The Houston Chronicle has today's update on the Davy Crockett letter saga - the Texas Historical Commission has now "retracted" spokeswoman Debbi Head's statement that they're "99.9% sure" of the letter's authenticity. "That was not the position of the commission at all," Commission executive director Lawrence Oaks told the paper, calling Head's words "a misstatement."
"Oaks said the commission will issue a 'request for qualifications; next week seeking experts skilled in forensics and other forms of historical document analysis. He said the document, offered by Houston dealer Ray Simpson III, would undergo scientific tests to determine the age of the paper and the ink, as well as other types of analysis. ... A team might be assembled rather than one individual, standard practices will be applied and the search for experts will be nationwide, he added. The commission hopes to move quickly and will exclude anyone with an 'ax to grind' or a conflict of interest."
