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

[Ausgirl]

PP - bit of a desperate move.. but ya think we could write a letter, and suggest they do so?

 

[Pink Panther]

PP - bit of a desperate move.. but ya think we could write a letter, and suggest they do so?

Not so desperate. It's been done before on cold cases. There are some of the best minds in the world there. Why is this case still shrouded under cloak and unsolved? Maybe the "journalism" faculty should take this on in order to demonstrate the results of a "blackout"?

Investigative journalism is the new black?

moo

 

[Pink Panther]

Yay and welcome & where's the julep?

Now that you're here I will go back to lurking.. I have reached a mental dead end.

Why lurk? Stay with us! It's much more interesting! You have so much to add here. Please stay.

moo

 

[Donamena]

Maybe Harvard should somehow include Jane's case in one of their programs.

http://education-portal.com/articles/Doctorate_in_Criminology_Degree_Program_Overview.html

Science, forensic studies, and investigative techniques have come a long way since Jane was murdered…

http://m.lawofficer.com/article/investigation/investigations-forensics-cold

Maybe they could be a part of solving one of their own unsolved cases?

Somehow, I can't see Harvard doing that.

 

[Donamena]

Not so desperate. It's been done before on cold cases. There are some of the best minds in the world there. Why is this case still shrouded under cloak and unsolved? Maybe the "journalism" faculty should take this on in order to demonstrate the results of a "blackout"?

Investigative journalism is the new black?

moo

If it's still shrouded, mes ami, then why is Mr Mitchell holding forth without problems from LE?

 

[dotr]

Somehow, I can't see Harvard doing that.

They just might!
Very interesting woman, Frances Glessner Lee ....

http://mentalfloss.com/article/1275...ther-revolutionized-crime-scene-investigation

"The “Mother” of CSI

In her 20s, Lee met a friend of her brother’s named George Magrath. Magrath was studying medicine at Harvard with plans to go into the relatively new field of legal medicine. After hearing Magrath’s stories of solving crimes using scientific analysis just like her favorite literary sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, Lee became intrigued by the field.

Over the course of many years, with Magrath’s guidance, Lee became a self-taught crime scene analyst. Using her wealth and social influence, she was able to acquire books, attend lectures, and gain access to autopsies, crime scenes, and other places laypeople were normally not allowed. Although she was never officially involved in a case, her opinions were respected and appreciated by the officers in charge, to the point they often called her “Mother” Lee.

After her brother died in 1930, leaving Lee in control of much of the family fortune, she became a benefactor to Magrath and the field of forensic science. Lee helped establish Harvard's Legal Medicine Department with a $250,000 endowment (about $3.8 million today), and founded the school's Magrath Library in 1936 by donating 1000 crime scene analysis books and manuscripts from her vast personal collection.

Not only did Lee champion the field of forensic medicine, but she also broke new ground for women. In 1943, the New Hampshire State Police made her an honorary captain, the first woman to hold the position. Additionally, she was the first female member of the International Association for the Chiefs of Police, and of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences"



<<<Snip>>>
"Despite all of these accomplishments, what Lee is perhaps best known for are her disturbing dollhouse dioramas".

Bbm.

Wondering if they have, or would recreate Jane's crime scene in a diorama?


http://www.deathindiorama.com/

Could cutbacks have played a role in the murder, did someone create their own real life crime scene diorama in Jane's apartment?


http://harvardmagazine.com/2005/09/frances-glessner-lee-html

"Convinced by criminological theory that crimes could be solved by scientific analysis of visual and material evidence, in the 1930s and &#8217;40s she constructed a series of dioramas, the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death. Did a corpse mean murder, suicide, death by natural cause, or accident? If only the setting could be seen properly, the truth, &#8220;in a nutshell,&#8221; would be exposed. The wealth of material evidence at a crime scene is overwhelming, but&#8212;guided by a geometric search pattern (Glessner Lee suggested a clockwise spiral)&#8212;methodically precise vision could be acquired. Donated to Harvard in 1945 for use in her seminars, the dioramas went in 1966, when the department of legal medicine was dissolved, to the Maryland Medical Examiner&#8217;s Office; they are still used for forensic seminars.

