but but, but- they had an ‘expert’ claim that the measurement between her shoulders and hips was ‘accurate’ and that there was a high degree of certainty that it was her (of course nearly ANY woman her height would have the same measurement- but let’s not let facts get in the way of a good story)- and they also pointed out the lean was ‘the same as amelia’s’ in some of her photos
They also superimposed a photo of a known dolan shot over the photo, and they both had ‘the teeth in the right position and receding hairline’ and a ‘largish nose’- so by gum - case solved- (of course many men have receding hairlines and their teeth ‘in the right place’ and large noses)
Who is to say that it isn’t Noonan (a good egg) and Earhart in the photo? Perhaps they were on that atoll two years earlier and happened to be photographed.
And back in the 70’s I read articles how the sasquatch footprints and “video” were real because experts said the unique weight distribution in the footprints and videotaped movement could not have been made a man in fake feet or a monkey suit. The only difference between these yokels and the evolution “experts” who foisted the ascent of Man hoaxes on unsuspecting students for decades are the number of degrees after their names. https://evolutionisntscience.wordpress.com/evolution-frauds/
I don't really fault the analysis of the photograph, though. Under the assumption that the photograph was valid, this was about all they could do. As they stated in the documentary, there was not enough pixelation in the photograph to use facial recognition software. About all the researchers are left with is facial overlays and relative body measurements. When zoomed in, the face of the man does strongly resemble Fred Noonan.
Someone commissioned to determine identities in the photograph probably has no reason to question the validity of the date of the photo or its supposed location. Once it was determined to some degree of likelihood that the man in the photograph was possibly Noonan, it is not a huge leap to say that could be Amelia Earhart. The only story that would have put Noonan in the stated place at the stated time would involve Amelia Earhart. The person sitting on the dock does bear a resemblance to Earhart from behind. Again, due to lack of data, a measurement of limb proportion is about all that can be done.
Were the results overstated? Yes, to some degree. To the defense of the expert, he didn't go to his highest degree of assurance. History Channel was the one that took liberties with the conclusion.
The part that I found the most interesting was the "281 North Howland" message. I'm not a navigator, so it might be total nonsense but it seemed logical to me. We know that Earhart radioed that she was flying at 1000 feet to get under the clouds. If the documentary is to be believed, the only large bank of clouds that day was a building storm about 250-300 miles north of Howland Island. If she unknowingly was that far north of Howland Island and turned to return to the Solomon Islands, she would have gone straight into the Marshall Islands. The "281 North" could have been a compass bearing and not the mileage from Howland Island and that compass bearing goes right through the Marshall Islands' atoll where they claim the emergency landing occurred.