Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
The pioneer prof behind tests that could solve case
PROFESSOR Lorna Dawson is one of the world’s leading soil scientists.
The pioneering tests carried out by the expert and her team can differentiate between blood decomposition and that of soft tissue.
If it is the latter, it means the whole body decomposed while in contact with the item found. But they discovered indicators of blood decomposition – which may mean the body did not decompose while in contact with the sandal.
This could indicate that Ben’s body was removed and the footwear left behind.
To help with their pioneering work Prof Dawson turned to Professor Arpad Vass from the “Texas body farm”.
She said: “Because of his research we could look for certain compounds that would be indicative of a human source.
“This is ongoing research and is an evolving science. It is intelligence information.
“The findings of his research can help indicate whether the source of that fingerprint is either due to whole body decomposition or to body fluids such as blood.
“We consulted Professor Vass by sending him the data of all the samples. He did an independent evaluation of what that data meant and came up with the same conclusion. That it was most like they had the signature, there was blood decomposition.
“It is likely that this piece of footwear had been in contact with human blood but that it was unlikely to have been in touch with the whole body going through decomposition.
“This could be consistent with the police theory he was knocked down and bled and the sandal was left there but his body was moved elsewhere.”
One of the areas they highlighted from the soil turned out to be the Roman graves which briefly held up the excavation last October.