Read about our approach to external linking. "So, it's a triangulation from two different, totally distant parts of the tree, so that's very convincing.". Read about our approach to external linking. The body of a man found on a South Australian beach more than 70 years ago has been exhumed in the hope of solving one of the country's most intriguing mysteries. The phrase was identified as coming from the classic book of Persian poetry Rubiyt of Omar Khayym. [87][self-published source? The discovery was made by Mr J. Lyons, of Whyte Rd, Somerton. [18] The body was then embalmed on 10 December 1948 after the police were unable to get a positive identification. And. 1951: Dorothy Webb reported to be living in Bute, South Australia. The divorce was granted in April 1952. The 40-year mystery of the missing farmer's wife, Russia launches pre-dawn missile attack on Ukraine, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Air strikes pound Sudan capital as truce extended. acute gastritis hemorrhage, extensive congestion of the liver and spleen, and the congestion to the brain. Your Privacy Rights [24] All identification marks on the clothes had been removed but police found the name "T. Keane" on a tie, "Keane" on a laundry bag and "Kean" on a singlet, along with three dry-cleaning marks; 1171/7, 4393/7 and 3053/7. Officer in Charge, No. "It kind of feels like climbing Mount Everest, and having that mixture of elation that you're at the top, but also tiredness and exhaustion," he said. Processing the results could reportedly take up to a year. [22], On 14 January 1949, staff at the Adelaide railway station discovered a brown suitcase with its label removed, which had been checked into the station cloakroom after 11:00am on 30 November 1948. [101][102] The family has a painting of the Somerton man hanging in their home, believing him to be family. Were just saying this is what the DNA tells us, says Abbott to the New York Times Alan Yuhas. [11][12] Witnesses said the body was in the same position when the police viewed it. You may want to read Twitters cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Kate Thomson opposed the exhumation as being disrespectful to her brother. The body of a man found on a South Australian beach more than 70 years ago has been exhumed in the hope of solving one of the country's most intriguing mysteries. She nursed him back to health, only for him to scold her for it and become more violent. [9][30] There is no record of the station's bathroom facilities being unavailable on the day he arrived. [2] There has been intense speculation ever since regarding the identity of the victim, the cause of his death, and the events leading up to it. Detective H. Strangway and Constable J. Moss are enquiring. [78] The coroner could not determine the young Mangnoson's cause of death, although it was not believed to be natural causes. [20] Finally, his dental records were not able to be matched to any known person. 14 January 1949: Adelaide railway station finds the brown suitcase belonging to the man. [32] He added that this evidence fitted in with the theory that the body may have been brought to Somerton Park beach after the man's death, accounting for the lack of evidence of vomiting and convulsions, which are the two main physiological reactions to poison. Also, the other "L" has a curve to the bottom part of the character. When Thomson was taken by authorities to visit a death mask of Somerton mans face, the taxidermist present, Paul Lawson, told ABCs Australian Story last year it was obvious she knew the man. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. The Somerton man mystery began in the early hours of December 1, 1948, when beachgoers found a body lying on Somerton beach in Adelaide. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Australian charged 32 years after gay hate killing. In trying to solve the Somerton Man case, Abbott became part of it. Meilan Solly [113], The marriage was not a harmonious one, largely due to Carl's personality. 16 November 1905: Carl "Charles" Webb born in Footscray, Melbourne, Victoria. [68] Detectives from Victoria initially believed the man was from there because of the similarity of the laundry marks to those used by several dry-cleaning firms in Melbourne. "Marriage and a mystery: Somerton Man's romantic twist", "The Somerton man died alone on a beach in 1948. All Episodes Topics Blog Shop About Contact SUBMIT A LISTENER SEGUE . When police arrived, they found the man lying in the sand with his head resting on the sea wall, with his legs out in front of him, and his ankles crossed. [24] With wartime rationing still enforced, clothing was difficult to acquire at that time. [20] Although named "City Baths", the centre was not a public bathing facility, but rather a public swimming pool. He was put to rest in an Adelaide cemetery under a headstone reading only "the unknown man". "I have spoken to