Loretta and Tia are setting out to create a mini documentary series to get the inside scoop on 100 girls’ and women’s lives from around the world.
The first of the series starts in Africa and continues onto the countries of their individual family roots of Ireland and Italy.
The documentary takes the same topics of body, mind and spirit and shows the world the truth of women’s trials and triumphs through the telling of life from their various perspectives.
The questions posed will be the same but the answers, based on their environments, cultures and families, will be very different. They will experience challenges and successes in different ways.
Loretta and Tia want to show how women are all connected, and can support each other despite these differences.
We believe Global Sorority will have a positive impact on everyone involved. Please join us and be a part of the magic that happens when people connect through story. Be there to witness when young women start to get a glimpse of how incredibly valuable they really are!
Thank you for being apart of the change that you want to see in the world.
Loretta Cella.
Photo by Tia Kelly
Loretta is an International Facilitator, Advocate and Life Enhancement Coach who has spent the last 11 years dedicated to the empowerment of individuals, families, and communities. Having worked with diverse individuals and groups in Canada, New Delhi, Kenya and Uganda, Loretta has developed a deep appreciation and passion for diversity and connecting the human spirit to purposeful action.
Loretta founded the the Passion Foundation in 2007, a unique charity that has spent the last four years empowering young women to create their own legacy in this world using solution-focused coaching and a workshop series called the Elements of SUCCESS. She is also a certified Canadian Career Development Practioner.
Tia Kelly. Certified Life Coach and Photographer.
Tia grew up with 7 siblings on an organic farm in Ireland. She was born in India and has lived and traveled in many countries. Her parents instilled in her a deep sense of responsibility and appreciation for the planet, along with respect for others and their differences. She has always been an animal lover, which ultimately led her to meeting and marrying the love of her life, a vegan cardiologist (nicknamed Dr Pete) Together they strive to lead ethical and purposeful lives. They are committed to serving others and creating a brighter global future. For Tia that means assisting young women in living their best lives, through solution focused coaching and art.
Sifting through now, establishing the format for presenting MOLLY. I LOVE the look of old notes spilling out of a journal. Coffee stained.
[They] could have just disappeared off the face of the earth and no one questioned it… We just went on with our loves. – Return To Sender, CBC
Jocelyn Louise as Molly at the Sylvia Hotel, Nov 6, 2011. Stylist: Jay Fisher
Or maybe it’s the potters’ field where those who had neither friends nor money were laid to rest. Sometimes there are one or two graves off in a corner, separated from the others. You can guess they were suicides.
Many subjects that are common conversation today were shrouded in silence when I was growing up in fifties. The unspeakable back then included a diverse range of facts, such as a parent’s cancer diagnosis, the adoption of a child to an infertile couple, the love between two women, a baby born to a single mother, or the violence happening in somebody’s home. The unspeakable also included such feels as a mother’s rage at her child or her desire for an ambitious, adventuresome life outside the confines of her prescribed role.
Molly and her family members were all landed immigrants. Her father, Michael, had 9 pounds 5 pence in his possession on landing at Pier 21. The family traveled inland on the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway)[1] line, destination- the Land Settlement Branch in Edmonton Alberta. The O’Dwyers may have received a land grant for a standard homestead land grant (likely 160 acres). They headed to the Peace River district in Alberta.[2] It meant “a new start, hard work, deprivation, disappointment, struggle, occasional success, family, and community.” [3]
[1] “From 1923 to 1931, the CPR constructed a total of 2,266 miles of track throughout the system and all but 145 miles of this was on the prairies. Construction of branch lines in Alberta amounted to over 600 miles of track. Had it not been for the Depression, when farm income fell to less than 20 percent of what it had been in the late 1920s, and the construction of good roads by the provincial government, northern Alberta would have had a system of railway branch lines in harmony with local requirements. During the Depression, both railways were criticized for what was considered to be severe overbuilding but in fact there was very little duplication of track.” The Canadian Pacific Railway in Western Canada, retrieved November 11, 2006 from http://railways-atlas.tapor.ualberta.ca/cocoon/atlas/Chapters-7-1/
[2] “After World War 1, the Canadian government cautiously resumed the task of filling the West with settlers. Initial attempts at attracting primarily British migrants were fairly successful, but the vast majority of Britons immigrating to Canada at this time eventually settled in towns and not on prairie farms… In 1925 the Canadian government signed the Railway Agreement with Canadian national railways and the Canadian Pacific Railway… Retrieved June 7, 2004 from http://collections.ic.gc.ca/albertans/continuity/int_railwayagreement.html
[3] Millar, N. (1997) Once Upon a Tomb- stories from Canadian graveyards, Calgary AB, Canada: Fifth House Ltd.
