Helen and AGRBear - I don't think that anyone minds others going through a process to figure out what happened to the Imperial Family. I think what is problematic is unreasoned conclusions and unreasonable doubts.
Up until the late 1980's, the only real evidence we had was the Sokolov Report, a few statements by the Bolsheviks, and the fact that the Imperial Family was never seen again after July 16, 1918. I think with this evidence, it was reasonable to conclude that perhaps they disappeared into Russia or that some or all had been murdered by their captors.
Significant scientific work was done during the 1990's. Without question, a male with DNA that exactly matched Grand Duke George Alexandrovich was found in a grave in the Koptyaki Forest along with 4 bodies of people unrelated to the male and four females, all with mtDNA that exactly matches Prince Philip and three of whom were the daughters of the 1st male.
It is reasonable to conclude with this evidence, and the written evidence from Yurovsky et al that the Koptyaki grave, contained the remains of Nicholas, Alexandra, three of their daughters, and the 4 remaining members of their suite.
There are still people who don't know a probability from a possibility. There are those who say the Holocaust didn't happen and that man never landed on the moon. Heck, there are still people who believe the Earth is flat! These are opinions that people hold, but they are not reasonable positions. I think this Forum are ill served by those running their mouths.
Take, for example, the poster's contention that the grave was "salted" with the remains of "Alexander I or II". Neither of these men would have had a genetic relationship with Maria Feodorovna, as Nicholas and Georgei's did and the remains in the grave did. But does this stop the poster from running his mouth? No.
And, Helen, there always are going to be questions that we can never answer about this case, but that is no reason to ignore the significant body of scientific evidence that came out of the last decade. That's simply ignorant, and you don't sound like an ignorant person to me. It's fine to investigate, but let's stay within the bounds of reasonable inquiry.
Perhaps the place to start with what you suggest is to more carefully frame the questions you feel are out there?
