Physics and murder

A leading forensic scientist will reveal how physics secured the conviction of Gordon Wood for the murder of Sydney model Caroline Byrne, when he speaks at the University of Sydney later this month.

Associate Professor Rod Cross from the University’s School of Physics is the author of Evidence for Murder - How physics convicted a killer and was a key expert witness in the trial of Wood. Associate Professor Cross will give a free public lecture, based on his book, at the Footbridge Theatre on Thursday 19 November, 2009.

Associate Professor Cross will discuss how physics proved Caroline Byrne could not have tripped or committed suicide at The Gap at Watsons Bay in June 1995.

He will reveal stories from inside the courtroom of one of the most captivating and controversial trials in Australia’s recent history and will also show footage of fascinating experiments that provided key evidence in this trial.

“This is a really interesting case where physics was able to provide answers for one of Sydney’s longest-running murder cases,” says Associate Professor Cross.

“Caroline Byrne's body was found 11.8 metres out from the cliff. The only way her body could have landed so far out from the four-metre-wide rock platform was if she had a launch speed of at least 4.5 m/s.”

Associate Professor Cross conducted trials using female police cadets who jumped into a swimming pool to see how fast a launch speed they could reach after a four-metre run-up. “None of them could get up to 4.5 m/s by diving, although a few could reach that speed with a feet-first jump,” explains Associate Professor Cross. “Only a person of elite athletic ability could reach this launch speed by running and then diving off the cliff edge.”

The results of these experiments pointed to only one conclusion: “It would have been practically impossible for Caroline Byrne to jump and land in the way she did. She was thrown off the rock ledge at The Gap by a strong and fit person.”

Event details:

What: Evidence for Murder: How physics convicted a killer – free public talk by Associate Professor Rod Cross

When: 6.30 pm on Thursday 19 November 2009

Where: Footbridge Theatre, Parramatta Road, University of Sydney

RSVP: outreach@physics.usyd.edu.au.