Thomas sophonow born march 1953 is a canadian who was wrongfully convicted of murder and whose case was the subject of a major judicial inquiry. I argue that the jury could quite reasonably have concluded that the dna evidence against simpson deserved little or no weight. Members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints need to realize that. Broadly speaking, the evidence that convicted thomas sophonow could be broken down. Science and technology, general education conflict of laws testimony dna identification laws, regulations and rules dna testing evidence law interpretation and. George thatchers book revisits a great unresolved miscarriage of justice. And the 19th 18th 17th century books are used by historians to write the history of the north american indians. Wrongfully convicted sophonow ready to forgive the globe. Joseph smith said in the introduction to the book i told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone to our religion yet, the evidence shows the book of mormon is not revelation from god, but a fictitious story written by joseph smith. Joseph smith claimed that the book of mormon is the. In 1998, the journal nature reported that jefferson had a slave mistress sally hemings with whom he fathered six children, basing the claim on a pairing of historical records with dna evidence tracing ychromosomes. Jun 09, 2000 wrongfully convicted sophonow ready to forgive. Sep 06, 2011 at the university of manchester, dr ian burney argues that a model of systematic crime scene analysis predated dna evidence. Thomas sophonow inquiry report recommendations province of.
The book of mormon makes several scientific claims that can be tested. Biological evidence should be packaged in paper bags. Genetic attacks on the book of mormon focus on the fact that amerindian dna seems closest to asian dna, and not dna from the middle east or jewish dna. When eugene fosters dna test was published in nature, ellis stated dna testing proved that thomas jefferson was the father of sallys son, eston. The commission found that forensic evidence was unreliable and that some. The woodson dna tests are important because if tom woodson is sally hemings parisconceived son and could be shown to have jefferson dna, it would then be almost certain that thomas jefferson was. The mikolajewski report exposes the shoddy work done on this case and how jack ewatski helped block a proper reinvestigation to protect a retired inspector and the secrets a warranted search of his premises would reveal. All opinions, speakers and presenters represent and express their own individual opinions, and not necessarily the opinions of firm foundation, book of mormon evidence, or its employees, and no information or opinions represent the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. In this article, we will provide some background on this issue focusing on the scientific issues, followed by a point by point response to various statements made in the essay about the book of mormon. Due to recent changes by familytreedna in the way we are allowed to obtain the dna data of our project participants, significant changes to our software will be required to obtain any new or updated data. Legal history of dna evidence legal definition of legal. Wrongful convictions and the accuracy of the criminal justice system. Written by leaders in the fields of biology and statistics, the book emphasizes the interpretation of test results and provides the necessary formulae in an easily accessible manner.
The book of mormon, the founding document of the latter day saint movement and one of the four books of scripture of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church, is an account of three groups of people. Dna evidence and the book of mormon conclusive proof that. The tone of this book is a little dry and academic. The origin of the twine used to kill stoppel, a piece of evidence that at first blush seemed to be innocuous, proved to be the key which would ultimately lock thomas sophonow in jail for a murder he didnt commit. Jan 19, 2016 rod is a friend of mine and a member of my hp group, but he has oversimplified this dna matter, aside from falsely stating 1 that the maya are the center of interest of those who consider the book of mormon to be a mesoamerican codex, and 2 that they focus on the maya because they think that joseph smith did so as well. Thomas sophonow, who was tried three times for the murder of. Provides a history of the politically motivated allegation and presents evidence for an alternate paternity candidate. The book of mormon presents the evidence from dna researchers, including mormon scientists, who are wrestling with the dna dilemma that now faces mormonism.
It is very, very reliable if you do two things right. Retired police officer writing new book about thomas sophonows. It was the only piece of physical evidence linking mr. Sophonow was tried three times in the 1981 murder of doughnutshop clerk barbara stoppel. The character of thomas jefferson, which won the national book award 1997. The dark lady of dna it is a comprehensive biography of rosalind franklin written by brenda maddox. Johnson, an expert in dna testing in california, said everyone in the criminal justice system should be wary of accepting reports concerning dna evidence without testing their conclusions.
Dna vs book of mormon incredible new evidence general. Sophonow was in the gallery as the crown called evidence it hopes will establish christian thomas desjarlais should stand trial for seconddegree murder in the oct. Thomas sophonow was convicted of murdering a waitress on the strength of a perjured testimony by a professional snitch. Dna evidence does not support the testimony of the lds church mormon doctrine. Correlation and verification through dna, prophetic, scriptural, historical, climatological, archaeological, social, and cultural evidence. The lds church released an essay on their website titled book of mormon and dna studies. Biological evidence should be allowed to air dry before packaging. Written by kerstin hammarberg guidelines for longterm dna storage.