Molly's father, Michael. Sheet No. 24 Vol. 3 Page 91- Canadian Government Return; Canadian Immigration Service; S.S. “Montroyal”- Sailing From Liverpool April 19th, 1929; Arriving at Quebec May 1929.
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Many have been asking if they can still contribute to the graphic novel project. That’s wonderful and very helpful!!! The rewards will stay the same as on Kickstarter. Take a look at the rewards on the Kickstarter site. You can donate viaPAYPAL by clickingDONATE
On the anniversary of Molly’s suicide [November 6, 1947], I spent the afternoon with Jocelyn Louise and Jay Fisher recreating the mood of October 5, 1947– the alleged date of the double homicide.
At 10:00 am this date, with Det. Green interviewed Mrs. C at the home of her mother Mrs. S. As a result took Mrs. C and her husband to Stanley Park where she directed us to the vicinity of the skeleton discovery and described how on Oct. 5th 1947 in co. with an Air force man she had been walking up a trail from Beaver Lake toward Prospect Point and had come upon a woman with two children.
The woman is described as 5’3-4, dark hair, fair comp. (suggesting Italian) wearing dark fur coat, full sleeves, with a scarf or something blue at the neck opening. As they passed the woman on the trail she saw the woman was holding a small rusty hand axe in her hand and against the bosom of her coat.
She called the [younger] boy, who was ahead on the trail back to where she and the [older boy] were standing. The [older boy] was described as about 7 years fair hair and pale face, wearing trousers that were drawn in at the cuff a light brown or sandy color. The jacket of the suit appeared to be rather dirty but she thinks the same color. The [younger boy] seemed more lively than the [older boy]… darker complexion and wearing a reddish dirty jacket and light colored pants. Both had dark caps, which she thinks were the kind that fastened under the chin.
Mrs. C and her companion went on to Prospect Point and then returned to the area of the Rose Gardens. This would be about 4:30 to 5 PM. When they were at a point where the drive divides to go under the main road, Mrs. C. drew her companion’s attention to a woman, running from the direction of the bear cages toward the promenade and although it was rather a cold afternoon the woman had no coat, a light colored sweater and skirt and had only one shoe on. She is positive that the one shoe was flat-soled because there was no perceptible limp.
Mrs. C did not connect this woman with the one who was accompanied by the two children until she saw the pictured story in the newspapers.
At the time she saw the axe the first thought was of cutting Xmas decorations, but she discarded the idea when she realized it was only October. She describes the woman’s voice as low and soft.
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Many have been asking if they can still contribute to the graphic novel project. That’s wonderful and very helpful!!! The rewards will stay the same as on Kickstarter. Take a look at the rewards on the Kickstarter site. You can donate viaPAYPAL by clickingDONATE
Many have been asking if they can still contribute to the graphic novel project. That’s wonderful and very helpful!!! The rewards will stay the same as on Kickstarter. Take a look at the rewards on the Kickstarter site. You can donate viaPAYPAL by clickingDONATE
Many have been asking if they can still contribute to the graphic novel project. That’s wonderful and very helpful!!! The rewards will stay the same as on Kickstarter. Take a look at the rewards on the Kickstarter site. You can donate viaPAYPAL by clickingDONATE
I am finding incredible primary sources on ETSY and am particularly impressed with VINTAGE BOOK LOVER.
I ordered vintage 1940s resources regarding Tuberculosis and intestinal disorders.
I was elated to receive a special gift of bowel disorder illustrations, which proved PERFECT for finishing today’s page about Molly’s brother, Joseph, who passed away at Essondale [where he was committed for 14+ years] due to pulmonary edema complications and intestinal obstructions.
I love reading the primary resources and building a picture of the family dynamics.
Proc R Soc Med. 1933 September; 26(11): 1451.
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Recall my post about Molly’s mother: Hanora (Norah) Morris:
Norah’s relationship with her daughter was a complex one. One that I hope to explore in the illustrations.
Tonight I had dinner with my dear friend, Tracey Bell. Her beauty and spirit inspires me to no end. Her outfit tonight was incredible. I then realized I was looking at Norah. Just as Jocelyn has become my Molly, it appears Tracey has become my Norah. The photoshoots ahead will be truly awe-inspiring.
. . . nothing can compare with the Irish version: the poverty; the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire…
– Frank McCourt, Angela’s Ashes
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Today , the furcoat I purchased on ETSY from wolfman1377 Vintage Clothing and Accessories arrived! As it is very close to the original found at the crime scene, I felt quite shaken thinking about a woman covering her dead children.
