Police remain stunned about the identity of a man more than a month after he was struck by a train in Melbourne’s inner north.
Key points:
The man was hit by a slow-moving train in Brunswick on July 7
Authorities say the man has only been able to say the words “Roy”, “Ryan” and “Coburg”
The man’s DNA and fingerprints do not match with any on police databases
A train struck the man as it was moving at a slow rate between Royal Park and Jewell railway stations in Brunswick at about 6:33pm on July 7.
However, he suffered significant head injuries, and hospital staff did not initially expect him to survive.
Transit Safety Division Senior Constable Dean Pilati said the man had since woken up, but the extent of long-term injuries was unknown.
“He is conscious and stable, however he is non-communicative,” Senior Constable Pilati said.
“[Medical staff] don’t know the extent of his injuries, in terms of his brain damage, or how he’s going to progress from here.”
The man is described as between 65 and 75 years of age, with no distinct identifying features such as tattoos or scars.
He is described as Caucasian, about 175cm tall, and of medium build. He has a prominent mole below his left eye.
It is unknown exactly what the man was wearing at the time of the incident, but it included black runners with white soles, black socks and a black belt.
Man only able to utter a few words
Police said the man had only been able to mutter the words “Roy” and “Ryan”, but they were unsure if the names referred to family or the man’s own name.
The man has also been able to say the word “Coburg”, leading police to believe he could be from the suburb.
Police have cross-referenced the names with internal databases and conducted doorknocks with potential matches in order to discern the man’s identity, with no success.
Fingerprints and DNA analysis have also failed to shed any light on the man’s identity.
Due to long periods of unconsciousness and a tracheotomy procedure, the man had been unable to communicate with police.
Senior Constable Dean Pilati says the man has been unable to communicate beyond a few words.(ABCNews)
Senior Constable Pilati said the man remained largely non-communicative.
“We’ve tried to do some prompt cards to try and have him spell out words. He’s unable to do that,” he said.
“The hospital have tried to get him to respond by gripping his hands but they’ve been unsuccessful with that as well.”
Police said there were no witnesses to the incident besides the train driver.
A canvas of CCTV footage produced no results, nor did outreach to local homeless support services.
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that the man is from overseas, explaining the lack of information available.
Police have also explored the possibility that the man may be from a nursing home, but no missing persons reports have emerged from any nursing homes.
Senior Constable Pilati said police were eager to find support for the man.
“If I was in that position, I’d want my family around me, and if I were that person’s family I’d want to be there to support him as well,” he said.
When news articles refer to amateur sleuths who’ve dedicated time and effort to investigating the Somerton Man mystery, they’re referring to people like Nick Pelling.
The 57-year-old London-based computer programmer, author and researcher has never set foot in Adelaide, let alone on Somerton beach.
But that hasn’t stopped him from pursuing the case with the tenacity that one would expect from someone with his skills.
His blog Cipher Mysteries is a testament to his capacity to trawl through undigested records like those on Trove, the National Library of Australia’s freely accessible digital archive.
“History is a funny old thing,” he said.
“The stuff in archives is the stuff that didn’t get thrown away that day — it’s the stuff that survived somehow, just randomly.
“As a historian, you have to merge different types of evidence together because you only have scraps.”
Mr Pelling, pictured in 2014, shares his research into enigmatic cases at his blog Cipher Mysteries.(YouTube: Gamification World)
The Somerton Man is not the only enigmatic case to have captured Mr Pelling’s attention — but it is the one that has most recently made headlines.
Last week, Adelaide-based academic and long-time Somerton Man devotee Derek Abbott announced that he and a US-based colleague had solved the mystery.
They identified the man as Carl “Charles” Webb, a Melbourne-born engineer.
The breakthrough has spurred Mr. Pelling to uncover more.
He believes the Webb hypothesis is a compelling one, and he wants to find evidence to corroborate it.
The beach at Somerton Park, pictured in 2018, where the Somerton Man’s body was found 70 years earlier.(ABC News: Carl Saville)
“My best-case scenario is that we find a picture of Carl Webb. He was married – people have wedding photos, it’s a big day,” he said.