Now, hes writing a book about the case in an effort to reveal insight into. The proper collection and storage of biological evidence for dna testing includes the following. The book problem is how to get dna evidence for good things and bad things. Smart news keeping you current july marks the 25th anniversary of the first use of dna evidence to convict a killer twentyfive years ago this month, the first person ever was convicted of a. In early 2008 rodney meldrum published a dvd titled dna evidence for book of mormon geography.
Ellis then reversed his original position seeing this as new evidence. Some people might find using these sources as troublesome. Among the many new tools that science has provided for the analysis of forensic evidence is the powerful and controversial analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid, or dna, the material that makes up the genetic code of most organisms. In cases where people were exonerated through dna evidence, 70 percent were wrongful convictions based on misidentification. In the past few years, dna studies have been used to provide what may be the strongest and most convincing evidence so far against the authenticity of the book of mormon. Thomas sophonow, cleared of 1981 murder, attends his sons.
After the wrongful conviction of thomas sophonow in mani. Revisiting thomas jefferson and sally hemings descendants now that dar accepts dna testing. I look at the family tree guide to dna testing and genetic genealogy, nextgen genealogy. Dna evidence and the book of mormon conclusive proof. Science and technology, general education conflict of laws testimony dna identification laws, regulations and rules dna testing evidence law interpretation and construction analysis science and law. Jul 12, 20 smart news keeping you current july marks the 25th anniversary of the first use of dna evidence to convict a killer twentyfive years ago this month, the first person ever was convicted of a. Now, hes writing a book about the case in an effort to reveal insight into the investigation of stoppels death, what led to the wrongful conviction of thomas sophonow and how other wrongful convictions can happen. This book introduces archaeologists to the basics of dna research so they can understand the powers and pitfalls of using dna data in archaeological analysis and interpretation.
The chief claim, and the premise of the entire book, is that hebrews carried the message of the coming messiah on a voyage across the atlantic. This web version of the final report of the research committee on thomas jefferson and sally hemings is organized into six sections, evaluating the dna science and the documentary evidence. The woodson dna tests are important because if tom woodson is sally hemings parisconceived son and could be shown to have jefferson dna, it would then be. Every day, hundreds of observations and experiments pour into the hopper of the scientific literature.
A few days later, she passed away at a local hospital. Police interviews with thomas sophonow in vancouver. Barbara stoppel cp photo winnipeg free press andrew mikolajewski retired in 2014, after 28 years with the winnipeg police force. Nov 29, 2004 forensic dna evidence interpretation is the most comprehensive resource for dna casework available today.
Sep 08, 2016 on january 31, 2014, the lds church published an essay entitled book of mormon and dna studies in the gospel topics series on its official website. Thomas sophonow was charged with the december 1981 murder in winnipeg of barbara stoppel. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. The conclusion states, much as critics and defenders of the book of mormon would like to use dna studies to support their views, the evidence is simply inconclusive. An inquiry into sophonows case by the government of manitoba was begun in 2000 and the thomas sophonow inquiry report was issued in 2001. A crime is committed and possible dna is left behind by a suspect. Nov 04, 2015 5 books about dna structure faq serious science. December 23, 1981, thomas sophonow, murder of 16yearold barbara. Ydna str markers change mutate often enough that most men who share the same str results also share a recent paternal lineage. In 1985, he was acquitted by the manitoba court of appeal. The book of mormon documentary examines and compares genetic evidence identifying the dna fingerprints of the jewish populations and american indian populations, and presents the testimony of several dna experts in seeking to answer the question, are israelites the principal ancestors of native american indians. Conclusive proof that the church of jesus christ of latter day saints is based on a work of fiction. The ability to use dna evidence is revolutionizing our understanding of the past.
A substance that contains human dna can be collected from a crime scene and tested to tie someone to a crime. Forensic dna evidence interpretation is the most comprehensive resource for dna casework available today. Barbara stoppel was only 16 years old when she was brutally strangled to death at her workplace. Manitoba department of justice publications manitoba justice publications the inquiry regarding thomas sophonow table of contents introduction the facts giving rise to the inquiry, the authorizing order in council, its nature and scope trials and appeals of thomas sophonow jurisdiction and terms of reference of the commission of inquiry notice. In summary, dna evidence and the book of mormon is long overdue. The jeffersonhemings dna study as told by herbert barger, jefferson family historian february 12, 1999 revised august 30, 2000 i would like to address the issue of the thomas jefferson dna study and give my first hand account regarding the misleading headline in the science journal nature dated november 5, 1998. Absence of evidence caused his conviction to be reversed in 1985 by the manitoba court of appeals that ordered his acquittal. Dna evidence true crime and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Background dna study thomas jefferson sally hemings. But the 66yearold says even after all these years, hes never known exactly what that evidence is. Thomas sophonow speaks about his wrongful conviction. The investigation, prosecution and consideration of entitlement to compensation manitoba. Thomas sophonow innocents database of exonerations. Yes, there is photos that is illustrating whats going on with dna and what it looks like.