Here is a look at opening the box.
The next photoshoot with Jocelyn and Jay is in the works! It feels quite humbling to experience the story revealing itself.
… Covering the bodies was the celanese lining of a woman’s’ coat and a small portion of the fur collar. In the hairs of the collar were hemlock needles, which indicated that needles were falling at that time.
Later from the scant clues, city furrier R.J. Pop. Fifteenth and Granville, laboriously reconstructed a duplicate of the coat of such accuracy that the original button, later found at the scene was identical to the one put on the duplicate.
Police say it was worn by a chunkily built woman about 5 foot 3 or 4…
– The Vancouver ProvinceApril 15, 1953
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EVIDENCE BOX 2 item 13: Woman’s fur coat- large bag containing fur coat remnant plus lining
The coat discovered at the scene was reconstructed and featured in an article in The Vancouver Sunon April 20, 1953. Initially it was described as an “oilskin coat” but it turned out to be a fur coat with its lining facing out. “[The victims] were covered with a cloth later found to be the lining of a woman’s fur coat of the factory mass production type.”
The article described the coat as a “dark brown Coney (dyed rabbit) with leg-o-mutton shoulders, popular in 1943.” “The lining of Celanese material (a synthetic fiber first spun in 1921) indicated the coat had been worn two or three years.”
The coat was described as size 16 and 40 inches (101.6 cm) long. “From the length of the fur coat lining which covered the skeletons, police believe it was worn by a short, stocky woman about five feet three or four inches tall weighing between 125 and 135 pounds.”
Remnants of woman’s fur coat with Celanese lining in evidence box. Video capture from Babes in the Woods Task Force meeting at Vancouver Centennial Police Museum, February 2004.
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There is no refuge from confession but suicide; and suicide is confession. – D. Webster
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“Molly” model: Jocelyn Louise, styled by Jay Fisher
As I work on finding the ultimate way to present the drawings in my graphic novel and juggling how much or how little I want to use text, I continue the creative process by sketching and visiting, photographing and soaking in location shots.
Anna Thorsen, my daughter and project producer, is up from San Francisco for Canadian Thanksgiving. As the new year approaches we will be planning a later Spring 2012 art event to launch our self-published small run of the book. The event will feature interactive art and the original drawings and the night will centre around a a 40s theme:
Jay Fisher consults with Anna then works his magic to create an inspiring retro look!
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“Molly” model: Jocelyn Louise, styled by Jay Fisher
Molly’s mother was born Hanora (also found spelled Norah or Nora) Morris (or Morriss). Her birth date was February 19, 1900 and the passenger list indicates she was born in Ballagh, Ireland- likely the Ballagh in the county of Donegal and the northern province of Ulster[1]. On her death certificate, it says her parents were “not known.” The name, Morris, means “dark, swarthy” and is possibly a modern form of the ancient Irish name “O’Muirgheasa”. The Morris ancestors stem from Galway, Tipperary and Waterford counties.[2]
(“The word of God above all” or “And the Word of God Highest”)
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[1] The term “Black Irish” is a derogatory term has multiple meanings- one used by the Catholic Irish to describe the Protestants of Ireland who have historically supported the British Rule of Ulster… The Myth of the Black Irish- Spanish syntagonism and prethetical salvation, T. P. Kunesh
[2] Kane Strategic Marketing (1993) Kane Ancestral Map Ireland Harbor Springs, Michigan: Kane Strategic Marketing Inc. http://www.irishheritage.com
Many have been asking if they can still contribute to the graphic novel project. That’s wonderful and very helpful!!! The rewards will stay the same as on Kickstarter. Take a look at the rewards on the Kickstarter site. You can donate viaPAYPAL by clickingDONATE
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To help fund this graphic novel go to KICKSTARTER!
The most touching moment for me when inspecting the evidence in 2004 was coming across an unlabeled brown paper bag containing four small bones. The bones appear to be rib bones and I speculate that these bones may be remains from one or both of the young victims.
Quick sketch made 2004Study, October 2, 2011. China marker and white paint pen on newsprint. (18" x 24")
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Many have been asking if they can still contribute to the graphic novel project. That’s wonderful!!! The rewards will stay the same as on Kickstarter. Take a look at the rewards on the Kickstarter site. You can donate via PAYPAL here: DONATE
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To help fund this graphic novel go to KICKSTARTER!
Today I purchased a vintage furcoat on ETSY from wolfman1377 Vintage Clothing and Accessories for use in the next illustration resource photo shoot. It sends shivers down my spine as it is very close to the original found at the scene, including bakelite buttons.
