On December 1, 1948, the body of a well-dressed man was discovered propped against the seawall of Somerton Beach in Adelaide, Australia. His polished shoes, pressed suit, and neat appearance painted a curious contrast to the circumstances of his death. He had no wallet, no identification, and all the tags had been removed from his clothing. Even more strangely, the labels on his suit appeared to have been deliberately cut out, ensuring he remained anonymous.
The man, who would come to be known as the “Somerton Man,” carried no physical injuries, and toxicology reports found no trace of common poisons. His cause of death remains a mystery to this day.
The Discovery and Initial Investigation
The discovery was reported to the authorities, and the body was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for examination. Investigators noted his healthy physique and lack of visible wounds. They speculated poisoning but were unable to identify any toxins, leading to an official cause of death listed as “unknown.”
Upon searching his pockets, authorities found curious items: a bus ticket from Adelaide, a half-smoked cigarette resting on his collar, and an unused train ticket. However, it was a small, tightly folded piece of paper found in a fob pocket that would turn the case into a historical enigma. The paper bore two words: Tamam Shud, a Persian phrase meaning “It is finished”.
The Link to a Rare Book
The cryptic phrase led investigators to a rare edition of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, a Persian poetry book. The phrase Tamam Shud had been torn from a copy of the book, and remarkably, a man turned in a copy of the same edition, claiming it had been left in his car near the beach where the body was found.
Upon examining the book, detectives found even more cryptic clues: a sequence of letters scribbled on the back cover, believed to be a code, and a telephone number linked to a local nurse named Jo Thomson (also known as Jestyn). When questioned, Thomson claimed not to know the man, though her reaction to seeing a bust of the deceased suggested otherwise, according to the police present.
Theories and Speculations
Over the years, the Taman Shud case has generated a web of theories, many involving espionage, untraceable poisons, and secret codes. Some of the most widely debated possibilities include:
- Espionage: The timing, just after World War II, coupled with the coded message and the lack of identification, has led many to believe the Somerton Man was a spy. The Cold War was beginning, and Adelaide was near key military installations, making it plausible.
- Untraceable Poison: Some experts have suggested the use of rare toxins that break down quickly in the body, making detection difficult even with modern methods.
- A Romantic Connection: The link to Jo Thomson and the discovery of a child later suspected to be related to the Somerton Man (through DNA analysis) has fueled theories that the death was related to a secret romantic affair or a personal tragedy.
The Breakthrough in DNA Testing
In recent years, DNA analysis has provided some of the most significant developments in the case. Forensic genealogists traced the Somerton Man’s lineage to European origins, possibly linking him to a man named Carl Webb from Victoria, Australia. Webb had disappeared from public records around the time of the Somerton Man’s death.
However, even with this possible identification, the questions surrounding how and why he died—and the strange code—remain unresolved.
