The Somerton Man

On December 1, 1948, the body of an unidentified man was found on Somerton Beach in Adelaide, Australia. All labels had been removed from his clothes. In his pocket was a slip of paper torn from a rare book, bearing the phrase “Tamám Shud” (meaning “ended” in Persian). The case baffled investigators for decades.

The Discovery

The man appeared to be in his forties, well-built, and well-dressed. He had no identification. No one reported him missing. His fingerprints matched no records. His dental records matched no known person.

An autopsy revealed his death was likely caused by poisoning, but no specific toxin was identified. His spleen was unusually enlarged.

The Clues

A suitcase found at Adelaide railway station contained the man’s belongings, but all labels had been removed from clothing. The suitcase provided no identification.

The crucial clue was the slip of paper in his pocket, torn from the final page of a copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Months later, the actual book was found. In its back cover was a code and a telephone number.

The Code

The code appeared to be: WRGOABABD MLIAOI WTBIMPANETP MLIABOAIAQC ITTMTSAMSTGAB

Despite decades of amateur and professional cryptographic analysis, the code was never definitively deciphered.

The Investigation

The telephone number led to a nurse who denied knowing the man, though her behavior suggested otherwise. She had given a copy of the Rubaiyat to a man years earlier.

Resolution

In 2022, DNA testing finally identified the man as Carl Webb, an electrical engineer from Melbourne. Why he died, why he removed all identification, and what the code meant remain unknown.

Assessment

The Somerton Man case fascinated mystery enthusiasts for seventy-four years. While his identity is now known, the circumstances of his death and the meaning of his coded message remain unsolved.