“We may be able to find more records of what Carl Webb was doing in the year-and-a-half after he left his wife and before he died [in 1948].
“It’s not that long ago in the bigger scheme of things.”
Detective work and the Da Vinci Code
A suitcase and belongings found at Adelaide Railway Station are believed to have belonged to the Somerton Man.(Supplied)
For Mr Pelling, discovery is as much about pathways as epiphanies — the investigator never knows how much treasure is awaiting excavation.
“The idea of Dan Brown and his ilk is that the archivist finds … one document that explains everything — it’s never like that,” Mr Pelling explained.
“[But] if you can ask the right questions of the right people, then all kinds of things open up.
“Things like photographs and diaries and journals all persist in attics and lofts.”
Over the years Mr Pelling has corresponded with Australian-based experts, including retired detective Gerry Feltus, who praised Mr Pelling’s endeavours.
“He’s got a massive website going, and people from all over the world have been contributing to that,” Mr Feltus said.
Retired detective Gerry Feltus authored the book The Unknown Man: A Suspicious Death at Somerton Beach.(ABC Australian Story)
Methodical by nature, Mr Feltus is withholding judgment on the Somerton Man’s identity until police and Forensic Science SA complete their own investigations.
“They are both working on it at this stage,” he said.
“Because of what I know and what I believe, I’m just not prepared to sit back and say I’m satisfied that the person is Webb.
“If it comes back as being Webb, I’d have to say that’s great news, simply because it would clarify a lot of matters.”
Moving behind the veil
For Mr Pelling, coding came before codes — he started designing his own computer games while still at school.
But when the cipher bug struck, it struck hard. He became fascinated with something called the Voynich manuscript, an enigmatic text believed to date back to the 1400s.
While he can’t recall exactly when he became interested in the Somerton Man, he can recall why.
It was the sequence of letters linked to the case, which Mr Pelling doubts is a code, that captured his attention.
The sequence of letters, thought by some to be a code, was found inscribed on a book of poems linked to the case.(Supplied: Australian Police)
“Mysterious writing excites people’s imaginations,” he said.
That point is the premise of the blog — Cipher Mysteries is a site where those who share his passion for cryptography can exchange facts they’ve gleaned from archives like Trove.
“Trove is the most marvelous resource for historians,” he said.
“Every country should look long and hard at Trove and say, ‘Why don’t we do this?'”
But Trove can only take you so far, he said.
All kinds of factors, including socio-economic ones, determine how many traces a person leaves to posterity.
“Genealogy has a very middle-class bias. If you’re doing okay, you might write letters to the newspapers,” he said.
“If you’re working class, you’ve got other things on your mind. There are a lot of people whose lives don’t get decorated by Trove.”
Does Trove hold further clues about the story of the Somerton Man? Or will they only be found in those attics and lofts?
“I’m hoping that we can move from Trove-type history to family history,” Mr Pelling said.
“Reconstructing the person’s life will be a whole load more work.
“I don’t think you can ever see the Wizard of Oz, but you can see a little bit beyond the veil.”
The Somerton Man’s remains were exhumed in 2021 to allow Forensic Science SA to conduct their own investigation.(ABC News: Daniel Keane)
The case of the Somerton Man has baffled detectives and amateur sleuths for decades.
Now it’s your chance to ask the experts just how one of Australia’s most enduring mysteries has been solved — and why the story has attracted so much attention.
University of Adelaide professor Derek Abbottwho spent decades researching the case and helped to uncover the man’s identity, will join us from 12pm (AEST) to tackle all your curly questions.
Colleen Fitzpatricka renowned forensic genealogist who lent her expertise to the case, and ABC journalist and host of Radio National podcast The Somerton Man Mystery, Fiona Ellis Joneshave also slow their time to respond to your top questions from our audience call-out.