From photo by wolfman1377 From photo by wolfman1377
ETSY ITEM: SCRUMPTIOUS vintage 40s 3/4 length Bakelite button brown gray ladies rabbit FUR Coat size small
here is a great vintage ladies coat, 40s or early 50s, nice soft rabbit fur, browns and grays, two huge bakelite buttons,heavy shoulders, fully lined in gold tone satin, some fur lose on inside front panel right chest, some loss on inside 1/4 inch at collar, small section of lining could use few stitches, not noticeable when wearing but am asking less due to these issues, heavy and warm, a great vintage find, would look fab with jeans, measurements as follows with garment laying flat
… Covering the bodies was the celanese lining of a woman’s’ coat and a small portion of the fur collar. In the hairs of the collar were hemlock needles, which indicated that needles were falling at that time.
Later from the scant clues, city furrier R.J. Pop. Fifteenth and Granville, laboriously reconstructed a duplicate of the coat of such accuracy that the original button, later found at the scene was identical to the one put on the duplicate.
Police say it was worn by a chunkily built woman about 5 foot 3 or 4…
– The Vancouver ProvinceApril 15, 1953
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EVIDENCE BOX 2 item 13: Woman’s fur coat- large bag containing fur coat remnant plus lining
The coat discovered at the scene was reconstructed and featured in an article in The Vancouver Sunon April 20, 1953. Initially it was described as an “oilskin coat” but it turned out to be a fur coat with its lining facing out. “[The victims] were covered with a cloth later found to be the lining of a woman’s fur coat of the factory mass production type.”
The article described the coat as a “dark brown Coney (dyed rabbit) with leg-o-mutton shoulders, popular in 1943.” “The lining of Celanese material (a synthetic fiber first spun in 1921) indicated the coat had been worn two or three years.”
The coat was described as size 16 and 40 inches (101.6 cm) long. “From the length of the fur coat lining which covered the skeletons, police believe it was worn by a short, stocky woman about five feet three or four inches tall weighing between 125 and 135 pounds.”
Remnants of woman’s fur coat with Celanese lining in evidence box. Video capture from Babes in the Woods Task Force meeting at Vancouver Centennial Police Museum, February 2004.
Many have been asking if they can still contribute to the graphic novelproject. That’s wonderful!!! The rewards will stay the same as on Kickstarter. Take a look at the rewards on the Kickstarter site. You can donate via PAYPALhere: DONATE
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To help fund this graphic novel go to KICKSTARTER!
I know that my heart will be forever in this suspended animation, as I live entwined in [their] circumstance.[1]
To build the timeline and the family tree, I started with the original news articles and then proceeded to a variety of resources such as BC Archives and Alberta Archives, Pier 21 Society passenger lists, “Henderson Listings” (essentially phone catalogues that cross reference addresses with residents and lists the person’s occupation)[2], obituary notices, death certificates, special collection searches, etc.
[1] “Joy “(2001) Where is God in a Mental HospitalNAMI-SCC, the Santa Cruz, California, affiliate of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.Retrieved September 8, 2006 from http://www.namiscc.org/newsletters/December01/myson.htm
[2] Vancouver “Henderson Listings” published by Sun Directories Limited, Sun Building, 500 Beatty Street, Vancouver, BC
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Thank you for making my dream come true via KICKSTARTER!
There are faint stars in the night sky that you can see, but only if you look to the side of where they shine. They burn too weakly or are too far away to be seen directly, even if you stare. But you can see them out of the corner of your eye because the cells on the periphery of your retina are more sensitive to light. Maybe truth is like that. You can see it, but only out of the corner of your eye.
I am reviewing my research preparing for the Family Tree drawing. The truth is in there. This project allows me the freedom to tell the story as I see it and though I am not inventing facts and timelines, I will fill in the holes. But I want to tell the truth.
[1] Levin J. (2006) A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines, New York: Alfred A. Knopf
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Many have been asking if they can still contribute to the graphic novel project. That’s wonderful!!! The rewards will stay the same as on Kickstarter. Take a look at the rewards on the Kickstarter site. You can do donate via PAYPAL here: DONATE
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Thank you for making my dream come true via KICKSTARTER!
This video is a ‘sizzle reel’ of DARK PASSAGES that Patti co-created and directed, featuring Karen Lam and DJ Ashba. The show proposed to follow the hosts as they travel to different countries, exploring death rites and rituals, thereby allowing us, the audience, to explore how we choose to live our lives, based on our views of death.