them, except they're all of a generation well below him and so none of them knew himand have no photos in their old family albums or in their garden sheds, unfortunately," he said. Although it was a very common practice to use name tags, it was also common when buying secondhand clothing to remove the tags of the previous owners. [99] In May 2009, Abbott consulted with dental experts who concluded that the Somerton Man had hypodontia (a rare genetic disorder) of both lateral incisors, a feature present in only 2% of the general population. By 4 December, police had announced that the man's fingerprints were not on South Australian police records, forcing them to look further afield. Mystery of dead man on beach: was he a Victorian? | READ MORE. 614 June: The piece of paper bearing the inscription "Tamm Shud" is found in a concealed fob pocket. Division, ", See, for example; Gumundsson, H.H. C.I.B. Police checked incoming train records and believed the man had arrived at the Adelaide railway station by overnight train from either Melbourne,[29] Sydney or Port Augusta. At least two sites relatively close to Adelaide were of interest to spies: the Radium Hill uranium mine and the Woomera Test Range, an Anglo-Australian military research facility. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. [11] In news media, books and other discussions of the case, Thomson was frequently referred to by various pseudonyms, including the nickname "Jestyn" and names such as "Teresa Johnson ne Powell". Is climate change killing Australian wine? Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. They suggested that the Somerton man was Robin's father and, therefore, Rachel's grandfather. [note 4] Thomson told police that, after the war ended, she had moved to Melbourne and married. The parties interested in the analysis agreed to cover the costs. [71] Following publication of the man's photograph in Victoria, twenty-eight people claimed to know his identity. Professor Abbott also said there was a potential explanation as to why the Melbourne resident was in Adelaide. Now, Australian police say advances in DNA technology make exhumation worthwhile. An Australian researcher claims to have solved a 73-year-old mystery by identifying a man found dead on a beach, CNN said in a report. [57] In the front of the copy of Rubaiyat that was given to Boxall, Jessica Harkness had signed herself "JEstyn" [sic] and written out verse 70: Indeed, indeed, Repentance oft before 2023 BBC. Theories abounded, including that the person - dubbed Somerton Man - was a spy. Fitzpatrick told the Guardian she and Abbott started with a match in a DNA database (a so-called DNA-cousin to Somerton man) and then built out his family tree until they found someone who fit the description of who they were looking for. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. It has been one of the most interesting cases in Australias history. Mystery of Somerton man's identity solved after 73 years, researchers in Australia say Cryptic clues about man found on an Adelaide beach in 1948 spawned theories of jilted lovers and cold. One of the witnesses told the police she observed a man looking down at the sleeping man from the top of the steps that led to the beach. But a number of curious items found on the body encouraged ongoing speculation. [59][60] That same day, The News published a photograph of the dead man on its front page,[61] leading to additional calls from members of the public about his possible identity. Taman Shud Case, also called the Mystery of the Somerton Man, is an unsolved criminal case about a man who never had his name and origin discovered, found dead on December 1, 1948, on the beach at Somerton, city of Adelaide, Australia. Researchers now say the man is Carl Charles Webb, an electrical engineer from Melbourne. [14], According to the pathologist, John Burton Cleland, the man was of "Britisher" appearance and thought to be aged about 4045; he was in "top physical condition". They then used archival records to search for individuals whose biographies mirrored what was known about the Somerton Man. He said he had tracked down and spoken to Mr Webb's living relatives. [97], In March 2009, a University of Adelaide team led by Professor Derek Abbott began an attempt to solve the case through cracking the code and proposing to exhume the body to test for DNA. The pair analysed DNA evidence from hairs caught in a plaster cast made of the mans face more than half a century ago by investigators. Police arrived on the scene the following morning after receiving reports of a dead body on Somerton Beach. