SOLVED MA - Jane Britton, 22, Harvard student, Cambridge, 7 Jan 1969

[:+:MrTT:+:]

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9dpNu3jLO3tbkZSNmk2aHVYR00/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9dpNu3jLO3teTdNRHZRS0JGbXM/edit?usp=sharing

Not many posts here so i will read. But there was another student or worker in anthropology that was also killed when she returned back from the states.
early 70s i believe, i thought this was that case.......in her case there were pictures of her taken with her coworkers/professors etc.

Never mind...I believe from looking this is that case i thought it was. Maybe i was getting it confused with other late 60s killing of students. from Harvard and Yale and wherever else these young ladies in school were being murdered.

Looking at the building she was found in. I would bet there's a connection to another killing form that time period, which one i am not sure yet, perhaps the student found beating outside a building, OR the one in the book-room, the stacks they called it, OR maybe the killing where the girl was found setting in a chair by a window starring out of and they speculated the killer went to the corner to see her setting in the chair by the window dead. Or perhaps one i failed to mention...Got confused.

Thinking of that case, with the psycho that killed the girl and put her in a chair and placed her by the window to make it appear she was looking outside. So the killer to go to the corner and look back at her.....THAT psycho. Not sure of the year though. The case i think may be connected was around the same time period, especially the year 69

Thank you for the archive links. very useful

 

[Ausgirl]

Awesome, Bessie - thank you!

Well, that clears up where Ravi was staying, exactly.... I had thought he was in the same building that particular evening, as one report said he was with the Mitchells....

I'm still eyeballing him, however! Something tells me Mr. Ravi was guilty of more than just drug smuggling...

The article also clears up the relationship between Jane and Humphries somewhat - she was "unusually" happy, said her dad, to be reunited with James. So it seems nothing was sour there for Jane, at least.

I find KLK's comments a little odd.. he describes her as "dying" (a weirdly mild word to use for somebody you know who was just brutally murdered) and says she was "gifted" but then lists accomplishments at her hobbies, not her studies or work in archaeology.

Might have a new suspect, thanks to Fred&Edna's awesome sleuthing powers. But I won't say more til something more definite comes up (like we can establish whether this person was possibly in the area at the time...).

 

[Justice4Jane]

Ausgirl, I also found that odd. Anything seem strange about the below excerpt from the NYT article I referenced earlier?

Professor Lamberg Karlovsky, 31 year - old native of Prague, paced the floor of Professor Williams's office ... He said that Jane, who had served as his teaching assistant "was an easy grader." He described her as an enthusiastic worker who had stood up well under the rigors of life in the isolated field camp in Iran.

She astonished the native workers with her horsemanship, cooked often and maintained spirits with her sharp humor and knowledge of trivia, he said. 'She was not a girl with whom you could get away with much. She had a strong personality, quick with a come-back. She loved music and Bach ranked above all others. "My favorite is Mozart and she thought that was a pretty unsophisticated favorite."

He minimized press reports of hostility among the nine members of the team, saying that minor conflicts were inevitable among a small close-knit group. "There were complaints about too much tuna fish," he said.

 

[Robin Hood]

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9dpNu3jLO3tbkZSNmk2aHVYR00/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9dpNu3jLO3teTdNRHZRS0JGbXM/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks Bessie for the articles above, page 2 refers to Jane's mother as being a Research Assistant at Ratcliffe. Then I remembered Ada and found P.P's statement below -

Quote from Pink Panther on page 1

''I have no reason to think so, but I've never understood the police's connection between Jane B and Ada B's murders apart from location/vicinity. Then again, there is virtually NO information released on either cases which both seemingly remain unsolved. Ada was Ada Caroline Bradbury. She was born and died in Cambridge. She had been a secretary/research secretary at Harvard''

If the connection has already been made, I apologize, there's a lot of reading back to verify

 

[December]

Ausgirl, I also found that odd. Anything seem strange about the below excerpt from the NYT article I referenced earlier?

Professor Lamberg Karlovsky, 31 year - old native of Prague, paced the floor of Professor Williams's office ... He said that Jane, who had served as his teaching assistant "was an easy grader." He described her as an enthusiastic worker who had stood up well under the rigors of life in the isolated field camp in Iran.

She astonished the native workers with her horsemanship, cooked often and maintained spirits with her sharp humor and knowledge of trivia, he said. 'She was not a girl with whom you could get away with much. She had a strong personality, quick with a come-back. She loved music and Bach ranked above all others. "My favorite is Mozart and she thought that was a pretty unsophisticated favorite."

He minimized press reports of hostility among the nine members of the team, saying that minor conflicts were inevitable among a small close-knit group. "There were complaints about too much tuna fish," he said.

This makes me wonder...