 

[Donamena]

They just might!
Very interesting woman, Frances Glessner Lee ....

http://mentalfloss.com/article/1275...ther-revolutionized-crime-scene-investigation

"The &#8220;Mother&#8221; of CSI

In her 20s, Lee met a friend of her brother&#8217;s named George Magrath. Magrath was studying medicine at Harvard with plans to go into the relatively new field of legal medicine. After hearing Magrath&#8217;s stories of solving crimes using scientific analysis just like her favorite literary sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, Lee became intrigued by the field.

Over the course of many years, with Magrath&#8217;s guidance, Lee became a self-taught crime scene analyst. Using her wealth and social influence, she was able to acquire books, attend lectures, and gain access to autopsies, crime scenes, and other places laypeople were normally not allowed. Although she was never officially involved in a case, her opinions were respected and appreciated by the officers in charge, to the point they often called her &#8220;Mother&#8221; Lee.

After her brother died in 1930, leaving Lee in control of much of the family fortune, she became a benefactor to Magrath and the field of forensic science. Lee helped establish Harvard's Legal Medicine Department with a $250,000 endowment (about $3.8 million today), and founded the school's Magrath Library in 1936 by donating 1000 crime scene analysis books and manuscripts from her vast personal collection.

Not only did Lee champion the field of forensic medicine, but she also broke new ground for women. In 1943, the New Hampshire State Police made her an honorary captain, the first woman to hold the position. Additionally, she was the first female member of the International Association for the Chiefs of Police, and of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences"



<<<Snip>>>
"Despite all of these accomplishments, what Lee is perhaps best known for are her disturbing dollhouse dioramas".

Bbm.

Wondering if they have, or would recreate Jane's crime scene in a diorama?


http://www.deathindiorama.com/

Could cutbacks have played a role in the murder, did someone create their own real life crime scene diorama in Jane's apartment?


http://harvardmagazine.com/2005/09/frances-glessner-lee-html

"Convinced by criminological theory that crimes could be solved by scientific analysis of visual and material evidence, in the 1930s and &#8217;40s she constructed a series of dioramas, the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death. Did a corpse mean murder, suicide, death by natural cause, or accident? If only the setting could be seen properly, the truth, &#8220;in a nutshell,&#8221; would be exposed. The wealth of material evidence at a crime scene is overwhelming, but&#8212;guided by a geometric search pattern (Glessner Lee suggested a clockwise spiral)&#8212;methodically precise vision could be acquired. Donated to Harvard in 1945 for use in her seminars, the dioramas went in 1966, when the department of legal medicine was dissolved, to the Maryland Medical Examiner&#8217;s Office; they are still used for forensic seminars.

Then maybe one of y'all could contact her? I've no desire to go off the reservation again.

 

[dotr]

Have they ever tracked down the two men who apparently ran outside to a lingering car, about the same time Jane retired to her apartment?
Did Ravi R, the witness to those men near Jane's apartment ever have anything more about say about the case, or has he returned to India?

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...4z5HAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NvgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3698,903071

 

[dotr]

Could this really be the same RR and if so, wondering if Jane saw or knew of something , or someone thought she did?
Maybe perp went to wrong apartment and thought something illicit was hidden amongst her archeological artifacts ?


http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1970/2/21/officials-jail-alumnus-in-1500-lb-hash/

"The principal victim of a recent 1500-pound hashish bust is a Harvard alumnus.

Ravi I. L. Rikhye '68, a citizen of India, is now imprisoned in Delhi for alleged possession and trafficking of illegal drugs from India to the United States. Four Americans have also been apprehended in connection with the drug shipment."

 

[DonMitchell]

If it's still shrouded, mes ami, then why is Mr Mitchell holding forth without problems from LE?

Why would LE be interested in what I'm saying? I'm not under any obligation to keep quiet about what I know or think. And I've said many times that I know nothing that Lt Joyce didn't know.

I think entirely too much has been made of the "blackout," which I'm sure was a short-term thing that seems to have had no other reason than to keep details that only the killer would know private. Isn't that standard practice?

And in any case, isn't it normal for case material to be "shrouded?" Is investigative material ever made public? What conditions could there be for any private citizen to have access either to the Cambridge records or to Lt Joyce's records?