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine [32], In 1949, the body of the unknown man was buried in Adelaide's West Terrace Cemetery, where the Salvation Army conducted the service. Officials declined to comment on the new findings, instead telling CNN they would respond when results from the testing are received., Solved! Cryptic clues about man found on an Adelaide beach in 1948 spawned theories of jilted lovers and cold war spies but the truth may open up even more questions. Early 1950: Prosper Thomson's divorce is finalised. Born in Footscray, a suburb of Melbourne, on November 16, 1905, Webb was the sixth child of a German-born man and an Australian woman, writes ABCs Rebecca Opie. Dismissing the enigmatic figure as a drunk or a soundly sleeping beachgoer, the couples made no effort to approach him. In July 1949, a local man came forward with a copy of The Rubiyt that hed found tossed into the back of his car around the time of the Somerton Mans death. [49] She suggested that her mother and the Somerton man may both have been spies, noting that Jessica Thomson taught English to migrants, was interested in communism, and could speak Russian, although she would not disclose to Kate where she had learned it or why. [114], Forensic Science South Australia, who were still investigating, declined to comment on Abbott's findings. Ive already been on Trove to see if theres any presence of Charles Webb coming up in the old newspapers. [14], After the inquest, a plaster cast was made of the man's head and shoulders. [91][92], An exhumation was carried out on 19 May 2021. But after more than 70 years, a researcher says he's solved the mystery - Somerton Man was Carl Webb. The Somerton man mystery began in the early hours of December 1, 1948, when beachgoers found a body lying on Somerton beach in Adelaide. The man's body was found propped up against the seawall at Somerton Beach in Adelaide on December 1, 1948. The two daily Adelaide newspapers, The Advertiser and The News, covered the death in separate ways. Mack stated that the reason he did not confirm this at the viewing was a difference in the colour of the hair. 8:30a.m. to 10:50am: The Somerton Man is presumed to have arrived in Adelaide by train. Phillips, J.H. "Somerton Beach Mystery Man", Transcript, Broadcast 15 May 2009. He also found no evidence indicating the identity of the deceased. I was convinced that he was from Europemaybe a displaced person after the Second World War [who] was here alone. Shown the plaster cast by Paul Lawson, she does not identify the man as Alf Boxall, or any other person. On 26 July 2022, Adelaide University professor Derek Abbott, in association with genealogist Colleen M. Fitzpatrick, claimed to have identified the man as Carl "Charles" Webb, an electrical engineer and instrument maker born in 1905, based on genetic genealogy from DNA of the man's hair. It was a concealed code and the cipher used was a Hill cipher. Reflecting on the identification, Carolyn Bilsborow, a filmmaker who directed a 2018 documentary about the Somerton Man, tells the Guardian: We had all these grandiose ideas about him being Russian, American and European. Per a 1949 inquest report, a doctor who examined the Somerton Man's remains placed his time of death around 2 a.m. | But to find out that hes Australian, from Victoria, and that he died, and no one obviously noticed he was missing, or no one followed up with the police that he was missingI find that particularly kind of tragic. [11] For example, in the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was unable to match the dead man's fingerprint with prints taken from files of domestic criminals. Between 8:30a.m. to 10:50am: There is no satisfactory explanation for what The Somerton Man does during these hours. Also in the suitcase was a thread card of Barbour brand orange waxed thread of "an unusual type" not available in Australiait was the same as that used to repair the lining in a pocket of the trousers the dead man was wearing. [note 3]. No new findings are recorded and the inquest is ended with an. The 5-foot-11, 40- to 50-year-old man carried no money or identification. He was slumped against a seawall, dressed in a suit and tie. [86][needs update] Some independent researchers believe the ID card belonged to Horace Charles Reynolds, a Tasmanian man who died in 1953 and therefore could not have been the Somerton man. Mangnoson was born in Adelaide on 4 May 1914 and served as a Private in the Australian Army from 11 June 1941 until his discharge on 7 February 1945. The case has been considered, since the early stages of the police investigation, "one of Australia's most profound mysteries". The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. Professor Abbott said after more than a decade on the case, the discovery felt like summitting a mountain. The site at tamamshud.blogspot.com shows exactly how it was uncovered and gives the precise methodology so that anyone can test it for themselves. (Carls brother Roy also died in a prisoner-of-war camp the same year.) "It's an story that has captured the imagination of people across the state, and, indeed, across the world - but I believe that, finally, we may uncover some