Identification of Booth's body

[L Verge]

Now, Mr. Griffith, let's handle this statement of yours: "Importantly, L. Gardner said the body had a heavy beard ("quite a growth of beard"), and that the face was very much freckled."

I am just going to make a very personal comment. My hair and complexion when I was 28 were very similar to the description of Booth's during the height of his career -- very fair complexion, dark brown hair. Ten minutes in the sun would bring out freckles across my nose and cheeks as well as a pleasant pink glow (before it turned into a painful sunburn). I still believe that Booth's freckles were a result of livor mortis, but it is likely that freckles could form also from the sun's rays - just like mine.

My dark hair also was affected by the sun's rays, in case you want to throw that at us.

Now let's tackle the beard growth issue. I can't speak to that personally except to use my grandson as an example. He's 18, and for the past year or so, he has experimented with a beard. The biggest problem, however, is that his divorced parents have joint custody. Therefore, from age 6 until his departure for college in August, he spent three days with his father and four days with his mother (my daughter). His mother was okay with his stubbily beards, but not his father.

After just four days with Mom, he would have a nice showing of a beard and a mustache - and then he would shave it before going to Dad's house. In four days, he had a very identifiable growth of facial hair; couldn't we imagine that Booth had grown significant facial hair between shaving on April 15 and dying on April 26? I'm also guessing here, but wouldn't his facial skin have sunken a bit after death and that condition would enhance the look of the beard?

Finally, I take exception to your statement that Booth would have sought shade the whole time he was outdoors on his escape. Are you a native of Southern Maryland or the Northern Neck of Virginia? Do you know what April days can be like? They are not usually warm and toasty. I believe Booth would have sought patches of sun instead of shade. We also have statements from the Garretts about how he spent time outside on their lawn, even playing with the children. This exposure could certainly lead to the descriptions of the corpse made by a variety of people.

I have thoughts on some other statements and "what-ifs" that you have made also, but this is long enough. BTW: At one point I was ready to throw in the towel whenever I saw that you had posted; I didn't want to read the post because I knew my blood pressure would rise. However, I reconsidered when I realized that some of your postings were causing me to THINK and also to double-check history that I have known and taught for so many years. I now hope that your theories are causing others to do the same thinking and evaluating - and remembering that they know more than they thought they did!