In late 1948, a baffling mystery unfolded on the serene shores of Somerton Beach, Adelaide, Australia. The discovery of a man's body, dressed impeccably in a suit with shined shoes and a slumped posture against a sea wall, sparked an investigation that would perplex authorities for decades. Although initial conjectures pointed towards heart failure or possible poisoning as the cause of death, the autopsy didn't reveal any trace of poison.
The deceased man carried neither a wallet nor any identification. Even the clothing labels were snipped off meticulously, deepening the mystery. Despite circulating the photograph of the deceased in the media, the man remained unidentified. Four months later, detectives found a cryptic note reading "Tamám Shud," meaning "it has ended," in a concealed pocket sewn into his trousers. This clue, linked to an obscure book, the Rubáiyát, still didn't help identify the man, leading to his eventual burial as an unidentified individual.
A breakthrough appeared eight months later when a man brought to the police station a copy of the Rubáiyát found in his car parked near Somerton Beach. Interestingly, the book contained a phone number and an enigmatic code. The phone number led investigators to a local woman, Jessica Thompson. Although visibly affected during her interview, Thompson denied any connection with the unidentified man.
Despite these leads, the mystery surrounding the man on Somerton Beach persisted. Some believe it was eventually solved through DNA evidence, dismissing spy theories as fabrications from the 1940s. As one researcher, Abbott, put it, "That's all very well, but it's more likely to be something banal, really.' And that's what it turned out to be, all quite pedestrian."
However, this explanation has not satisfied everyone. Many believe that the alleged DNA evidence was either inconclusive or possibly manipulated to cover any links to a spy organization. This faction insists that the evidence doesn't add up and the case remains an enigma. Thus, despite some claims of resolution, the identity of the man found on Somerton Beach and his mysterious connection to the Rubáiyát continues to captivate and confound.