Ned Kelly under the microscope : solving the forensic mystery of Ned Kelly's remains

Ned Kelly was hanged at the Old Melbourne Gaol on 11 November 1880, and his body buried in the graveyard there. Many stories emerged about his skull being separated and used as a paperweight or trophy, and it was finally put on display at the museum of the Old Melbourne Gaol ― until it was stolen in 1978. It wasn’t only Ned Kelly’s skull that went missing. After the closure of the Old Melbourne Gaol in 1929, the remains of deceased prisoners were exhumed and reinterred in mass graves at Pentridge Prison. The exact location of these graves was unknown until 2002, when the bones of prisoners were uncovered at the Pentridge site during redevelopment. This triggered a larger excavation that in 2009 uncovered many more coffins, and led to the return of the skull and a long scientific process to try to identify and reunite Ned Kelly’s remains. But how do you go about analyzing and accurately identifying a skeleton and skull that are more than 130 years old? Ned Kelly: Under the Microscope details what was involved in the 20-month scientific process of identifying the remains of Ned Kelly, with chapters on anthropology, odontology, DNA studies, metallurgical analysis of the gang's armor, and archaeological digs at Pentridge Prison and Glenrowan. It also includes medical analysis of Ned's wounds and a chapter on handwriting analysis ― that all lead to the final challenging conclusions. Illustrated throughout with photographs taken during the forensic investigation as well as with historical images, the book is supplemented with breakout boxes of detailed but little-known facts about Ned Kelly and the gang to make this riveting story a widely appealing read. Ned Kelly was hanged at the Old Melbourne Gaol on 11 November 1880, and his body buried in the graveyard there. Many stories emerged about his skull being separated and used as a paperweight or trophy, and it was finally put on display at the museum of the Old Melbourne Gaol — until it was stolen in 1978. It wasn't only Ned Kelly's skull that went missing. After the closure of the Old Melbourne Gaol in 1929, the remains of deceased prisoners were exhumed and reinterred in mass graves at Pentridge Prison. The exact location of these graves was unknown until 2002, when the bones of prisoners were uncovered at the Pentridge site during redevelopment. This triggered a larger excavation that in 2009 uncovered many more coffins, and led to the return of the skull and a long scientific process to try to identify and reunite Ned Kelly's remains. But how do you go about analysing and accurately identifying a skeleton and skull that are more than 130 years old? Ned Kelly: Under the Microscope details what was involved in the 20-month scientific process of identifying the remains of Ned Kelly, with chapters on anthropology, odontology, DNA studies, metallurgical analysis of the gang's armour, and archaeological digs at Pentridge Prison and Glenrowan. It also includes medical analysis of Ned's wounds and a chapter on handwriting analysis — that all lead to the final challenging conclusions. Illustrated throughout with photographs taken during the forensic investigation, as well as historical images, the book is supplemented with breakout boxes of detailed but little-known facts about Ned Kelly and the gang to make this riveting story a widely appealing read. Winner of the Collaborative Community Award at the 2015 Victorian Community History Awards. Do we really need another Ned Kelly book? After all, his story is a part of Australian folklore and his legend has been captured in movies, books and paintings. The answer is yes, as this book is unique. It is a rigorous look at the forensic science behind investigations into Ned Kelly. In 2009 the remains of Ned Kelly were dug up at Pentridge Prison and identified after an exhaustive forensic analysis by the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine. Analysing a skeleton more than 130 years old involved processes such as DNA extraction, 3D facial reconstruction, and identifying the skeleton by its injuries. However in 2011 the Victorian government announced that while it had identified the remains of Ned Kelly, the skull long thought to be his, was not, and so another twist in the scientific tale began. Along with an exploration of the forensic analysis, this book unpicks some of the Kelly myths: Was Ned Kelly illiterate? Did Ned Kelly have a daughter? It sheds light on more recent urban myths does such as having a Ned Kelly tattoo puts you at risk of dying violently? The identification of the remains of Ned Kelly is a remarkable story and definitely one worth telling