The links to Thomson go back to the scrap of paper with the Persian words for finished found in the mans fob pocket in his trousers. [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. [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. [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. In a 1978 television interview Stuart Littlemore asks: "Mr Boxall, you had been working, hadn't you, in an intelligence unit, before you met this young woman [Jessica Harkness]. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. 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. Somerton Man: Professor claims he has solved the identity of man found [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". Dr Fitzpatrick now wants to help solve the mystery of his death. [49] Abbott also subsequently wrote to Rau in support of the Egans, saying that exhumation for DNA testing would be consistent with federal government policy of identifying soldiers in war graves, to bring closure to their families. The case of the Somerton Man In 1948, the body of an unidentified man was found on Somerton Beach in Adelaide, Australia. [50], When she was shown the plaster cast bust of the dead man by DS Leane, Thomson said she could not identify the person depicted. This may provide clues to the country where it was purchased. 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. The Decades-Old Mystery Of The Unidentified Somerton Man May Have - MSN Meilan Solly I Solved The Code - Somerton Man Code - YouTube stationed in Australia. (modern). 5 Unsolved, Weird Disappearances of People: What Happened? ), Others posited that the Somerton Man was a former professional ballet dancer, drawing on the coroners comment that his calf muscles were high and well developed, such as found in women, and suggestion that he had been in the habit of wearing high-heeled and pointed shoes., Perhaps the most convincing theory centered on Thomsons son Robin, whose distinctive ears and teeth closely resembled the Somerton Mans. DNA Could Identify Somerton Man Exhumed in Australia - New York Times [115] South Australia Police had not verified the result, but stated they were "cautiously optimistic that this may provide a breakthrough". Astonishing Legends. And so he was buried in Adelaide cemetery in 1949 with a tombstone reading: "Here lies the unknown man who was found at Somerton Beach.". There is a . A month after his death, police found a suitcase believed to belong to him at the Adelaide Railway Station. [108][109], On 26 July 2022, Abbott announced that he and genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick had determined that the man was Carl "Charles" Webb, an electrical engineer and instrument maker born on 16 November 1905, in Footscray, a suburb of Melbourne. She said that she had received a letter from Boxall and had replied, telling him that she was now married. South Australia Police consulted their counterparts overseas and distributed information about the dead man internationally, in an effort to identify him. A researcher focusing on the famous Somerton man case believes that he has identified the man who washed . [9][30] There is no record of the station's bathroom facilities being unavailable on the day he arrived. Early 1950: Prosper Thomson's divorce is finalised. Was he murdered? 8:30a.m. to 10:50am: The Somerton Man is presumed to have arrived in Adelaide by train. To view this content choose accept and continue. Phillips, J.H. For 73 years, the identity of a well-dressed man found slumped by a sea wall of Somerton beach, south of Adelaide, in 1948 has been a mystery leaving room for theories featuring jilted lovers and cold war spies. In 2019, ABC's Radio National released a six-part series titled, This page was last edited on 23 April 2023, at 05:58. 1951: Dorothy Webb reported to be living in Bute, South Australia. The six clues that have failed to solve the Somerton Man mystery [8][10] A couple who saw him at around 7pm noted that they saw him extend his right arm to its fullest extent and then drop it limply. Shortly afterwards she moved to Adelaide and was listed in telephone directories under the surname of her future husband, Prosper Thomson. Also, the other "L" has a curve to the bottom part of the character. [116] She applied for a divorce on 5 June 1951, citing desertion. [93] Police stated that the remains were in "reasonable" condition and were optimistic about the prospect of DNA recovery. The actual reveal is quite impressive; it is very clear coding. But, they said that the "only clue of any value" remained the clothing the man wore. He said he had tracked down and spoken to Mr Webb's living relatives. One of the biggest mysteries in modern Australian history may have finally been solved. This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Read about our approach to external linking. DNA Researchers Name the Somerton Man, Australia's 73-Year-Old Cold Case. From there, the trail went cold. Sleuths amateur and professional alike have been puzzled for years by the discovery in 1948 of an unidentified man's . Working in conjunction with US investigator Colleen Fitzpatrick, Professor Abbott said that, in March this year, suspicions fell on Webb, who was born in 1905 but later identified "as a person with no death record". In all this soup and ocean of DNA cousins, we were able to connect one of them to Carls father and one of them to Carls mother, Fitzpatrick tells the Times. In addition, witness statements have disappeared from the police file over the years.