In this video, they visit the Vancouver Police Museum and we catch glimpses of the window display that focuses on the Babes in the Woods (the cold case featured in my graphic novel, Molly)!
The items on display at the museum (from my notes during the 2004 visit with the task force):
As a writer/director Patti Henderson’s first drama, UP THE WALL (1997), was the FIRST Digital Video – 35mm project to be shot in Canada and financed by B.C. Film, while her Art Video entitled, FEAR NO ART – An Inquisition, had rotation on BRAVO!
Patti’s feature length, female action script, BENEATH THE SURFACE, won one of three prizes given through the Praxis Screenwriters and I.A.T.S.E. local 891 script competition.
For CBC, Patti directed and edited, SALMON CHANTED EVENING. A magic realism drama with a ‘touch of reality’ selected from over 350 scripts and produced in association with CBC and British Columbia Film; the film was nominated for seven 2002 LEO FILM AWARDS.
Patti has attended The Women In The Director’s Chair Workshop at The Banff Centre, as one of eight emerging women directors selected from across Canada.
Most recently, she Directed a ‘sizzle reel’ for a documentary series called ‘Dark Passages’ for Executive Producer Karen Lam, and is being pitched to broadcasters by Lynn Booth of Make Believe Media Inc.
Currently, Patti is putting in funding applications for her Dramatic and Documentary projects, working on her feature film script, MOVING MOUNTAINS, and applying to direct lifestyle/Documentary programming.
Patti is also a member of I.A.T.S.E. Local 891’s Script Supervision Department and Editing Department. A few select credits as Script Supervisor include RV. With Director Barry Sonnenfeld, EIGHT BELOW, for Director Frank Marshal, FRINGE, SUPERNATURAL, SMALLVILLE, DARK ANGEL. A few select credits as Editor include Feature Film DREAMING OF JULIA with Harvey Keitel, THE SPACE BETWEEN, Directed by Chad Lowe, starring Hilary Swank. Comet Post Production. Credits include such projects as, Hard Core Logo, Kitchen Party, Taillights Fade, Twighlight of the Ice Nymphs.
As a result, she brings creativity and understanding of all aspects of production to all her positions.
Many have been asking if they can still contribute to the graphic novel project. That’s wonderful!!! The rewards will stay the same as on Kickstarter. Take a look at the rewards on the Kickstarter site. You can do donate via PAYPAL here: DONATE
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Thank you for making my dream come true via KICKSTARTER!
It is important to my creative process to immerse myself in research and objects that evoke the era.
“You can’t wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club.” – Jack London
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Many have been asking if they can still contribute to the project. That’s wonderful!!! The rewards will stay the same as on Kickstarter. Take a look at the rewards on the Kickstarter site. You can do donate via PAYPAL here: DONATE
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Thank you for making my dream come true via KICKSTARTER!
1. I will be contacting backers soon for their info so I can fulfill the rewards.
2. Supplies have been purchased, including a shoulder-strapped portfolio, so I can work on the novel downtown in situ at various story locations like Stanley Park, the Vancouver Police Museum and Mountain View Cemetery.
3. The medium will be china marker on newsprint for this look:
4. Regular updates will be posted on the Kickstarter site and this blog. Please let me know what kind of updates you are looking for as well! Feel free to comment here or on the Kickstarter site, or Email me!
5. Art event planning will happen in the new year as we approach self-publication!
6. More on-location photoshoots for illustration resources will be scheduled soon!
7. Many have been asking if they can still contribute to the project. That’s wonderful!!! The rewards will stay the same as on Kickstarter. Take a look at the rewards on the Kickstarter site. You can do donate via PAYPAL here: DONATE
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Thank you for making my dream come true via KICKSTARTER!
A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE BACKERS!!! I’M A EXCITED TO MAKE YOU PROUD OF BEING PART OF THIS PROJECT!!!
So, the research is done. Funding is in place. Now it’s time to start the illustration and writing process and apply for more funding grants as we go along!
I will update you regularly both here and on the Kickstarter site! And I look forward to sending out the rewards!
Spring 2010 will be launch party and art event time, hosted by none other than project producer,
As of this moment [September 11, 2011], we’re 100% funded! WOW!!!
You still have approximately 4 hours to be part of bringing this incredible story to life!
A huge thank you to all our backers so far!
Raising more than the goal is OK, though! More than OK!!!
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The TIMELINE of the story ranges from 1891-1968. The main event in Stanley Park occurred in 1947.
Time to draw the story! Thank you everyone! Will blog about the process and stay tuned for an art event/book launch in Spring 2012!
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To help fund this graphic novel go to KICKSTARTER!
