The Somerton Man

Tish

Tish

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Location
Rural N.S.W. Australia
The Somerton Man is probably one of the most internationally renowned of Australia’s unsolved mysteries. Sometimes referred to as the Tamam Shud case, it involves the discovery of a man’s body on Somerton beach in the morning of December 1, 1948. The case is referred to as such because, some months after the body was found, police uncovered a scrap of paper in the man’s pocket on which was printed: tamám shud. The phrase means “ended” or “finished” in Persian.

Police were unable to identify the man, although his autopsy suggested that he had not died of natural causes but had in fact been poisoned and possibly left at the beach, instead of having died there. Clues on his body seemed to lead to more questions, and it didn’t get any easier when his suitcase was discovered 6 weeks after his body at a train station. The scrap of paper in his pocket came from a rare New Zealand edition of a book of poems, which police tracked down (someone had stashed it in the rear footwell of a car). Inside, they found indentations of other writing, which they believe to be a code or encryption.

The case of the Somerton Man is considered to be one of Australia’s most profound mysteries, and has been since it was first uncovered. Years later, there is no consensus as to who the man was, how he really died, how he came to be at Somerton beach, or where he might have come from. A local woman named Jessica Thomson was linked to the case, but continued to claim she did not know the dead man. Some think he might have been a spy, but the truth is, we’ll never know.

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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12...se-could-be-one-step-closer-to-solved/9245512
 

Update on this case!
This morning it was declared that his body is being exhumed for further testing with new technology.
Obviously, they have a reason for this that they are not telling us about.
They did reveal that the small piece of paper written in Persian said "It is done"
I will be keeping my eye on this case and will update it as information becomes available.
 

They find the piece of paper "some months" after discovering the body?. If he was a poet it may be fitting he was a recluse and perhaps he saw fit to end his life while sitting on the beach watching the magnificent ocean. I don't get the mystery.
 
How did I miss this when you posted it in December Tish I
don't know and apologise!

It is an intriguing and baffling tale yet it seems to be coming
together and I hope that it is proven by the next tests.

Thank you for bringing it forward.

Mike.
 
Mike said:
How did I miss this when you posted it in December Tish I
don't know and apologise!

It is an intriguing and baffling tale yet it seems to be coming
together and I hope that it is proven by the next tests.

Thank you for bringing it forward.

Mike.
Click to expand...
No need to apologise, Mike, glad you are on board now.
 
Yesterday, the Somerton Man's remains were successfully exhumed from their resting place in Adelaide's West Terrace Cemetery. Despite fears that there may have been little left after more than 70 years in a coffin, police declared the delicate dig had "gone smoothly" and that his "complete remains" had been unearthed.

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Authorities are now waiting for the potentially-lengthy forensic process to begin. The process of recovering the man's DNA — and even determining whether there is DNA to be recovered — will be a painstaking one. Several experts are likely to be needed for the attempted DNA extraction.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-20/somerton-man-forensic-process-following-exhumation/100150868
 
Update on the case, here we go his bones and hair seem in good shape.

Investigators believe there is fresh hope in solving a 70-year-old South Australian cold case after exhumed remains of what is believed to be the Somerton man have been revealed to be in good shape.
The man’s remains and hair samples from a museum will be used by investigators to try and identify him. His body was found in Adelaide’s Somerton beach on December 1, 1948 and the circumstances surrounding his death are unknown.

 
Yes it’s been on our TV day and night as well as the front page story on the Advertiser newspaper everyday @Tish cause I live in SA ( although not in-the city ) what I seen they carried out the exhuming of his remains with upmost dignity.
Lets Hope they find what they are looking for cause it’s been a huge South Aust mystery for so many years
Was he a spy ? and the lady’s phone number found on him denied knowing him.
The cemetery where he was buried is right on the edge of the city ( Adelaide ) square mile

( Adelaide city is an exact square mile )
 
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Kadee46 said:
Yes it’s been on our TV day and night as well as the front page story on the Advertiser newspaper everyday @Tish cause I live in SA ( although not in-the city ) what I seen they carried out the exhuming of his remains with upmost dignity.
Lets Hope they find what they are looking for cause it’s been a huge South Aust mystery for so many years
Was he a spy ? and the lady’s phone number found on him denied knowing him.
The cemetery where he was buried is right on the edge of the cities ( Adelaide ) square mile

( Adelaide city is an exact square mile )
Click to expand...
That phone number has me really intrigued.
 
