Tamám Shud Case
An unidentified man found dead on Somerton Beach. No labels in his clothes. A torn scrap of paper in his pocket: 'Tamám Shud'—Persian for 'ended.' A code in his book. A mysterious nurse. Cold War espionage suspected. After 75 years, his identity was discovered.
The Somerton Man mystery took 75 years to solve.
The Discovery
On December 1, 1948, at Somerton Beach, a well-dressed man was found dead with no identification, no cause of death, and presented a complete mystery.
The Clues
Strange details emerged: all labels removed, untraced clothes, a “Tamám Shud” paper from the Rubáiyát poem, which in Persian means “It is ended.”
The Code
In the book, which was found in a car, there was a phone number inside that led to a nurse, an encrypted message, and it was never decoded.
The Nurse
The Jestyn connection revealed that she gave the man the book, denied knowing him, but clearly knew more, her son resembled the victim, and she took secrets to her grave.
The Theories
What happened was considered from multiple angles: Soviet spy, poisoned agent, spurned lover, Australian intelligence, and all were considered.
The Solution
The 2022 breakthrough brought DNA analysis that identified Carl Webb, an electrical engineer and Melbourne resident, but why this happened still remains unknown.