Perhaps someone who didn't get to go be part of this team was very jealous of Jane. Maybe they felt they were better, academically than Jane. Perhaps not realizing that she might have strengths that contributed to the overall team (maybe her particular area of expertise) and fit better with the team than they. So, they decided to make certain Jane never got another "unfair" opportunity. (wild speculation)

Given the deplorable state of security of Jane's building and apartment, it would be easy even for an amateur to seem as though they knew what they were doing as long as they left promptly afterwards and kept their mouth shut. I mean, she couldn't even lock her own door!

 

[Ausgirl]

J4J - that description actually made me a bit sad - imagine the woman she would have become, given time to mature and follow her path.

I think that if there was enough 'tension' to make the press reports, it's very worth looking at everybody on that dig. I really doubt it was all about the tuna. :no:

Maybe Jane cheated on her bf. Maybe he thought she had. Maybe someone else thought she had.. etc, etc. Maybe Jane had stumbled on a plot to smuggle drugs into the US inside Iranian artifacts.. Maybe it was simple "if I can't have you.." type jealousy.

Thinking outside the psychopathological for a moment, there's plenty of 'ordinary' motives. People do crazy stuff for 'love'.

 

[December]

J4J - that description actually made me a bit sad - imagine the woman she would have become, given time to mature and follow her path.

I think that if there was enough 'tension' to make the press reports, it's very worth looking at everybody on that dig. I really doubt it was all about the tuna. :no:

Maybe Jane cheated on her bf. Maybe he thought she had. Maybe someone else thought she had.. etc, etc. Maybe Jane had stumbled on a plot to smuggle drugs into the US inside Iranian artifacts.. Maybe it was simple "if I can't have you.." type jealousy.

Thinking outside the psychopathological for a moment, there's plenty of 'ordinary' motives. People do crazy stuff for 'love'.

The stolen antiquities trade is also very lucrative. If Jane found out about anything, I would guess this is it. She learned some of the artifacts they were recovering weren't going to museums (or whatever legitimate places), but to private collectors for money.

A young, idealistic student might strongly object to that. There would be practical reasons as well. Having the artifacts handled in a proper way gives more people chances to learn about past cultures. But, selling them to someone to place in a vault only enriches one person. Also, I know in some cases, certain things aren't supposed to even leave the country in which they are discovered.

Or maybe Jane didn't find out anything for certain, but she was just a little too detail oriented. And, so, someone realized she would figure it out sooner or later. Since this could ruin their career (perhaps) and cut off their money when the artifacts were confiscated, then that would be a real problem.

More wild speculation.

 

[December]

J4J - that description actually made me a bit sad - imagine the woman she would have become, given time to mature and follow her path.

I think that if there was enough 'tension' to make the press reports, it's very worth looking at everybody on that dig. I really doubt it was all about the tuna. :no:

Maybe Jane cheated on her bf. Maybe he thought she had. Maybe someone else thought she had.. etc, etc. Maybe Jane had stumbled on a plot to smuggle drugs into the US inside Iranian artifacts.. Maybe it was simple "if I can't have you.." type jealousy.

Thinking outside the psychopathological for a moment, there's plenty of 'ordinary' motives. People do crazy stuff for 'love'.

The stolen antiquities trade is also very lucrative. If Jane found out about anything, I would guess this is it. She learned some of the artifacts they were recovering weren't going to museums (or whatever legitimate places), but to private collectors for money.

A young, idealistic student might strongly object to that. There would be practical reasons as well. Having the artifacts handled in a proper way gives more people chances to learn about past cultures. But, selling them to someone to place in a vault only enriches one person. Also, I know in some cases, certain things aren't supposed to even leave the country in which they are discovered.

Or maybe Jane didn't find out anything for certain, but she was just a little too detail oriented. And, so, someone realized she would figure it out sooner or later. Since this could ruin their career (perhaps) and cut off their money when the artifacts were confiscated, then that would be a real problem.

More wild speculation.

 

[December]

the ‘1970 Rule’. This rule states that, in acquiring an antiquity from a country overseas, the trustees of the museum will acquire only those objects which have documentation to show that they were exported from their country of origin before 1970 (or that they were legally exported, with valid export licences from the country of origin, after that date). This formulation, when carefully applied, should prevent the acquisition of any antiquities illicitly excavated after the year 1970. The formulation should not, of course, be taken to encourage the acquisition of antiquities that were looted prior to that date, but it marks a useful and practical dividing line to prevent or discourage ongoing looting.

copied from here:
http://www.beniculturali.it/mibac/e...etter-2/visualizza_asset.html_1712427011.html

Needless to say, this probably took years to come together. So, in 1969, Jane might have unwittingly been in the middle of... well, something other than studying ancient civilizations.

I read that even organized crime is/was involved. There were earlier attempts to piece together agreements. It seems that it'd be a strategy to sneak an organized crime type person within the midst of some scholars. I'm speculating here and I'm not casting doubt on any particular person. But, it would very much be a motive not only for murder, but also a motive to distract and discredit people trying to unearth items to be carefully studied rather than sold for a profit.

(I'll continue to look for pertinent links.)