If somebody knows how to legally have a look at those records, have at it. I'd like to see them myself, because -- as I've said several times -- I know I was considered a suspect. What did they think they had on me?

It seems to me that Harvard is powerless in this matter as well. I'm sure there are some internal notes or memos (remember, this was long before email) discussing how the university or the museum or the department should behave, what kinds of statements they should make, and so on. And I suppose that some office or some individuals in the university adminstration had pipelines into the Cambrige PD or Lt. Joyce's office, and so perhaps there's information available somewhere around the university. But as much as we'd like to see that, I don't believe that they're under any obligation to reveal any of it. And because it seemed clear to me that Harvard went into CYA mode I can't think they'd want to release anything.

Am I missing something?

 

[Pink Panther]

Don - I don't think you're missing anything but cold cases are often re-visited and sometimes, LE does share information that was previously withheld due to potential interference with ongoing investigations. ("Ongoing" is no longer here.) It doesn't sound like there has been much progress on this case and so far, no one has been able to determine if someone is even assigned to it&#8230;

If I'm not mistaken, this thread was initially started by someone who was trying to find out who she could contact about this case. (Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like she was able to speak to anyone.)

With advancements in forensics, it's not at all unheard of for old cases to be formally revisited by LE. One can hope.

ETA - dotr - If you go back/search the thread, there is lots of information about R!

 

[DonMitchell]

Don - That sounds like a really horrific experience…Especially while coping with someone so close to you guys having been brutally murdered. So, that was Cambridge police and not LE? Did LE take a different approach?

Did Cambridge do the same thing to James H?…With anyone else?

Also - A question about your suspect…Was he ever involved/implicated/near in anything else that was remotely similar to Jane's murder or does he seem to have lived a "normal" decent life afterwards?

And another one…

Did you ever get the opportunity to speak with Jane's parents afterwards? Did they have any ideas as to what might have happened?

"LE" isn't a term I've used before coming on here. What's the difference between "Cambridge police" and "LE?" They're all law enforcement, aren't they?

The answer to your question is that to the best of my knowledge it was only the Cambridge police who were aggressive, as I've described. However, I can't remember whether it was Cambridge or Lt. Joyce's people who shoved the autopsy photographs at me.

I don't know how any of the investigators handled Humphries. I have no memory at all of having talked to him about either his or our interviews. I feel sure I'd have remembered that.

My suspect seems to have lived a normal life. He was known to drink heavily so it might not have been "normal" because of that, but if my suspect had gotten into trouble either before or after, I think it would have been known, either the LE, or it would have made its way around the anthropologists as gossip.

I would love to have heard any bad thing about him, but never did. But stop to think about it for a moment. How, really, would I have known? I never set out to investigate him -- how would I have done that? Within two months of the murder, I was thousands of miles away in the rain forest and was there until Fall 1970, when I returned to Cambridge for just over a year, to write my thesis. Then I went back to the South Pacific for more than two years.

And I want to say very clearly that I put all my trust in Lt. Joyce. He was the investigator with all the tools at his disposal, and as we know, he got nowhere.

I talked to Jane's parents several times. As you can imagine, we did not discuss the murder. I knew they were aware that suspicion had fallen on us, because they made a point of calling to say that they expected us to sit with them at the funeral. I'm pretty sure that Jim sat with us also. I don't remember having any contact with them after the time period around the funeral. At one point there was a gathering at their house, to which we were invited, but it might have been after the burial (which was private). If not on that day, it was shortly afterward.

At one point, probably ten years ago or maybe more, I tried to find Jane's brother Boyd. I didn't succeed -- I should say that I thought I had located him, and sent an email that I thought he would get, but had no response. I was curious to know whether he'd ever learned anything I hadn't.

 

[Pink Panther]

Don - From what I've understood, Harvard has it's own police. I'm not sure how it was organized back then but more than one department was involved in Jane's case.

http://www.hupd.harvard.edu/hupd_pamphlet_10-11.pdf

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2003/5/14/former-hupd-chief-spy-tracker-dies/

 

[Suthrnqt]

Then maybe one of y'all could contact her? I've no desire to go off the reservation again.