[8]. But a number of curious items found on the body encouraged ongoing speculation. The South Australian Grandstand Bookmakers Association paid for the service to save the man from a pauper's burial. "The fact he [Thomson] has a rare dental and ear condition matching the Somerton Man appears to be an extraordinary coincidence.". Feltus in 2010 claimed he was given permission by Thomson's family to disclose her names and that of her husband, Prosper Thomson. [2] An editorial called the case "one of Australia's most profound mysteries"[2] and noted that if he died by poison so rare and obscure it could not be identified by toxicology experts, then surely the culprit's advanced knowledge of toxic substances pointed to something more serious than a mere domestic poisoning. Hicks stated that if death had occurred seven hours after the man was last seen to move, it would imply a massive dose that could still have been undetectable. What Remains: S1 E15: The Somerton Man - wondery.com Bilsborow said: Now that weve got his name, theres still so many questions. The poem's subject led police to theorise that the man had committed suicide by poison, although no other evidence corroborated the theory. I sworebut was I sober when I swore? [76] The Mangnosons had been missing for four days. The Tamm Shud case, also known as the Mystery of the Somerton Man, is an unsolved case of an unidentified man found dead at 6:30 am, December 1st of 1948, on the Somerton Park beach, just south of Adelaide, South Australia. 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. [98] Abbott believes an exhumation and an autosomal DNA test could link the Somerton man to a shortlist of surnames which, along with existing clues to the man's identity, would be the "final piece of the puzzle". Professor Abbott said the team had used popular genealogical DNA databases, like Ancestry.com, to find Mr Webb's distant relatives. [25][26] Police believed that whoever removed the clothing tags either overlooked these three items or purposely left the "Keane" tags on the clothes, knowing Keane was not the dead man's name. 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. [32] The contents of the boy's stomach were sent to a government analyst for further examination. Copies of Rubaiyat, as well as the Talmud and Bible, were being compared to the code using computers to get a statistical base for letter frequencies. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. They then used archival records to search for individuals whose biographies mirrored what was known about the Somerton Man. The heart was of normal size, and normal in every way small vessels not commonly observed in the brain were easily discernible with congestion. The autopsy also showed that the man's last meal was a pasty eaten about three to four hours before death,[8] but tests failed to reveal any foreign substance in the body. [71] Following publication of the man's photograph in Victoria, twenty-eight people claimed to know his identity. 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. Contrary to Abbotts initial suspicions, the new DNA survey showed no genetic ties between Egan and Webb, definitively proving that Robin was not Webbs son. Your Privacy Rights Now Australian scientists are close to solving the mystery By Hilary Whiteman, CNN Updated 10:42 PM EDT, Mon May 31, 2021 Link Copied! Other curious finds baffled authorities. "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. [49], Roma Egan, the widow of Jessica Thomson's son Robin, and Robin and Roma's daughter Rachel Egan, also appeared on 60 Minutes. And. My thread-bare Penitence a-pieces tore.[44]. The last mention of Webb in the historical record dates to April 1947, when he left his wife. Australia's "Somerton Man" Mystery Solved After 7 Decades, Says - NDTV The Somerton Man - Mystery Solved? - Apple Podcasts Still no picture to compare my reconstruction too though.Brilliant work by @derek_abbott60 and @Identifinders https://t.co/KrCkrZdYPg pic.twitter.com/vOllqL73g1. [114], Forensic Science South Australia, who were still investigating, declined to comment on Abbott's findings. 30 November 1948. Some answers may come soon, some may take years, and some may never be answered, Abbott tells ABC. The chance that this was a coincidence has been estimated as between one in 10,000,000 and one in 20,000,000. Derek Abbott was able to analyse the Somerton Man's DNA using hairs preserved when authorities made a plaster model of his face. Of the discovery, he said: "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.". The man's death also coincided with a reorganisation of Australian security agencies, which would culminate the following year with the founding of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). However, she also reported that, at some time in late 1948, an unidentified man had attempted to visit her and asked a next door neighbour about her. Between 8:30a.m. to 10:50am: There is no satisfactory explanation for what The Somerton Man does during these hours. In 1951, Dorothy was reportedly living in Bute, South Australia, 144km (89mi) from Adelaide. Just trying to put together a paper trail of who he was, or might have been. Shown the plaster cast by Paul Lawson, she does not identify the man as Alf Boxall, or any other person. Prof Derek Abbott from the University of Adelaide said on Monday he believes the man found on 1 December 1948, was Carl Charles