answers," South Australian Attorney General Ms Chapman said. [9], Witnesses who came forward said that on the evening of 30 November, they had seen an individual resembling the dead man lying on his back in the same spot where the corpse was later found. Police questioned a woman seen leaving the cemetery but she claimed she knew nothing of the man. But a professor at the University of Adelaide was on his own mission to crack it. This would be consistent with the copy of the Rubaiyat, which also focuses on the subject of death. Was he murdered? However, a bus conductor named Leslie Francis Wytkin (or Wytkins) handed in a copy of the. They found that the Somerton Man belonged to haplogroup H4a1a1a, possessed by only 1% of Europeans. Australia Exhumes the Somerton Man, and His 70-Year Mystery This week the police disinterred a body, found on a beach in 1948, that has puzzled investigators for decades. Still, she denied knowing the man, and authorities didnt press her on the issue. A smuggler. May 1950: Jessica and Prosper Thomson are married. [11] In 2009 to 2011, Derek Abbott's team concluded that it was most likely that each letter was the first letter of a word. [8][83] Any further attempts to identify the body have been hampered by the embalming formaldehyde having destroyed much of the man's DNA. As a result of their conversations with Thomson, police suspected that Boxall was the dead man. [115] South Australia Police had not verified the result, but stated they were "cautiously optimistic that this may provide a breakthrough". A former ballet dancer. "Together with the similarity of the ear characteristics, this mole, in a forensic case, would allow me to make a rare statement positively identifying the Somerton man. Another couple who saw him from 7:30pm to 8pm, during which time the street lights had come on, recounted that they did not see him move during the half an hour in which he was in view, although they did have the impression that his position had changed. That's most likely what brought him to Adelaide, the professor said. Who killed 'Little Red Riding Hood'? Police suspect the calls may be a hoax and the caller may be the same person who also terrorised a woman in a nearby suburb who had recently lost her husband in tragic circumstances. He teamed up with renowned US forensic expert Colleen Fitzpatrick - who specialises in cold cases - to build an extended family tree using the DNA. We knew this day was going to come at some point, she said. I was convinced that he was from Europe maybe a displaced person after the second world war [who] was here alone., But to find out that hes Australian, from Victoria, and that he died, and no one obviously noticed he was missing, or no one followed up with the police that he was missing I find that particularly kind of tragic.. The scrap had been torn from the final page of a copy of Rubaiyat of Omar Khayym, authored by 12th-century poet Omar Khayym. 1994: The Chief Justice of Victoria, John Harber Phillips, studies the evidence and concludes that poisoning was due to digitalis. WTBIMPANETP The case of the Somerton Man In 1948, the body of an unidentified man was found on Somerton Beach in Adelaide, Australia. " Several years ago, Ms. Egan had her DNA analyzed, and links were found to people in the United States (including relatives of Thomas Jefferson ). Cookie Policy "[44] Boxall's army service record suggests that he served initially in the 4th Water Transport Company, before being seconded to the North Australia Observer Unit (NAOU) a special operations unit and that during his time with NAOU, Boxall rose rapidly in rank, being promoted from lance corporal to lieutenant within three months. "Somerton Beach Mystery Man", Transcript, Broadcast 27 March 2009. [73] By November 1953, police announced they had recently received the 251st "solution" to the identity of the body from members of the public who claimed to have met or known him. Per a 1949 inquest report, a doctor who examined the Somerton Mans remains placed his time of death around 2 a.m. [18] All labels on his clothes had been removed,[16][19] and he had no hat (unusual for 1948) or wallet. The text has not been deciphered or interpreted in a way that satisfies authorities on the case. The ear shapes shared by both men were a "very good" match, although Henneberg also found what he called a "unique identifier"; a mole on the cheek that was the same shape and in the same position in both photographs. All rights reserved. The Somerton Man case has been an enigma since his body was discovered in 1948. He said it had been thrown into the back of his car around the time of the incident. [77] The two were found by Neil McRae[note 7] of Largs Bay, who claimed he had seen the location of the two in a dream the night before. 