The Australian authorities are preparing to exhume the remains of the so-called Sommerton man , in an effort to finally determine his identity, more than 70 years after his death.
On December 1, 1948, the man’s body was found on Sommerton Beach in Adelaide, South Australia, with the circumstances of his death still unknown to police. Many theories have emerged since then about his identity, from a lover caught in the act to a Cold War spy.
The mystery with its possessions
An initial police investigation and forensic examination left the mystery unsolved, with the case becoming even more mysterious due to a number of objects found with it. Among them are a suitcase, clothing from which the labels had been removed, incoherent writing believed to be a code, Omar Kayam’s book of poetry “The Rubáiyát” and a torn page with the Persian words “Tamam Shud” meaning ” run out”.
The case is in the hands of the crime investigation bureau with detectives on alert as soon as his body is exhumed from West Terrace Cemetery this morning.
“After the remains are recovered, Forensic Science SA will try to retrieve a DNA profile of the man,” said Inspector Des Bray. Anne Coxon, assistant director of Forensic Science SA, said the technology available today was clearly light years ahead of the techniques available when the body was discovered in the late 1940s
“Tests of this nature are often very complicated and will take time,” he said. “However, we will use every method at our disposal to try to close this ongoing mystery.”
Attorney General Vicky Chapman, who authorized the exhumation, said she believes the Forensic Service team is well equipped to handle the case. “For more than 70 years, people have been speculating about who this man was and how he died,” Chapman said. “It’s a constant mystery but I think we can finally reveal some answers.”
