The Somerton Man, also known as the Tamam Shud case, is an unsolved mystery that occurred in Adelaide, Australia, in 1948. The case involves the discovery of an unidentified man’s body on Somerton Beach in Adelaide.
On the morning of December 1, 1948, a man was found dead on Somerton Beach by a local named John Lyons. The man was lying on his back with his legs crossed, and there was no obvious sign of injury or struggle. He was well-dressed, with no identification or labels on his clothing, and his wallet had been removed. The police were immediately called, and an investigation was launched.
Upon examination of the body, it was discovered that the man had no visible signs of trauma, and the cause of death was determined to be poisoning, most likely from ingestion of a lethal dose of a poison called digitalis. However, there was no trace of the poison in the man’s organs, and no empty capsules or bottles were found nearby.
The police began an extensive investigation to try to identify the man and determine the circumstances surrounding his death. They discovered a scrap of paper with the words “Tamam Shud” (meaning “ended” or “finished” in Persian) tucked into a hidden pocket of the man’s trousers. The paper was from a book of Persian poetry called the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, which was later found in the glove compartment of an abandoned car near the beach.
The police managed to track down the owner of the car, a man named Alfred Boxall, who was a former soldier and codebreaker. However, Boxall was found alive and well, and he denied any knowledge of the dead man or the Rubaiyat.
The case became even more mysterious when a local man came forward claiming to have found a copy of the Rubaiyat in the back seat of his car around the same time the body was discovered. The man had given the book to the police, and it was found to contain a code that has never been deciphered.
Despite an extensive investigation and many leads, the identity of the Somerton Man and the circumstances surrounding his death remain a mystery to this day. The case has captured the imagination of many people and has been the subject of numerous books, articles, and documentaries.
TYT Newsroom