Webb, a 43-year-old electrical engineer from Melbourne. [43], In 1978, following a request from ABC Television's journalist Stuart Littlemore, Department of Defence cryptographers analysed the handwritten text. Solving the Somerton man mystery: no Russian spy, just a bit of a loner "I'm hoping, ashis name gets out there, there will be somebody that will have an old photo album in a garden shed somewhere.". Division, ", See, for example; Gumundsson, H.H. He teamed up with renowned US forensic expert Colleen Fitzpatrick - who specialises in cold cases - to build an extended family tree using the DNA. Derek Abbott, from the University of Adelaide, says the body of a man found on one of the city's beaches in 1948 belonged to Carl "Charles" Webb, an electrical engineer and instrument . This article contains content provided by Twitter. "Somerton Man mystery 'solved': Professor identifies man found on beach in 1948" from news.com.au Police arrived on the scene the following morning after receiving reports of a dead body on Somerton Beach. [20] Although named "City Baths", the centre was not a public bathing facility, but rather a public swimming pool. (Cryptography experts contend that the string of letters dont actually constitute a code; Abbott, for his part, tells ABC they probably represent the first names of horses Webb bet on. Was it suicide? However, the code's short length meant the investigators would require the exact edition of the book used. When presented with the Somerton Mans death mask, Thomson appeared completely taken aback, to the point of giving the appearance she was about to faint, according to Detective Sergeant Lionel Leane. Feltus believed Thomson knew the Somerton man's identity. "Somerton Beach Mystery Man", Transcript, Broadcast 27 March 2009. Both kidneys were congested, and the liver contained a great excess of blood in its vessels. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. This would explain why the Somerton Man was wearing clothes of US origin and with the name Keane on them: they could have been handed down to him from his brother-in-law or nephew. Following a public appeal by police, the book from which the page had been torn was located. The text has not been deciphered or interpreted in a way that satisfies authorities on the case. The City Baths on King William St. were accessed from the station's northern exit via a lane way. Somerton Man: One of Australia's greatest mysteries solved | news.com But after more than 70 years, a researcher says he's solved the mystery - Somerton Man was Carl Webb. The researchers hope to address these mysteries and more through archival and genetic research. [48] Thomson's daughter Kate, in a television interview in 2014 with Channel Nine's 60 Minutes, also said that she believed her mother knew the dead man. As a result of their conversations with Thomson, police suspected that Boxall was the dead man. Titled "Body found on Beach", it read: A body, believed to be of E.C. Theories abounded, including that the person - dubbed Somerton Man - was a spy. Plenty of questions surrounding the case remain: Why did Webb come to Somerton Beach? What, if anything, was his connection to Thomson? Somerton man mystery 'solved' as DNA points to man's identity [note 4] Thomson told police that, after the war ended, she had moved to Melbourne and married. [36] Public library officials called in to translate the text identified it as a phrase meaning "ended" or "finished" found on the last page of Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. The Somerton Man was a mysterious, unknown decedent, found on Somerton Beach near Adelaide, South Australia, on December 1, 1948. Public interest in the case remains significant for several reasons: the death occurred at a time of heightened international tensions following the beginning of the Cold War; the apparent involvement of a secret code; the possible use of an undetectable poison; and the inability of authorities to identify the dead man. "ekkir ennan mann?". A search concluded that no T. Keane was missing in any English-speaking country. 16 October 1912: Prosper Thomson is born in central Queensland. Professor Abbott said Webb was born in Footscray on November 16,1905 to Richard August Webb (1866-1939) and Eliza Amelia Morris Grace (1871-1946). The Somerton Man code was actually cracked in late June 2020. [110], Carl "Charles" Webb was born on 16 November 1905, in Footscray, a suburb of Melbourne,[110] the youngest of six children of Richard and Eliza. DNA testing would confirm or eliminate this speculation. Somerton man mystery 'solved' as DNA points to man's identity x Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? 1986: The Somerton Man's brown suitcase and contents are destroyed as "no longer required". 3. He had no wallet, no cash, and no ID. (The DNA studied by Abbott and Fitzpatrick came from the Somerton Mans death mask, not his body, and was analyzed as part of a separate, parallel investigation.) 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. The discovery was made by Mr J. Lyons, of Whyte Rd, Somerton. [107] However, mitochondrial DNA is only inherited through the maternal line, and therefore cannot be used to investigate a hereditary link between Rachel Egan, Abbott's wife, and the Somerton Man. Boxall was born in London on 16 April 1906, enlisted in the Australian Army on 12 January 1942 and was not discharged until 12 April 1948.
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