Are israelites the principal ancestors of native americans. In cases where people were exonerated through dna evidence. Whilst dna can be an important tool in solving crimes, dna evidence is not foolproof. On january 31, 2014, the lds church published an essay entitled book of mormon and dna studies in the gospel topics series on its official website. While chief ewatski said dna evidence played a role in the investigation, he insisted forensic evidence wasnt what cleared mr. In 2000, a winnipeg police service reinvestigation identified another suspect and announced that sophonow was not responsible for the murder. Many of them dont have much to do with evolution theyre observations about the details of physiology, biochemistry, development, and so on but many of them do. While chief ewatski said dna evidence played a role in the investigation, he insisted forensic. People who have been affected by mix ups of dna samples include a teenager in england who spent three months behind bars for rape in city he had never even visited. Retired police officer writing new book about thomas. I would like to address the issue of the thomas jefferson dna study and give my first hand account regarding the misleading headline in the science journal nature dated november 5, 1998. To view the entire video dna and the book of mormon click one of the lines below. Sophonow, subsequently, underwent three additional trials plus a preliminary hearing. New scientific support for the truthfulness of the book of mormon.
In more than 15% of wrongful conviction cases overturned through dna testing. In addition, two key witnesses were underworld informants who were paid for their testimony. He is the author of several books, including bestsellers american sphinx. At the university of manchester, dr ian burney argues that a model of systematic crime scene analysis predated dna evidence. This video is an eyeopening look for mormons to see the deception laid before them by clearly proving that there is no evidence to support the book of mormon and, in fact, provides contrary evidence. Discusses jeffersons health, the dna study, the jeffersonhemings scholars commission report, paris, madison hemings and jeffersons overseer. Dna evidence and molecular genetics disprove the book of mormon by rich deem introduction. Feb 10, 20 much of the public discourse about the case begins with the premise that the dna evidence proved simpsons guilt conclusively and proceeds quickly to an analysis of factors that might explain why the jury nevertheless voted to acquit. On december 23, 1981, she was found close to death in the womens washroom at the ideal donut shop in winnipeg, manitoba.
According to the book, two of these groups originated from ancient israel. Thomas murphy, anthropologist, mormon scholar, and dna researcher, acknowledges the problem that the dna evidence presents for the historical accuracy of the book of mormon. Reviews of dna evidence for book of mormon geography fairmormon. Reviews of dna evidence for book of mormon geography. This dvd delivers on its promise, and provided empirical evidence to those who will listen. Dna fingerprinting, includes related article by science world. This guide will cover what dna tests are available for you to take to further your genealogy research the three major testing companies are discussed, as well as their benefits and downfalls. This process, plays a major role in convicting, acquitting, or exonerating individuals accused of a crime. Jan 01, 2009 the book problem is how to get dna evidence for good things and bad things. The thomas ydna project is currently not able to accept new members. However, this attack ignores several key points, among which is the fact that the book of mormon states that lehi and his. For genealogy within the most recent fifteen generations, str markers help define paternal lineages. The family tree guide to dna testing and genetic genealogy. This author is qualified to right this book because he made several books about similar stuff to this one.
The strongest evidence yet against the book of mormon. Dalton said faulty science, tunnel vision by investigators who only look at evidence that relates to. The jeffersonhemings dna study as told by herbert barger, jefferson family historian. There is generally no direct support amongst mainstream historians and archaeologists for the. Prior to the dna test, ellis concluded that the likelihood of a liaison with sally hemings is remote.
Dna evidence and molecular genetics disprove the book of mormon. Identifying ancient dna related to book of mormon people summary. He underwent three trials and two appeals, the last one of which acquitted him. Dna vs book of mormon incredible new evidence sign in to follow this. Personal protective equipment ppe should be worn at all times. Joseph ellis, a professor of history at mount holyoke since 1972, is considered one of the nations foremost scholars of american history.
Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. July marks the 25th anniversary of the first use of dna. Guilty till proven innocent the thomas sophonow story. The dvd is based upon a popular presentation given in a number of fireside. Testing of the ychromosome dna and mitochondrial dna are. Their efforts were central to, and perhaps even decisive in, simpsons acquittal, but there was a larger result, too. With the inception of str dna testing, the crime scene investigator must also be. Just last week, sophonow stumbled upon a news article that said dna evidence was used to clear. Thomas sophonow s personality before and after his arrest thomas sophonow s background work record prior to his arrest his personality prior to his arrest evidence of jackie henke evidence of beth olsen peterson evidence of rachel devine evidence of raymond johnson evidence of philip sophonow.