I go if you go. We can hold hands.
:rollercoaster:

 

[Donamena]

I go if you go. We can hold hands.
:rollercoaster:

There would be a long list of people to interview. And what about deceased POI?

 

[Ausgirl]

Could this really be the same RR and if so, wondering if Jane saw or knew of something , or someone thought she did?
Maybe perp went to wrong apartment and thought something illicit was hidden amongst her archeological artifacts ?


http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1970/2/21/officials-jail-alumnus-in-1500-lb-hash/

"The principal victim of a recent 1500-pound hashish bust is a Harvard alumnus.

Ravi I. L. Rikhye '68, a citizen of India, is now imprisoned in Delhi for alleged possession and trafficking of illegal drugs from India to the United States. Four Americans have also been apprehended in connection with the drug shipment."

If you scroll back quite a few pages, there's a LOT of info on RR here. I and others here spent *weeks* sleuthing him...

He was a much bigger drug dealer than any single report allows for. Real international drug lord, he was - based in Rome throughout and travelling here and there to set up deals. He went on to teach High School in Maryland. Despite *still* being wanted in India at the time.

His dad was a massive political bigwig, so that helped him along enormously. I believe RR's behaviour might have affected his dad's career quite badly.. if you look his dad up, you'll see what a huge deal he was. Incredible.

He was a POI for me, thanks to some of his behaviour and the whole drug thing. It just seemed odd to me that such a highly dubious character who ought to be *avoiding* all contact with the cops should come forward as a witness of any kind in this murder. I was thinking, self-insertion... so it was worth sleuthing. He's actually still on my radar...

 

[Ausgirl]

I knew they were aware that suspicion had fallen on us, because they made a point of calling to say that they expected us to sit with them at the funeral. I'm pretty sure that Jim sat with us also.

Agh, that just made me teary. What lovely people.

 

[Pink Panther]

Ok. I'm going to go by gut here now. I think Jane knew him. (And yes, I think he is/was male.) I think that she may have had an intimate interlude with him. (Long or short - I don't know but they had definitely connected in some meaningful way and most probably both viewed the connection from very different points of view.) I think she did/said/behaved in a way that profoundly offended him. (Most likely she didn't realize this or perhaps found the provocation exciting.) I think that she let him in/received him without any possible idea as to what he felt or was capable of doing. I'm not sure that this man killled before or after but he most definitely lived an "extreme" lifestyle of sorts - not your average guy. The way he killed her was very personal and was a message relating to himself and something he believed in strongly. He is/was either an archaeologist or an anthropologist and was, most likely, older than her. I'm not sure that she necessarily threatened him&#8230;perhaps more so, she had offended him in some way.

moo

 

[Pink Panther]

Don - Jane's brother became a "legendary radio dj"&#8230;Doc on the ROQ.

ETA - Don, do you know anything about Jane's field trip to France? Maybe we're all looking at the wrong players/the wrong group??? She published a research paper about it that was mentioned a few pages back. I have referenced it as well in previous posts but have been unable to access her publication to read&#8230;What I mean is, it's listed as a document but I can't seem to find a way to read it!

"The Périgordian Vc: A Test Case in Comparative Methodology" 1967

How does one access this document?

Regarding who took polygraphs&#8230;The papers all stated that four people were asked to take them. We know of three but not of the fourth. You stated, "I don't know, but that's something that's on record somewhere. It's possible that it was Hallam J. Movius; I think he was the main Perigordian guy." It seems that he was the main Perigordian guy. Did you ever hear anything else about his possible involvement? Do you know if he was her thesis advisor??? Did you know him? Had she ever spoken to you about him?

 

[Pink Panther]

Last post for the night (Movius and Lamberg-Karlovsky):

"Movius is widely regarded as the most distinguished paleolithic archaeologist of his generation for not only his pioneering research on human evolution, in particular the early cultures of South Asia and Southeast Asia, but also his monumental work at Les Eyzies, France. Lamberg-Karlovsky said: "Movius laid the foundation for modern archaeologists by introducing techniques and methodologies that are used today."

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/1998/01.22/WilliamandMurie.html