On the morning of November 11th1880, legendary Australian outlaw, Ned Kelly was hanged. His infamy catapulted him to iconic status and what happened to his body after his death has been a huge source of controversy and mystery ever since. In 1978, the supposed skull of Ned Kelly was stolen from the Old Melbourne Gaol. It was lost for more than 30 years until in 2009, a West Australian farmer finally handed it back.
Now a team of forensic scientists have just completed a yearlong quest to confirm the identity of the skull. What they found will make headlines around the world and change recorded history forever.
With unique access to the entire investigation, a film crew recorded every step of the way. In Ned’s Head the truth behind Ned Kelly’s skull can finally be revealed.
Heading the investigation is the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM). It has been at the forefront of victim identification in the Asian Tsunami, the Victorian Bush fires and the Bali bombings. Faced with an over 120 year old case, the team at the VIFM used the latest modern science techniques combined with historic research to try and crack the case. It was one of their highest profile cases ever and much was riding on the outcome.
The historical team’s task was to try and work out whether an autopsy was done on Kelly after death and whether his head was removed. The scientific team’s main challenge was extracting DNA which is an extremely difficult task in old remains.
One of the major lead’s the scientific team had was Ned Kelly death mask, made just an hour after his execution, when his body was still warm. It is the closest the scientists could get to the real thing. Using photographs of the death mask they compared it to the skull to try and get a match. But in their investigation they came across one other death mask that was to blow the whole case wide open.
This historical team made some major breakthroughs. They discovered evidence for the first time ever that confirmed that Kelly was buried in the prison. But they could find no report of any autopsy.
As the scientific team searched for answers, they needed more detailed information about the skull. They used CT scans and the definitive identification tool - DNA. But getting DNA from the Kelly skull was not easy. The first attempt failed and the prospect of solving the case looked bleak. Finally a test was done on a single tooth taken from the skull.
But when the results came in, it was not good news. After 12 months of investigation, the hopes of the team were dashed. The skull was not that of the infamous bushranger.
While the skull was not Kelly’s, the team was determined to find him. They knew that his remains lay in boxes with those of over 30 executed prisoners exhumed in an archaeological dig in 2008. For the scientific investigators the search for Ned continued.
In a dramatic climax the team discovered more than they could possibly have hoped for. An almost complete skeleton. Recent DNA testing has confirmed it is that of Ned Kelly.
Controversial in death as he was in life finally Ned Kelly can be laid to rest.