10 Chilling Facts about the Still-Unsolved Somerton Man Case

The mystery of a dead man on a beach in Somerton, Australia, in December 1948 remains unsolved to this day. It also remains one of the most fascinating enigmas of the 20th century. One that has dark undertones running through it, suggestive of the brutal, cut-throat environment of the intelligence world.

It is sometimes referred to as the Tamam Shud case due to the discovery of a page from an otherwise obscure poetry book from Persia in the 12th century. While recent DNA analysis has seemingly identified the “Somerton Man” as Carl Webb, some issues remain regarding the reliability of the results, including the limited DNA sample obtained from a hair trapped in a plaster cast of his face, the potential for contamination, and the fact that the DNA only provides a partial picture of his identity without explaining the circumstances surrounding his death. Therefore, the question remains: Who was the man found in 1948?.

The case truly is one of the most mysterious and intriguing examples of an unsolved crime on record.

Related: Ten Seriously Spooky Unsolved Spring Break Mysteries

10 People Probably Saw the Mystery Man’s Last Moments

The mysterious Somerton Man was discovered early on the morning of December 1, 1948. However, several witnesses very likely saw the man in his final hours the previous evening in the same spot he was ultimately discovered in.

At around 7 p.m. the previous evening, several witnesses would reveal that they had witnessed a man lying on the beach. Furthermore, he was dressed in a suit identical to the one discovered on the body the following day. Witnesses would state almost across the board that they believed the man was drunk and was merely “sleeping it off.” Because of this, they paid little attention to him other than noticing he was there.

One witness would state, though, that they saw him move his arm temporarily as if attempting to get up. Another couple, meanwhile, claimed to have noticed him change position several times.

It certainly isn’t definite proof that the man witnessed lying on the beach was the same man who was discovered dead the following morning. It is, however, a very safe assumption.^[1]

9 Evidence of Poisoning

At around 6:30 a.m. on the morning in question, John Lyons, a resident of the area, was on his way to work. He would make the discovery of the dead man and raise the alarm with the local police. Several interesting details were noted straight away, which caused the coroner to state “his belief” that some type of poison was administered. And that this was the likely cause of the mystery man’s death. We should note, though, ultimately, that the official cause of death would remain unknown and “inconclusive.”

The man was found on his back with an unlit cigarette resting on the collar of his suit. The manner in which his feet were crossed and interlocked intrigued investigators. This would cause them to believe that the man had been in severe pain during his last moments. We also note that such speculation was shared during the examination of the coroner, Dr. Dwyer.

He would state that while he hadn’t discovered an actual poison in the body of the unknown man, he had found blood and “significant congestion” in the stomach, kidneys, and gullet. Dwyer would further state that he was “quite convinced” that the death was not from natural causes. He would even suggest that the lethal substance was likely a “barbiturate or soluble hypnotic,” possibly even administered through a “laced” cigarette.

Several months later, in the summer of 1949, during the inquest, the notion of poison arose again. While serving as a consultant to the inquest, John Cleland would suggest that it was perfectly plausible that an undetected poison killed the mystery man.^[2]

8 The First Case of Embalming In Australia

Due to the surreal and mysterious nature of the case, the decision was made to have the body embalmed. This was the first time such a drastic course of action was taken on Australian soil.

The decision was that of Dr. Dwyer. He would take such action after noting the very real possibility that the man was not Australian. This was due to a failure to find a match with any of the dental records in the country. He would suggest he was likely American or European. Data across international borders was much slower to access in the late 1940s than it is today. The decision to embalm was made until such information (if even available) could be reached.

The unmatched dental records, however, were far from the only mysterious detail of this strange and unfortunate man on Somerton Beach. Our next point is perhaps equally baffling.^[3]

7 Missing Labels (and Some Seemingly Missed!)

Upon examining the man’s clothing, it was discovered that every label was removed. Whether this was something undertaken by the man himself or whether the person or persons behind his death remains open to debate. It would appear, though, that this was something the man himself would have done prior to that fateful evening. And this would only strengthen the notion that the mystery man was a spy for one country or another.

Several weeks later, following attempts to trace the mysterious man’s movements came another discovery. A brown suitcase was found at Adelaide Railway Station, thought to have belonged to the man. The case also had the labels inside removed.

They would make some remarkable discoveries inside the case. There were such mundane items as slippers, a dressing gown, and shaving products present. There was also an orange cotton thread, which was the exact same thread investigators had discovered in a small repair on the man’s trousers. Furthermore, it was a brand (Barbour) that was largely available only in the United Kingdom. And certainly not in Australia.

Investigators would also discover several items of clothing that had not had the labels removed. It was unclear to police whether this was a purposeful act or whether they had simply been missed or forgotten about. What was interesting, though, was the word “Keane,” which appeared in various ways. For example, on a tie (T. Keane), a laundry bag (Keane), and a waistcoat (Kean). Despite this, though, their searches of any persons of interest under that name failed to yield any results or leads.^[4]

6 The “Tamam Shud” Note

Without a doubt, one of the most mysterious finds on the man on Somerton Beach was a small piece of paper. This was discovered sewn inside the actual lining of the dead man’s trouser pocket. The words “Tamam Shud” were written on it, which are the last words to “The Rubaiyat Of Omar Khayyam”, a 12th-century Persian poem. Perhaps even more ominous is the fact that the words translate to either “it is ended” or “it is finished.”