'Somerton man' mystery is 'SOLVED': Extraordinary twist in Australia's most baffling death 70 years after he was found dead on a beach with a coded note in his pocket. Late 1946: Harkness moves to Mentone to temporarily live with her parents. [110], Abbott claimed his DNA identification from strands of hair found in the plaster death mask made by South Australian Police in the late 1940s. Australian guilty in 'Claremont serial killings' case, Why science could free Australian 'serial killer', Russia launches pre-dawn missile attack on Ukraine, Explosion derails train in Russian border region. [5], On 1 December 1948 at 6:30am, the police were contacted after the body of a man was discovered on Somerton Park beach near Glenelg, about 11km (7mi) southwest of Adelaide, South Australia. On December 1, 1948, an unknown man was found lying dead on the sand on Somerton Beach next to the neighborhood of Glenelg, about 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Adelaide, South Australia. [note 2] Detective Sergeant Lionel Leane, who led the initial investigation, often protected the privacy of witnesses in public statements by using pseudonyms;[14] Leane referred to the man who found the book by the pseudonym "Ronald Francis" and he has never been officially identified. What, if anything, was his connection to Thomson? [7] An unlit cigarette was on the right collar of his coat. He added that there was sufficient DNA evidence to "definitively"disprove any links with his wife Rachel Egan, whose father ballet dancer Robin Thomson was believed to have potentially been a descendant of the Somerton Man. "I would like to see the toxicology done. It was believed the man had died while sleeping. The tree included about 4,000 people when that happened.. stationed in Australia. [95] It was reported that the body was exhumed as part of Operation Persevere and Operation Persist, which are investigating historical unidentified remains in South Australia. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, Body exhumed in hope of solving Australia mystery, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Donald Trump arrives in Scotland on golf visit, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Indian 'killer' elephant relocated to tiger reserve, Ding becomes China's first male world chess champion. The couple moved into a flat in Bromby Street, South Yarra. The second line has been struck out a fact considered significant due to its similarities to the fourth line and the possibility that it represents an error in encryption. The 5-foot-11, 40- to 50-year-old man carried no money or identification. So possibly, he had come to track her down," he told the ABC. On the inside back cover, detectives read through indentations left from previous handwriting: a local telephone number, another unidentified number, and text that resembled a coded message. [39] The timing is significant as the man is presumed, based on the suitcase, to have arrived in Adelaide the day before he was found on the beach. The actual reveal is quite impressive; it is very clear coding. [31] Cleland, as the investigating pathologist, re-examined the body and made a number of discoveries. Tucked inside the watch pocket in his pants was a slip of paper with Persian words printed on it which meant "finished.". VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. Some answers may come soon, some may take years, and some may never be answered, Abbott tells ABC. The Somerton Man has been exhumed what happens now? This article contains content provided by Twitter. There was congestion in the second half of the duodenum. [81], Years after the burial, flowers began appearing on the grave. 14 October 2019: Attorney-General of South Australia grants conditional approval for The Somerton Man to be exhumed in order for a DNA sample to be obtained. In 1945, at the Clifton Gardens Hotel in Sydney, she had given it to an Australian Army lieutenant named Alf Boxall, who was serving at the time in the Water Transport Section of the Royal Australian Engineers. [18] About the same time, Ina Harvey, the receptionist from the Strathmore Hotel opposite Adelaide railway station, revealed that a strange man had stayed in Room 21 or 23 for a few days around the time of the death, checking out on 30 November 1948. In 2019, ABC's Radio National released a six-part series titled, This page was last edited on 23 April 2023, at 05:58. 14 March 1958: The coroner's inquest is continued. Theres almost a sequel film here, [not] of who is Somerton man?, but now its the mysterious case of Charles Webb., Remains of mystery Somerton man exhumed 70 years after his death, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. SA Police have been contacted for comment. Also inside were a shaving brush, shoe polish, a knife, scissors, a screwdriver and assorted attire, some of which was labeled with variants of the name T. Abbotts research was undertaken with American genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick.
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