Note: All backers will receive a mention in the book (if they so wish). Take a look at the fun rewards available for various donation levels! In addition, backers who donate $100 and above will receive a signed copy of the book when it is published! All backers who donate $50 and up will appear in the graphic novel in a cameo role!
As of this moment [September 10, 2011], we’re 100% funded! WOW!!!
You still have approximately 19 hours to be part of bringing this incredible story to life!
A huge thank you to all our backers so far!
Raising more than the goal is OK, though! More than OK!!!
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Seaview Cemetery, Gibsons BC
DNA PROFILING OF THE SKELETAL REMAINS OF THE TWO CHILDREN
Verbatim transcript of Dr. David Sweet’s[1] explanation of the DNA extraction process in the “Babes in the Woods” case (Interview with Kat Thorsen at Vancouver Police Centennial Museum, 2004):
“In a lot of cases we were dealing with at the time [when BOLD received the Babes in the Woods material in 1998], we were finding it very difficult to extract DNA from skeletal remains. When you’re only dealing with bones or with teeth, we didn’t have any techniques that were available yet that would really allow us to get a good sample. So my lab was one of the very few labs that were working on that problem. We deal with bones cases all the time. And so it was us that were really faced with the problem of how to get better results. And I am very proud to say that it was in my lab as a result of work with my DNA technician that we were able to perfect the technique through a process called “cryogenic grinding” – freezing the sample to a very low temperature so that it gets very brittle and then breaking it into very tiny particles so that you can expose the DNA and extract it and analyze it.
So we had done some cases like it. It was working very well. And Sergeant Honeybourn decided that he wanted these samples at the lab in order to see what could be done with them. So we were in a situation where we were going to apply this brand new method to these very old samples. And I want to tell you that it was a real challenge because I didn’t know if we were going to get a result from such old materials. And I was the first one that was very excited about the fact we were able to process them and produce the result.
Now the technique involves trying to decide which is going to give you the best potential result and we know there is a lot of DNA in teeth, so I focused on the teeth in this case. And the reason for that is that there were baby teeth present and that is an area of the body that is very rapidly growing and very rapidly developing in the living child. So I thought if there was going to be a good source of DNA that would be a site that we should focus on. And it turned out that I was correct.
So we took out some of the baby teeth and processed them through this new technique called “cryogenic grinding.” We pulverized them into a very fine powder and then extracted enough DNA to run the sample.[2] And we produced a full DNA profile[3], which also includes the gender of the individual. We were able to tell male from female almost immediately. And in fact, one of the conclusions that we drew was that initial tests that had been run were false- the conclusions that were developed were not accurate- that one child was a female and one child was a male and that they may be related genetically in the form of fraternal twins.
It turned out from our genetic analysis that in fact both the remains were from boys and they were not twins- that were in fact brothers with a single common parent. And so the conclusion was that they were born to the same mother but had different fathers. So we were very excited about that and I phoned Sergeant Honeybourn in order to let him know the results. I asked him right at the time I was able to get him on the phone if he was sitting because, after all these years of investigation, I thought that the news that one child was not female but in fact male would change the scope of the investigation. And it did. Although we look back at that now and think- why didn’t we start to look for two missing boys as well as a boy and a girl- that’s easy to say. There was such good evidence at the time that the whole investigation was focused in that direction.
What I mean by a full [DNA] profile is that we have results from all the different genetic sites that we tested. From a scientific point of view, this is very good because if there was an opportunity to compare these DNA samples to potential parents or others to identify the children, we have a lot of different genetic information that we can use and the statistical calculations that can be done to confirm our results are very valid when we’ve got lots of this data. But there are some cases in forensic science where you only get what are called “partial profiles” where, because the DNA is so degraded and because it is such an old sample that you actually don’t get genetic information of all the different sites. The tests that we ran looked at ten different sites on the chromosomes and we have results from all ten of those. One of them is gender. So we now have nine additional genetic sites that we can compare to potential others to identify the children. A partial profile may involve only two or three, or may be even six or seven, of these points, but we’re very happy to have all nine, plus gender.
[We determine the ages of the children] by their dental development. The degree of development of the permanent teeth that were still embedded in the jaw bone underneath is known to occur at a certain pace and so by taking X-rays of the jaws and looking at that and analyzing the amount of development of the adult teeth, we were able to come up with a pretty accurate estimation of what that age would be. Now sometimes the chronological age- the age since the actual birth- is different than your dental age or your anatomical age because there are different factors that can affect people that don’t age as quickly, or age more quickly, because of environmental effects. But that’s not usually true in young children.