At first, investigators were rather perplexed with the find. That was until late July 1949 when a gentleman using a false name (Ronald Francis) would suddenly contact them. He claimed that he had a copy of the obscure poetry book with a torn page that matched the paper in their possession. He would claim that he visited Somerton Beach the day before the discovery of the dead man’s body. He had, for reasons he didn’t divulge, left his car unlocked. When he returned, he discovered the copy of the strange book in his vehicle. It was only when he saw the police appeals for information that he recalled the bizarre incident.^[5]

5 Strange and “Unbreakable” Codes

The book itself would also yield further clues, albeit ones that equally confused investigators as to what they meant. For example, they would discover very faint ink marks and indentions where someone had previously made a list. What’s more, this list appeared to have strange codes.

A wealth of language experts and codebreakers attempted to unlock the meaning behind these strange words. None of them, however, would prove successful. It is considered by most to be “near impossible” to crack the code and reveal the hidden meaning behind it.

Of course, the letters may be meaningless. Or perhaps even intentionally placed there to provide disinformation. However, it would appear unlikely. What might these strange codes mean? And was the person who wrote them behind the death of the Somerton Man? Our next entry only adds another chilling twist to an already bizarre and disturbing incident.^[6]

4 The “Jessica” Phone Number

This strange book would continue to seemingly provide clues to the mysterious event. Even if those clues were little understood by investigators.

In the back of the mysterious publication was a phone number. Investigators would discover this number was unlisted. However, the police would trace it to Jessica Thomson. What’s more, this lady’s address was in the immediate vicinity of Somerton Beach.

Investigators would speak with Jessica. She would ultimately state she didn’t know who the mystery man on the beach was. Neither did she know, she claimed, why her private phone number was written in the book. However, the interview with Jessica was far from unfruitful.

She would claim that she had indeed owned a copy of the book in question. This was while she was working as a nurse at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital during the summer of 1945. She would state, though, that she had given her copy away to a soldier she knew who was stationed nearby named Al Boxall. And it is to Boxall where we will turn our attention next.^[7]

3 The Mysterious Al Boxall

Investigators would manage to track down Boxall. And when they did, he would all but state that he had a past connected to intelligence services. He would also produce the book that Jessica claimed to have given him.

Boxall, much like Jennifer, however, would display significant evasiveness when answering certain questions. Particularly in relation to who the mystery man might have been. And whether he or Jennifer themselves knew his identity.

There are several theories as to whether or not one or both Jessica and Boxall might have had connections to the Somerton Man and, in particular, his death. Many, however, return to the notion that Jessica was involved in an affair with the mystery man at the same time she was seeing Boxall. What’s more, he, Jessica, and Boxall all had connections to the intelligence world. Had Jessica lured the man to his death? And was Boxall part of that plan?^[8]

2 George Marshall’s “Suicide”

One of the truly bizarre and suspicious connections to the Somerton Man mystery is the “suicide” of one George Marshall three years before the death of the mysterious man on the beach. One morning in June 1945 came the discovery of George Marshall’s dead body at Ashton Park in Sydney. He was discovered lying on his back. On his chest was a copy of the previously mentioned Persian poetry book.

What is even more bizarre is that Ashton Park sits directly opposite Clifton Hotel. This just happened to house one Al Boxall at the time he was in a relationship with the previously mentioned Jessica.

Even more intriguing is the editions of the book itself. Officially, only five editions were made. However, the copy that was eventually given to police with the missing page would prove to be an apparent 6th edition. Meanwhile, the one discovered on Marshall’s chest declared itself to be a 7th edition. Just what was the apparent connection or meaning of this already rare and strange book to these equally strange deaths?^[9]

1 The Potential Connections of the Mangnoson Family

There is perhaps one more point of interest to examine regarding the Somerton Man case. And that is the bizarre and quite ominous happenings that would surround the Mangnoson family beginning in early June 1949.

It would begin with the discovery of an unconscious and subsequently confused Keith Mangnoson and his dead two-year-old son, Clive. Whether of consequence or not, they were found just 10 miles from Somerton Beach. The cause of death of the boy was unknown, but the coroner was certain it was not from natural causes. Even stranger, Keith was quickly sectioned to a medical facility for the mentally unstable shortly after a secretive police interview.

Things would take an even stranger twist, though, when Keith’s wife (and the mother of the dead two-year-old), Roma, would report to police that a mysterious car had intentionally tried to knock her down several days later. She would further report that she was warned to “keep away from the police.” She would then claim that her husband knew the identity of the Somerton Man and had planned to speak about it to authorities.

She would even go on to name the mystery man on the beach as Carl Thompson. She would insist he was an intelligent agent and someone who had worked with her husband for around a decade before his death.^[10]

fact checked by
Darci Heikkinen