The live feed will begin at midday but, in the meantime, here’s what you need to know about the case:
A man is found dead on the beach — but no-one knows who he is
Digital illustrator Daniel Voshart created an image of the Somerton Man based on the face mold created after he was found dead.(Supplied: Daniel Voshart)
On December 1, 1948, a man’s body was found slumped against a wall under the esplanade at Somerton Beach in Adelaide. But there were few clues to determine his identity.
He had a half-smoked cigarette on his lapel and a few personal items in his possession: two combs, a box of matches, a used bus ticket to the area, an unused second-class train ticket, a packet of chewing gum and cigarettes .
A post-mortem revealed the man had a “stinkingly” enlarged spleen and internal bleeding in the stomach and liver, and it was concluded the death resulted from poison.
Then the paper was found: ‘Tamam Shud’
In the months following the mystery man’s death, the case took a strange turn.
A suitcase believed to belong to him was found at Adelaide Railway Station. It contained an assortment of his belongings including a shaving brush, a knife in a sheath and boot polish.
The personal items found inside a suitcase believed to belong to the mysterious Somerton Man.(Supplied)
Some of his clothes had the tags removed and others, including his tie, had T Keane printed on them.
Then, a tiny rolled-up piece of paper inscribed with the words “Tamam Shud” was found hidden deep in the fob pocket of the man’s trousers.
The scrap of paper found in the Somerton Man’s fob pocket with the Persian words “Tamam Shud”.(Supplied: Professor Derek Abbott)
The torn paper was later traced back to a book of ancient Persian poetry, the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, which had been left in the back seat of a car near where the body was found.
The words roughly translate to “the end” or “the finish”, and the poems touch on themes including the need to live life to the fullest and having no regrets when it ends.
Was the Somerton Man a spy?
In July 1949, a copy of The Rubaiyat with the page containing “Tamam Shud” torn out was handed in to police.
The man who contacted the authorities said he found it in the back of his car in November 1948 — a month before the man’s body was discovered.
A scrap of paper which read Tamam Shud was torn from the final page of copy of Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyám, authored by 12th-century poet, Omar Khayyám.(Supplied: Carolyn Billsborrow )
The book contained a sequence of letters and a couple of telephone numbers, but they didn’t lead investigators any closer to uncovering the Somerton Man’s identity.
The strange sequence and the fact labels had been removed from the man’s clothes fueled speculation he might have been a spy.
Forensic science and excavation crews were onsite to assist with the Somerton Man’s exhumation.(ABC News: Michael Clements)
ABC Radio Adelaide’s Daniel Keane spoke to University of Adelaide professor Derek Abbott last month, prior to the Somerton Man’s identity being uncovered, about the theories.
“I don’t think there’s compelling evidence — just these scattered circumstantial things that can be explained in different ways,” Professor Abbott said.
Last week, after decades of searching for answers, Professor Abbott and forensic genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick made a breakthrough.
The previously unidentified man was named as Melbourne electrical engineer Carl “Charles” Webb — far from the answer some were expecting.
live updates
By Bridget Judd
You’re a little early, but check back at 12:00pm (AEST)
Over the next couple of hours, we’ll put your questions to Derek Abbottwho helped uncover the Somerton Man’s identity.
You can make a submission by clicking the blue ‘leave a comment’ button above.
The live stream will begin at 12:00 p.m. (AEST)so come and join the conversation then!
As researchers try to piece together Carl Webb’s life, it has been revealed his older brother — who bore a striking resemblance to the Somerton Man — died a prisoner of war.
Key points:
Researchers have named the Somerton Man as Carl Webb
A military photo of his brother Roy has a strong resemblance to the Somerton Man
He also had the same eye color as the Somerton Man
Last week, University of Adelaide researcher Derek Abbott made a breakthrough in the case that has baffled detectives for decades, identifying the mysterious Somerton Man as Melbourne electrical engineer Carl “Charles” Webb.
Carl Webb’s birth certificate shows he was born on November 16, 1905, in Footscray and had five older siblings named Russell, Freda, Gladys, Doris and Roy.
According to his service record, held by the National Archives of Australia, Roy Webb enlisted in the Australian military in July 1940 and served in the 2/29th Battalion.