Usually as an older adult, you might get inaccuracies in your dental estimates and trying to compare that to the chronological age. But with kids this young- I think one was age six and one was age seven approximately,[4] we can be pretty accurate with a young child, plus or minus six months, because there are tables that actually are published about dental development that are fairly accurate.[5] Sometimes when we’re estimating in a mid adult, say thirty five to fifty years of age, we’re sometimes estimating plus or minus five to ten years. We can’t be that accurate. But with these younger children we can certainly be quite a bit more accurate.
In terms of comparing and trying to identify the children, the best chances that we have for that now, because we’re using what is called a “nuclear DNA profile”, is the immediate family- the mother, the father, sisters or brothers. The immediate family would be the best source. But, because we have DNA, we also have the opportunity to sequence genes that are in the chromosomes and do what is called “mitochondrial DNA analysis” and in that case we can have any maternally related aunt or grandmother, or even a male relative but that’s from the mother’s side of the family. [6] And because the mitochondrial DNA is always passed down from the mother, and never from the father, we can go back in that lineage much further than the immediate family. Now we haven’t exactly done that sequencing yet, but because we’ve had the DNA available now, we can do that with modern technology.”
From the results obtained using PCR-based analysis of the dental DNA, it was concluded that the child associated with case no. [1] is a male aged approximately 7.5 to 8 years at the time of his death.
From the results obtained using PCR-based analysis of the dental DNA, it was concluded that the child associated with case no. [2] is a male aged approximately 7.0 to 7.5 years at the time of his death.
Comparing the genetic profile of [1] to those available from case [2] resulted in the conclusion that these children are not identical twins but that they are related, having at least on common parent.
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[1] Dr. David Sweet, world-renowned forensic odontologist.
“Dr. Sweet was the driving force behind the Bureau of Legal Dentistry lab at UBC [The University of British Columbia]. BOLD is Canada’s first facility devoted exclusively to police work, research and instruction in the use of forensic dentistry for crime investigation and prosecution… BOLD also educates and creates awareness among dentists around the world by offering courses in forensic odontology, courses that Dr. Sweet designed and delivers.”
Vigna, J. (2005, Summer) The Sweet Spot, Trek- the Magazine of the University of British Columbia, 60(2), 22-25
[2] “DNA has been previously recovered from human teeth for RFLP and PCR-based forensic analysis. In some cases, the maximum amount of undisturbed tooth structure is required for ulterior forensic analysis. But, in most cases, following comprehensive documentation, it is possible to section the tooth longitudinally or horizontally, or crush it to access the DNA-rich core. This [is] an alternative method to recovering DNA from whole extracted human molar teeth. A 6700 freezer mill was used to pulverize 20 teeth under frozen preparation in liquid nitrogen and sterile conditions. The mean yield of DNA was 30.9 mg (18.4 mg DNA per gm tooth powder). The resulting fine powder [is] subjected to organic extraction and subsequently quantified using slot blot hybridization… The technique is simple and relatively rapid. Isolation of the samples during pulverization minimizes the risk of contamination.”
[3] “Anatomy of a profile. Individual features such as eyes, nose, ears, hair, and accoutrements help us to differentiate one person from the next. With enough features we can be confident in the identity of any particular person. Genetic markers work in exactly the same way. With enough loci (assuming no laboratory error and disregarding twins), we can become convinced that a sample originates from a particular source.”
From Rudin, R., Inman, K. (2002) An Introduction to Forensic Analysis. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press LLC
[4] Dr. Sweet’s final report indicated that the older child (“Skeleton 1”) was 7.3-8.7 years and the younger child (“Skeleton 2”) was 7.0 to 7.5 years.
[5] “Between ages 6 and 7 years of age there are: 20 deciduous teeth, 4 first permanent molars, 28 permanent tooth buds in various states of development.” CJ (1998) Occlusion and Dental Development Retrieved September 15, 2006 from http://www.uic.edu/classes/orla/orla312/OCCREVIS.htm
[6] “The vast majority of the genetic material in the human genome resides in the nucleus of each cell… the nuclear DNA. Some additional bits of genetic material exist, however, and are contained in other subcellular compartments called cell organelles. One of these is the mitochondrion (pl. mitochondria), in which some of the processes of cellular respiration take place… Nuclear DNA is inherited from both parents… Due to the technicalities of fertilization, genetic material from mitochondria [mtDNA] is inherited only from the egg cell of the mother; thus mtDNA is said to exhibit maternal inheritance.”
From Rudin, R., Inman, K. (2002) An Introduction to Forensic Analysis. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press LLC
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To help fund this graphic novel go to KICKSTARTER!