Peteb said:
The code.
Why is there an A in the seventh position of every line of over six letters?
And I have more ...... tomsbytwo.com. .... come see.
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...... and it is by no means common knowledge that English imported 127 - count them - nazi V2 rocket scientists and technicians to work on weapons development in Salisbury SA in 1948. All of them given new identities. I hope this is of interest to you ... I’m no youngster myself so we might have two things in common.
 
I'm still stuck on the phone number as it an unlisted number, as in you can't look it up in the phone book. ( Back then)
If it was not the Nurse that knew him, someone else in that residence did.
The other thing that sticks out to me is the rare book of poems that someone had stashed in the rear footwell of a car, who owned the car is that person a suspect, or is that person trying to throw the police on to another goose chase?
 
Tish said:
I'm still stuck on the phone number as it an unlisted number, as in you can't look it up in the phone book. ( Back then)
If it was not the Nurse that knew him, someone else in that residence did.
The other thing that sticks out to me is the rare book of poems that someone had stashed in the rear footwell of a car, who owned the car is that person a suspect, or is that person trying to throw the police on to another goose chase?
Click to expand...
Tish, the phone number was listed, I have a pic of the 1947 Adelaide directory page.
 
Peteb said:
... and one more thing. No authentic photo of the Rubaiyat exists. The photo of the book that is widely accepted as being the real thing was a media sourced copy.
Click to expand...
I wonder why the authorities said it was unlisted? There is more to this than meets the eye.
Could you upload the pic of the 1947 directory page, please? I would love to add it to my records.
 
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I haven’t seen any thing in the news or in the daily papers ( The Adelaide Advertiser ) since they exhumed him.
Ive got a sneaky suspicion they may keep his remains for science study because it was reported his remains are fairly intact after 70 plus years ..who knows ???
 
Kadee46 said:
I haven’t seen any thing in the news or in the daily papers ( The Adelaide Advertiser ) since they exhumed him.
Ive got a sneaky suspicion they may keep his remains for science study because it was reported his remains are fairly intact after 70 plus years ..who knows ???
Click to expand...
Dr Colleen Fitzpatrick, one of the world’s leading forensic genealogists and who once worked with Professor Abbott in his first DNA investigation some years ago, only recently came forward to say (New York Times article, 21 May) that she had traced Rachel Egan’s DNA to Prosper Thomson’s grandparents. This means that the shock Jessica showed when viewing the Somerton Man bust wasn’t because he was the father of her son, Robin. Derek Abbott said, and I quote, “My head is spinning.”
Tish : how can I insert a pic here?
 
Peteb said:
Dr Colleen Fitzpatrick, one of the world’s leading forensic genealogists and who once worked with Professor Abbott in his first DNA investigation some years ago, only recently came forward to say (New York Times article, 21 May) that she had traced Rachel Egan’s DNA to Prosper Thomson’s grandparents. This means that the shock Jessica showed when viewing the Somerton Man bust wasn’t because he was the father of her son, Robin. Derek Abbott said, and I quote, “My head is spinning.”
Tish : how can I insert a pic here?
Click to expand...
Pete, when you start a post you'll see a toolbar across the top of the conversation box. There's a little picture icon to the right of the smiley. Click that and you'll see how to insert a photo.
 
Peteb said:
Dr Colleen Fitzpatrick, one of the world’s leading forensic genealogists and who once worked with Professor Abbott in his first DNA investigation some years ago, only recently came forward to say (New York Times article, 21 May) that she had traced Rachel Egan’s DNA to Prosper Thomson’s grandparents. This means that the shock Jessica showed when viewing the Somerton Man bust wasn’t because he was the father of her son, Robin. Derek Abbott said, and I quote, “My head is spinning.”
Tish : how can I insert a pic here?
Click to expand...
Allot of cold crimes / mysteries have been solved since DNA testing @Peteb
Like a few a few murders that some thought they never be caught or convicted of let alone serve
a prison sentence.
Wow Pete is that a photo or do you have that phone book ? I know that area fairly well how that’s changed over the years , the once open areas close to the beach now filled with high rise apartments / marinas
 

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