The man dubbed the “Somerton Man” was found dead on an Adelaide beach in 1948.
He became one of the many causalities of World War II in 1943.
When he joined the army, he was 35 years old, living in Carnegie with his wife Ruby and working as a “car driver”.
His record states he disembarked in Singapore on August 23, 1941, and was reported missing in February 1942 before being confirmed as a prisoner of war in Malaya in September 1943.
Roy Webb’s will, which is included in the archives, was witnessed by his sister Freda Keane and her husband Gerald Keane, of East Brunswick, Victoria, in 1940.
“T Keane” was found printed on some of the Somerton Man’s personal belongings. (Supplied: Derek Abbott)
Gerald Keane’s full name was Thomas Gerald Keane and the Somerton Man was found with “T Keane” printed on his tie.
Keane was also found printed on other personal items in a suitcase that was uncovered in the cloakroom of the Adelaide Railway Station in January 1949.
It had been checked in the day before an unidentified man’s body was discovered on Somerton Beach in January 1948, and police suspected it belonged to him.
Professor Abbott believes Carl Webb’s clothes were hand-me-downs from his brother-in-law, who lived just 20 minutes’ drive from his home in Melbourne.
Mystery has surrounded the identity of the Somerton Man for decades. (Supplied: Derek Abbott)
Professor Abbott said the photo of Roy Webb in his service record revealed a resemblance between the two brothers.
“It appears to be a reasonable resemblance,” he said.
“The general shape of the face is the same, the hair line is the same.”
Roy Webb’s eye color is listed as hazel, the same as The Somerton Man’s.
Wednesday is your chance to ask the experts how they cracked the Somerton Man case — and why it has attracted so much attention. Join our live Q&A blog from 12pm AEST.
A breakthrough in one of Australia’s most enduring mysteries — the case of the Somerton Man — last week saw the previously unidentified man named as Melbourne electrical engineer Carl “Charles” Webb.
The case had baffled detectives and amateur sleuths since the 43-year-old’s body was found slumped on Adelaide’s Somerton Beach in 1948.
University of Adelaide professor Derek Abbott made the breakthrough while working in conjunction with US investigator Colleen Fitzpatrick, after decades of independently researching the case.
This week is your chance to ask the experts how they cracked the Somerton Man case — and why it has attracted so much attention. Join our live Q&A blog from 12pm AEST on Thursday.
What do we know about Carl “Charles” Webb so far?
November 1905
Carl Webb is born on November 16, 1905, in Footscray to Richard August Webb (1866-1939) and Eliza Amelia Morris Grace (1871-1946).
Documents show his father was born in Hamburg, Germany, to Johannes Fredk Webb and Eliz Buck and his profession was a baker.
According to his birth certificate, his mother was born in Percydale, Victoria, and Carl was the couple’s sixth child.
His siblings are listed as Russell, 12, Freda, nine, Gladys, eight, Doris, four, and Roy, one.
October 1941
Carl Webb marries Dorothy Jean Robertson on October 4, 1941, at St Matthews church in Prahran, Victoria.
Their marriage certificate lists Carl Webb as a 35-year-old instrument maker and Dorothy Robertson as a 21-year-old foot specialist.
The couple live on Domain Road in South Yarra.
A suitcase with this luggage tag was left at Adelaide Station in 1948 and was connected to the Somerton Man mystery.(Supplied: Caroline Billsborrow)
November 1948
On November 30, 1948 — the day before his body was found — the Somerton Man bought a bus ticket and caught a bus from the railway station to Somerton Beach.
According to the coronial inquiry, a number of people saw him on the beach that day.
December 1948
On December 1, 1948, a man’s body is found slumped against a wall under the esplanade at Somerton Beach.
He was wearing a brown suit, had a clean-shaven face and appeared to be about 40 years old.
He had a half-smoked cigarette on his lapel and, according to a newspaper report, his legs were crossed.
He is found with a few personal items including two combs, a box of matches, a used bus ticket to the area, an unused second-class train ticket, a packet of chewing gum and cigarettes.
A post-mortem finds the man had a “stinkingly” enlarged spleen and internal bleeding in the stomach and liver.
