Australia Australia - Tamam Shud Case - Male, Dec 1948

[flute4peace]

So excited to see a live thread on this case - it absolutely fascinates me.

Sent from my SCH-I435L using Tapatalk

 

[Bohemian]

Somerton Man: One of Australia's most baffling cold cases could be a step closer to being solved
RN BY JESSICA BINETH FOR THIS IS ABOUT
UPDATED ABOUT 7 HOURS AGO (as at 19:13 AEDT 14 December 2017)

‘It is one of Australia's greatest mysteries. On December 1, 1948, an unknown man was found dead on Somerton Beach in Adelaide.

Nobody knew who he was or how he died. But as the days went on, the case proved to be anything but straightforward.

Seventy years later, it remains unsolved.

It's a mystery that has captivated sleuths for decades.

But none more so than Derek Abbott, an engineering professor from the University of Adelaide, with an interest in mathematics, cryptography and forensic engineering, who is still trying to solve the case today.

In a twist akin to something you'd find in a detective novel, Derek is married to a woman he believes holds the answer to the man's identity — and a recent breakthrough involving DNA means he might finally be able to prove it.

"Here is a man who has passed away and we don't know what his name is. And giving someone their name back is perhaps the most important thing we can do," Derek said.‘

‘Breakthrough in 70-year-old case

To prove his wife is, in fact, the Somerton Man's granddaughter, Derek needs a sample of the dead man's DNA. Twice he's petitioned the South Australian government to have the body exhumed, and twice his request has been denied.

But he recently had a huge breakthrough with the case.

"I have found three excellent hairs on the [plaster] bust that have their roots at the right development stage for extracting DNA and I have given these to Jeremy Austin at the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA at the University of Adelaide," Derek said.

But the results could take up to a year to process.

So, in the meantime, he is preparing his third petition to exhume the Somerton Man's body.’

Read more at:

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-...se-could-be-one-step-closer-to-solved/9245512

Listen to the program at:

http://mobile.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/thisisabout/somerton-man/9256918

 

[fruity]

That’s really exciting news!

 

[CliveT]

For those that aren't aware, there are two websites on this case: Pete Bowes "Tomsbytwo.com" & Gordon Cramer's "Tamamshud.BlogSpot.com"-Bothy well worth visiting.

 

[petedavo.au]

Abrasions between knuckles are usually most commonly found in gardening activities like pruning bushes without gloves.
My nanna had an angel trumpet Bush, and always warned me that just touching it without gloves can kill you.
A lot of poisonous plants have become medicine in themselves, eg foxglove has become a cardiac medicine called digoxin, Opium Poppy has become a pain relief medicine called codeine.
http://theconversation.com/little-shop-of-horrors-the-australian-plants-that-can-kill-you-50842
http://www.australiangeographic.com...ent/2012/07/australias-most-poisonous-plants/


Sent from my HTC 2PQ910 using Tapatalk

 

[ad rem]

GM (Gerry) Feltus' book The Unknown Man presents many pieces of a puzzle. Some of those pieces belong to that puzzle. Others don't.

 

[petedavo.au]

Abrasions between knuckles are usually most commonly found in gardening activities like pruning bushes without gloves.
My nanna had an angel trumpet Bush, and always warned me that just touching it without gloves can kill you.
A lot of poisonous plants have become medicine in themselves, eg foxglove has become a cardiac medicine called digoxin, Opium Poppy has become a pain relief medicine called codeine.
Little shop of horrors: the Australian plants that can kill you
Australia's most poisonous plants


Sent from my HTC 2PQ910 using Tapatalk

I mentioned this, as the possibility is that the deceased might of decided to peer through a bush or shrub to spy upon someone, maybe his child?

Or maybe he was an unwanted visitor, and was pushed away, landing in a shrub, to which he scraped his hands getting out of.

In the first scenario no one else involved, and he disposed of his property himself.

In the second, someone else was involved, and fearing consequences when discovering he died, disposed of his property that fell out of his pockets when he was pushed away.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Just to highlight something which has previously been posted in this case:

A DNA heritage admixture test shows that Robin possesses a small percentage of Amerindian. Robin’s maternal line is well-documented, and so this result points to a paternal American line.

By scanning genealogical DNA databases, it turns out that Robin has a large number of cousins in the USA. More significantly, 40 of the closer matches tend to have roots in Virginia. Some of these are connected to Thomas Jefferson’s tree who consistently match with Robin on Chromosome #8. Remarkably, Robin is within the 3rd cousin range to a direct descendant of Jefferson’s grandfather, Isham Randolph.

On the Trail of the Somerton Man | HuffPost

I wonder if there's enough genetic information on Somerton Man now for the DDP team to identify this chap. Third cousin of a known historic individual makes it seem tantalisingly possible.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

So I sent off an email to the DDP asking if they would consider the case. They can only say no.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

And I received the following from Colleen:

Thanks for writing in. Actually I’ve been working with Derek Abbott on that case for several years now, and have given talks at forensic conferences about it. So no worries! I am on the job.

This is fantastic news!

(She is also trying to contact the authorities in Norway in connection with the Isdal Woman - this is SO exciting!)

 

[Bohemian]

And I received the following from Colleen:



This is fantastic news!

