plaster mix contained human hair as a strengthening agent as mentioned in item 2. above?

The final question, is it possible that various hair samples have somehow been mixed up?

LINK TO ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY WIKI

4. DNA Analysis and the 50 mm Rootless Hair Shaft

By 2006, ex-detective Gerry Feltus examined the bust, corroborating Burgess’s description of “pale ginger” hair. Feltus attempted DNA extraction but found the samples unsuitable due to contamination and degradation. He noted significant insect damage to the hair shafts and identified one hair with a putrid root, typical of cadaver hair.

In 2012, Professor Abbott produced a 50 mm rootless hair shaft, which he proceeded to have analyzed for mitochondrial DNA. This analysis, which used the imputation process, led to the identification of the Somerton Man as Carl Webb, a man who disappeared in 1947. However, several critical questions remain:

• The Hair’s Origin: There is no documentation in the claim made in the IEEE article, or anywhere else that I could find, that details where, when, how, or by whom the 50 mm rootless hair shaft was collected.
• Owner's Status: There is no mention as to whether the 50 mm rootless hair came from a living or deceased individual.
• Hair Color and Sex: The IEEE article does not specify the hair color or the sex of the owner of the rootless hair shaft, which would be critical for forensic verification.
• Relatives’ DNA: There is no documentation on the collection of DNA samples from Carl Webb’s relatives, leaving room for doubt about the validity of the match.

5. Chain of Evidence Concerns

Finally, a critical issue lies in the chain of evidence—or lack thereof. The absence of documentation surrounding the 50 mm rootless hair shaft raises serious concerns. Without clear records detailing where, when, and how these samples were collected, the integrity of this evidence is compromised. This, coupled with the inconsistencies in hair color descriptions, leaves the DNA identification open to question.

6. The Lingering Uncertainties

The discrepancies in hair color—“pale ginger” from three separate and earlier observations versus “light brown” in Professor Abbott’s article—highlight the complexities of this case. Add to that the lack of documentation and a chain of evidence with the potential for sample mix-ups, and we are left with significant unresolved questions. Was the rootless hair shaft truly from the Somerton Man? Was there human hair in the plaster mix? Or are we looking at evidence that has been inadvertently contaminated or misattributed?

Examples of Contaminated DNA Samples:

Norwegian Hospital Mix-Up (1965): In 1965, a Norwegian hospital mistakenly swapped two newborns, leading to each being raised by the other's biological mother. The error was uncovered decades later through DNA testing, prompting the affected individuals to sue the state for human rights violations. 

AP NEWS

23andMe Sample Swaps (2010): Personal genomics company 23andMe reported that a lab error resulted in up to 96 customers receiving incorrect genetic data. This incident highlighted the importance of stringent quality control in genetic testing services. 

WIRED

Victorian Forensic Error (2009): In Victoria, Australia, Farah Jama was wrongfully convicted of rape based solely on DNA evidence. It was later revealed that his DNA sample had been contaminated, leading to his exoneration after 16 months in prison. 

ABC NEWS

Colorado DNA Analyst Misconduct (2024): In Boulder, Colorado, a DNA analyst was found to have tampered with evidence, affecting multiple cases. This misconduct led to the reevaluation of several convictions and raised concerns about the integrity of forensic practices. 

AP NEWS

Additional Link: https://www.eleceng.adelaide.edu.au/personal/dabbott/wiki/index.php/List_of_facts_we_do_know_about_the_Somerton_Man