 

[December]

It is not surprising. According to Scotland Yard the majority of art is stolen for the purpose of laundering money, and art sales are often components of the laundering process (Mayes 1996, 1; Ulph 1998, 343).

from here:
http://www.mcdonald.cam.ac.uk/projects/iarc/culturewithoutcontext/issue5/brodie.htm

Again speculation, it seems quite useful that if a person was in a position to appraise items in certain ways that could be very useful for a person who either wanted to launder money or who wanted to conceal where there money was really going. "I know I spent $2 million, but I got this neat bowl!" (doesn't mention the other items he purchased besides the $45 bowl)

Again, here is Jane, a student who gets along well with everyone and does a lot of extra things like cooking, what if she picked up snatches of conversations she wasn't supposed to hear and started putting adding things up.. what would she do? Probably talk to her professor. I'm not accusing the professor, but as soon as she shares things with someone then there is a chance a bad person could learn of her suspicions.

Oh, and what would the professor do? Probably ask his secretary to type a letter or memo or whatever.

MOOOO

 

[December]

The black market trade of illicit antiquities is supplied by looting and art theft. Artifacts are often those that have been discovered and unearthed at archeological digs and then transported internationally through a middleman to often unsuspecting collectors, museums, antique dealers, and auction houses. The antiquities trade is much more careful in recent years about establishing the provenance of cultural artifacts.[2][3] Some estimates put annual turnover in billions of US dollars

from here:
Antiquities trade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Includes some good links.

 

[December]

Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property 1970

Paris, 14 November 1970

The law itself... found here...
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13039&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Anyway, this is an overview.. I read more than I posted. If anyone wants me to look up something else, I will.

I don't know that this is what happened to Jane, but it is another angle.

 

[Ausgirl]

December, good stuff!!! Yes, it is good to think in different directions - if they don't go anywhere, at least they've been covered. This isn't a bad one to go in, I think.

Just as some background info on US/Iran relations at the time of those expeditions: http://www.parstimes.com/history/relations_64-68.html

Almost completely OT, but very interesting nonetheless. Also interesting is that Jane was possibly clobbered with an antiquity brought back from Iran.

Anyway, if there's a heavy political undertone to Jane's death, it could explain the ongoing media blackout...

 

[December]

Ausgirl, thank you. And good idea to expand it into foreign relations. I noticed that page stopped with 1968. I wonder if plans began to change drastically in 1969... in ways that this research group from Harvard may not have realized.

This also begins to give me an idea why Jane's role in the group was downplayed by the professor quoted above. He made it sound as if she was there to cook and raise morale. But, my impression from other articles was that she was as serious in her research as any of the other members. It even mentioned her finding a particular artifact.

 

[HankB]

I trailed the suspect through time as he moved from state to state and place to place. In each location they have unsolved murders with headlines like 30 or 40 years later, we still remember. I even reached out and asked, if this guy was known would he have been a suspect? They ignore and dismiss, don't bother to reply, yet the cases go unsolved. He was up for Bev, Janey the early Coeds in Michigan, how many more? Nowadays they blame everything they can't solve on T. Bundy. They actually break their own rules in not changing pattern to make him fit, yet the real killer goes free. He still walks among us. The Suspect

 

[December]

Yeah, I don't think this was Bundy by a longshot. Nothing in this case sounds like him except for the fact a young woman cruelly lost her life.

It may be someone who has killed other people (before or after), but it will not be in the mold of a typical serial killer. Each victim would be killed for a specific reason. (speculation and moo)

Then again, Jane's room was not at all secure. I feel bad that she could not even lock her door. But, maybe she had her own way of securing the door on normal days. The day she died was different... (speculation)

 

[Robin Hood]

I trailed the suspect through time as he moved from state to state and place to place. In each location they have unsolved murders with headlines like 30 or 40 years later, we still remember. I even reached out and asked, if this guy was known would he have been a suspect? They ignore and dismiss, don't bother to reply, yet the cases go unsolved. He was up for Bev, Janey the early Coeds in Michigan, how many more? Nowadays they blame everything they can't solve on T. Bundy. They actually break their own rules in not changing pattern to make him fit, yet the real killer goes free. He still walks among us. The Suspect

What does this mean please ?

 

[HankB]

It was my roundabout way of providing the answer to the question in post 140 of this thread. The bold of my post is a roll-over link. I take extra precaution because he is still active and possibly even monitoring this thread.

 

[Robin Hood]

It was my roundabout way of providing the answer to the question in post 140 of this thread. The bold of my post is a roll-over link. I take extra precaution because he is still active and possibly even monitoring this thread.

Thank you. Interesting.

 

[December]

I do not mean to besmirch the intelligence of the police when I say this...

But, did they bring in someone to explain the stuff in Jane's apartment?

I think they did.

But, the problem is... you almost need a person who knows about that and things police generally know a lot about. Because parts of this seem clunky, like an academic helped with that part. this was probably a very smart person, but not smart in the way of investigating a crime.

maybe