EPISODE 41: The Somerton Man

On today’s episode, Kate and Paul go to 1948 Australia where a man is discovered alive one day and dead the next in the very same place.  After quite some time, a determined professor shows us the value of good evidence preservation.   

Sources:

1949 “Somerton Man” inquest documents (University of Adelaide)  

http://www.eleceng.adelaide.edu.au/personal/dabbott/tamanshud/inquest1949ocr.pdf 

“‘But what poison?’ The Mystery of the Somerton Man'” (Government of Suth Australia: Attorney General’s Department)  

https://archives.sa.gov.au/finding-information/discover-our-collection/stories/%E2%80%9C-what-poison%E2%80%9D-mystery-somerton-man 

“Somerton Beach Mystery” (Australian Broadcasting Company) 1978.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnPqlYPQ9lY 

“Somerton Man identified as Melbourne electrical engineer, researcher says” by Daniel Keane and Gabriella Marchant (ABC Australia News) 2022. 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-26/somerton-man-identified-melbourne-born-engineer-researcher-says/101272182 

“Is Carl Webb really the Somerton Man and if so, was he a spy?” by Sara Garcia (ABC News Australia) 2022.  

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-02/is-carl-webb-really-the-somerton-man-and-was-he-a-spy/101375542 

“'Tamam Shud' and the five other clues that have failed to solve the Somerton Man mystery” by Daniel Keane (ABC News Australia) 2021.  

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-19/six-clues-that-have-failed-to-solve-the-somerton-man-mystery/100148922 

“Marriage and a mystery: Somerton Man's romantic twist” by Ben Cheshire and Susan Chenery (ABC News Australia) 2019.  

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-15/a-marriage-and-a-mystery-somerton-man-romantic-twist/11377458 

“A body found in 1948 became an Australian obsession. Now, there’s an ID.” By Julian Mark (Washington Post) 2022. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/07/27/somerton-man-identified-webb/ 

“The Somerton Man Identified” (Identifinders International LLC) 2022.  

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-somerton-man-identified-301593329.html 

“Somerton Man body-on-the-beach mystery solved as family serets unravel” by ABC News Australia (2022.)  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wL1t3A-uHo 

“Mystery of Somerton man’s identity solved after 73 years, researchers in Australia say” by Natasha May (The Guardian) 2022. 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jul/27/somerton-man-mystery-identity-solved-identified-australia 

“Somerton Man has long been riddled with Russian spy speculation, but is it a red herring?” by Daniel Keane (ABC Radio Adelaide/ABC News Australia) 2022. 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-20/somerton-man-russian-spy-theory-irish-surname/101247430 

“Solving the Somerton man mystery: no Russian spy, just a bit of a loner who wrote poetry?” by Natasha May (The Guardian) 2022.  

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jul/31/solving-the-somerton-man-mystery-south-australia-adelaide-tamam-shud-identified-carl-webb-no-russian-spy-just-a-bit-of-a-loner-who-wrote-poetry 

“Somerton Man mystery 'solved': Professor identifies man found on beach in 1948” (New Zealand Herald) 2022. 

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/somerton-man-mystery-solved-professor-identifies-man-found-on-beach-in-1948/OE6ARONSBZ2DUDCHVRNAUSE6FU/ 

“Riddle on the sands” (The Sydney Morning Herald) 2012. 

https://www.smh.com.au/national/riddle-on-the-sands-20121119-29kwz.html 

“Mystery of Australia's 'Somerton Man' solved after 70 years, researcher says” by Tiffanie Turnbull (BBC News) 2022. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-62314555 

“DNA Just Tied A Mystery Death In Australia To Thomas Jefferson” by Dan Vergano (Buzzfeed News) 2016. 

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/danvergano/who-is-the-somerton-man