Note: All backers will receive a mention in the book (if they so wish). Take a look at the fun rewards available for various donation levels! In addition, backers who donate $100 and above will receive a signed copy of the book when it is published! All backers who donate $50 and up will appear in the graphic novel in a cameo role!
As of this moment [September 8, 2011], we’re 97% funded!
BUT to get funding we need to reach 100%! That’s how Kickstarter works! Please help us make our goal by Sept 11 5:17 PM! Raising more than the goal is OK, though! More than OK!!!
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Yesterday we did a photoshoot [for promotion and illustration resource purposes] on location with Jocelyn Louise as “Molly.” Jay Fisher was our stylist and Fredrik Thorsen, our photographer! Heart stopping!
To help fund this graphic novel go to KICKSTARTER!
Note: All backers will receive a mention in the book (if they so wish). Take a look at the fun rewards available for various donation levels! In addition, backers who donate $100 and above will receive a signed copy of the book when it is published! All backers who donate $50 and up will appear in the graphic novel in a cameo role!
As of this moment [September 7, 2011], we’re 96% funded!
BUT to get funding we need to reach 100%! That’s how Kickstarter works! Please help us make our goal by Sept 11 5:17 PM! Raising more than the goal is OK, though! More than OK!!!
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Today we did a photoshoot [for promotion and illustration resource purposes] on location with Jocelyn Louise as “Molly.” Jay Fisher was our stylist and Fredrik Thorsen, our photographer!
I was in ecstasy! Seeing Molly come to life is a dream come true.
More glorious photos will be shared in the next post but for now here are some shots I took of Jay, Fredrik and Jocelyn during the making of…
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To help fund this graphic novel go to KICKSTARTER!
Note: All backers will receive a mention in the book (if they so wish). Take a look at the fun rewards available for various donation levels! In addition, backers who donate $100 and above will receive a signed copy of the book when it is published! All backers who donate $50 and up will appear in the graphic novel in a cameo role!
As of this moment [September 5, 2011], we’re 80% funded.
BUT to get funding we need to reach 100%! That’s how Kickstarter works! Please help us make our goal by Sept 11 5:17 PM!
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All backers who donate $50 and up will appear in the graphic novel in a cameo role! The era ranges from 1925-1953, from Ireland through Pier 21, to Alberta, to British Columbia!
Example: Jocelyn Louise on a tram in 1947...
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And stay tuned for photoshoot on Wednesday on location with Jocelyn Louise as our model, Jay Fisher as stylist and Victor Bearpark as photographer! Can’t wait!
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To help fund this graphic novel go to KICKSTARTER!
Note: All backers will receive a mention in the book (if they so wish). Take a look at the fun rewards available for various donation levels! In addition, backers who donate $100 and above will receive a signed copy of the book when it is published!
As of this moment [September 5, 2011], we’re 80% funded.
BUT to get funding we need to reach 100%! That’s how Kickstarter works! Please help us make our goal by Sept 11 5:17 PM!
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The case itself centres around two unknown children, two young brothers who deserve to be identified.
These children were undoubtedly not only victims of homicide, but also victims of child abuse. As I work with children who have been traumatized by severe physical and sexual abuse, this case is particularly important to me.
These boys died without a voice and without a name.
The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's Summer campaign, I Can’t Wait Until I Grow Up. “The campaign, which will run for the month of May 2011, highlights that childhood is supposed to be one of the happiest and safest times in a child’s life, yet for many Irish children who contact Childline this is simply not the case.” - The Complex Media and Design Blog
“The ISPCC is the only organisation in Ireland providing 24 hour support services for children and young people through our Childline service. Childline receives the majority of its 2,300 calls per day after 6pm each evening, when most other support services are closed.
Childline receives no government funding, relying on the generosity of donors and volunteers to help run this vital, unique service.
ISPCC support workers and volunteer mentors also work with over 1,500 individual children and families nationwide each year through our TeenFocus, ChildFocus and Leanbh services. Our support workers encounter many issues such as emotional and behavioural problems, anxiety, grief, risk of drug and alcohol abuse and early school leaving.
The ISPCC is a child centred organisation providing a range of independent and unique services which are preventative and empowering in nature.” [SOURCE]
Extremely powerful video:
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To help fund this graphic novel go to KICKSTARTER!
Note: All backers will receive a mention in the book (if they so wish). Take a look at the fun rewards available for various donation levels! In addition, backers who donate $100 and above will receive a signed copy of the book when it is published! All backers who donate $50 and up will appear in the graphic novel in a cameo role!