(She is also trying to contact the authorities in Norway in connection with the Isdal Woman - this is SO exciting!)

That is great news, Melmoth. Thanks for contacting them and updating us.

 

[ad rem]

GM (Gerry) Feltus' book The Unknown Man presents many pieces of a puzzle. Some of those pieces belong to that puzzle. Others don't.

Other pieces of this puzzle are missing and can be found elsewhere online.

Feltus' book, the Unknown Man (page 38), "She observed a male person standing at the top of the steps and looking over at the man on the beach for about 5 minutes. This man was about 50 years of age, of stocky build, not tall and was wearing a navy suit and grey hat."

I say this man was Jessica Harkness.

 

[ad rem]

They were both once engaged to the same lady.

Probable correction required.

 

[ad rem]

Other pieces of this puzzle are missing and can be found elsewhere online.

Feltus' book, the Unknown Man (page 38), "She observed a male person standing at the top of the steps and looking over at the man on the beach for about 5 minutes. This man was about 50 years of age, of stocky build, not tall and was wearing a navy suit and grey hat."

I say this man was Jessica Harkness.

The person Jessica Harkness was looking over at the beach was Prosper Thomson, her partner and future husband. I say they were staging a suicide performance.

 

[ad rem]

The person Jessica Harkness was looking over at the beach was Prosper Thomson, her partner and future husband. I say they were staging a suicide performance.

Again, I refer to Feltus' book, the Unknown Man.

Pages 144 & 164.
Coroner Thomas Cleland remarked in his report at the adjournment of the inquest on 21 June 1949: <snip> "If the body of the deceased was not that of the man mentioned and if the body had been taken to the place where it was found, the difficulties would disappear." <snip>

Page 143 & 206.
On 5 December 1959 Detective Don O'Doherty received information from a businessman in relation to the Somerton body. The witness, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed the following: "He stated that at about 10pm on the evening prior to the body being found on Somerton Beach the following day, he saw a man carrying another man on his shoulders along the foreshore." The credibility of this witness is not in question.

I say this was Prosper Thomson seen carrying the so called Unknown Man.

 

[ad rem]

I say this was Prosper Thomson seen carrying the so called Unknown Man.

The four causes of death are...
1. Natural
2. Accidental
3. Murder
4. Suicide

Feltus. Unknown Man (page 102). The aforementioned Coroner Cleland, "Three medical witnesses are of the opinion on the postmortem findings that death was not natural".

So, murder disguised as suicide.

 

[ad rem]

In G.M Feltus' book, the Unknown Man, he mentions "Tessie" (aka: Jessica nee Harkness) as lying by saying she was already married to Prestige Johnson and has Prestige moving in with Jessica. Yet, the Wikipedia entry on Taman Shud case, and elsewhere, has Jessica nee Harkness as marrying Prosper McTaggart Thomson and that he was already established in Adelaide when Jessica moved in with him.

Not long after posting the above I reread that Jessica nee Harkness was afforded several pseudonyms in news media, books and other discussions. So too, Prosper Thomson became Prestige Johnson. Also correcting my references to Carl B. Thompson as misspelling his surname on occasion, above.

 

[ad rem]

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/35695166?browse=ndp:browse/date/1946/05/18/title/44/page/2615683/article/35695166

Prosper Thomson's wife, Queenie, survived a plane accident in Queensland not long before her husband, Prosper (a motor vehicle enthusiast) and her were divorced. Jessica nee Harkness from Sydney followed Prosper to Glenelg with Jessica doing so via her parent's residence in Mentone.

Another correction. Mrs. Queenie Elizabeth Thomson survived a plane crash flight from Victoria to South Australia, not in Queensland.

However, husband Prosper, soon divorced Queenie and remarried to Jessica nee Harkness.

 

[petedavo.au]

The four causes of death are...
1. Natural
2. Accidental
3. Murder
4. Suicide

Feltus. Unknown Man (page 102). The aforementioned Coroner Cleland, "Three medical witnesses are of the opinion on the postmortem findings that death was not natural".

So, murder disguised as suicide.

Actually, there's another, between 2 and 3.
Manslaughter.

The questions to go towards determining Murder vs Manslaughter would probably go thus, to determine if the death premeditated or consequential: If the victim was placed at the beach whilst still alive, did they know that he was dying or did they expect him to recover or be found and sent to hospital? What explanation do they give for taking his personal items and then disposing of them?

 

[petedavo.au]

The interesting points of the case are:

1. The man's exceptional physical condition. Extensive martial arts training could have the same effect as dance training.

2. The total absence of anything identifying

3. The encrypted message found with the body

4. His possible military link (through the woman who seemed to give out copies of the Rubaiyat to male friends)

5. The probability that he died or was killed by poison

I don't see this man as a dancer, unless that was part of his cover. Why go to such lengths to conceal a dancer's identity? More likely he was with MI6, or was a double agent. Killed and left on the beach as a warning, perhaps?

Maybe he could've exposed the woman he went to see as part of a WW2 espionage cell? The cold war had begun, and there was a very real danger that communist espionage activities from WW2 were getting people in real danger of arrest, which would lead to the exposure of Soviet moles, which we now know in hindsight were operating within ASIO and it's predecessor.