The coroner concludes the death resulted from poison.
The personal items found inside a suitcase believed to belong to the mysterious Somerton Man. (Supplied)
January 1949
A suitcase believed to belong to the mystery man is found at Adelaide Railway Station.
It contains an assortment of his belongings including a shaving brush, a knife in a sheath and boot polish.
Some of his clothes have the tags removed and others, including his tie, had T Keane printed on them.
The scrap of paper found in the Somerton Man’s fob pocket with the Persian words “Tamam Shud”.(Supplied: Professor Derek Abbott)
May 1949
A tiny rolled-up piece of paper inscribed with the words “Tamam Shud” is found hidden deep in the fob pocket of the man’s trousers.
The torn paper is later traced back to a book of ancient Persian poetry, the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, which had been left in the back seat of a car near where the body was found.
The words roughly translate to “the end” or “the finish”, and the poems touch on themes including the need to live life to the fullest and having no regrets when it ends.
June 1949
Coroner Thomas Erskine Cleland begins the inquest into the Somerton Man’s death on June 17, 1949.
The inquest is added four days later with no answers to who the mystery man is or what caused his death.
The torn final page of a copy of Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyám, a 12th-century poet. (Supplied: Carolyn Billsborrow )
July 1949
A copy of The Rubaiyat with the page containing “Tamam Shud” torn out is handed in to the police on July 22, 1949, by a man who says he found it in the back of his car in November 1948.
The book contains a sequence of letters and a couple of telephone numbers.
Jessie ‘Jo’ Thomson was interviewed by police in July 1949.(Supplied: Professor Derek Abbott)
One of the telephone numbers belongs to a nurse called Jessie Thomson, who lives just hundreds of meters from where the body was found.
In July 1949, police interview Jessie Thomson but she denies knowing the Somerton Man.
October 1951
On October 5, 1951, Dorothy Webb puts a public notice in The Age newspaper in Melbourne, publicizing that she had started divorce proceedings against her husband on the ground of “desertion”.
“Unless you enter an appearance in the Prothonotary’s Office of the Supreme Court of Melbourne on or before the 29th day of October, 1951 the case may proceed in your absence and you may be ordered to pay costs,” the ad states.
The public notice published in The Age newspaper on October 5, 1951.(Source: Trove)
During this time, Dorothy Webb relocated to Bute on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula.
It is not clear what led her to the country town or how long she lived there.
Descendants of her sister have told Professor Abbott she remarried and died in the late 1990s in New South Wales.
November 2013
Jessie Thomson’s daughter, Kate Thomson, reveals her mother told her she knew the identity of the Somerton Man.
“She said to me she knew who he was, but she wasn’t going to let that out of the bag,” Kate Thomson tells current affairs program 60 Minutes.
The Somerton Man was buried in Adelaide’s West Terrace cemetery. (Australian Story: Ben Cheshire)
November 2020
An artist’s impression of what the Somerton Man would have looked like is released by Canadian cinematographer Daniel Voshart.
The only images previously available were unflattering black-and-white post-mortem photographs and a death mask of his face and upper torso.
The virtual-reality specialist worked with researcher Derek Abbott and genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick to create the impression.
Canadian special effects artist Daniel Voshart recreates the Somerton Man’s face. (Image: Daniel Voshart)
May 2021
South Australian police exhume the Somerton Man’s remains from Adelaide’s West Terrace Cemetery in the hope that DNA samples will solve the case.
Previous police investigations and a coronial inquest left the matter unresolved, with hundreds of candidates being identified and then ruled out over the years.
May 2022
University of Adelaide researcher Derek Abbott and American genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick announce that they believe the Somerton Man’s name is Carl “Charles” Webb.
They arrived at the result by comparing DNA from hair stuck in a plaster bust of the man’s head with samples uploaded by millions of people around the world in online databases used to create family trees.
The match is yet to be formally confirmed by South Australia’s coroner, but Professor Abbott says he is 99.9 per cent confident they have correctly identified the Somerton Man.
