Australia Australia- Steavenson River, John Doe, 40s-50s, dark hair, large build, gold Unicorn watch, blk signet ring, inscript; '21.4.71 P.U.C', 25 Dec; '71.

[dotr]

April 14 2025

This ring could be the key to cracking a 53-year-old cold case

www.9news.com.au

'A body found in a river. A 53-year-old mystery. A gold signet ring that could help solve it.
These are just a few of the strange details surrounding a cold case that detectives from Victoria's Alexandra Crime Investigation Unit believe could be solved.
On the afternoon of Christmas Day, 1971, a group of children discovered the body of an unknown man in the Steavenson River, about 60 metres downstream from the Maroondah Highway bridge.'

''Believed to be in his 40s or 50s, with dark hair and a large build, the man was dressed in blue jeans with a belt, a white shirt, a vest and desert-style boots.
Other items found on his person included a thick waist belt to support the abdominal muscles, a gold Unicorn watch and a black signet ring with an inscription which read "21.4.71 P.U.C.K".
But detectives couldn't find any evidence to suggest how his body ended up in the river''

Apr 14, 2025 #BREAKINGNEWS #7NEWS
Police are hoping a fresh appeal for information will help them solve a five-decade-old mystery.A group of teenagers discovered a man's body in the Buxton River on Christmas Day in 1971, but he has never been identified.

 

[dotr]

This ring could be the key to cracking a 53-year-old cold case

www.9news.com.au

''More than 53 years after the body was discovered, detectives are investigating the man's signet ring in the hopes it could hold further clues about his identity.
It's believed that the inscription, originally reported to be "21.4.71 P.U.C.K", could have actually been the Cyrillic 'Р.И.С.К', which means 'risk' in English.''

A case file image believed to depict what the ring found on the man resembled. (Victoria Police)
An image from the case file believed to depict what the ring found on the man resembled has been released along with a press release with support for the theory.
"The man was described at the time of the discovery as 'continental migrant' and a Ukrainian youth camp was, and remains, 4km upstream from where the man's body was found," the release read.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Unicorn was originally a sub-brand of Rolex for watches primarily marketed to Australia between 1919 and 1933. It seems that Rolex dropped the sub-brand name after 1933 but watches continued to be made and sold under the Unicorn name, at least into the 1960s. What is interesting is that they appear to be somewhat collectable today.

9ct gold Rolex Unicorn men's watch:

Vintage 9k Solid Gold Rolex Unicorn Hand-Winding Men's Wristwatch | eBay

* Beautiful original signed dial * 15 jewels hand-winding movement * Case size - 31 mm without the crown * Working - no service history * NOT used for years, so will definitely benefit from a service * 9k solid gold case * Please use the photos as part of the description

www.ebay.co.uk

1960s (non-Rolex) men's Unicorn watch:

Watches for Sale in Online Auctions - Catawiki

Buy and sell Watches at Catawiki. Discover Watches auctions filled with special objects, selected by our experts.

www.catawiki.com

I wonder if Unicorn was replaced by Tudor after 1933 as Rolex's cheaper brand.

 

[dotr]

Cold case: Unknown man

Assist Victoria Police with any information you may have to help identify an unknown man, who was located deceased in Buxton on Christmas Day, 1971.

www.police.vic.gov.au

'The discovery occurred about 60 metres downstream from the Maroondah Highway bridge and the man’s remains were in an advanced stage of decomposition.

The man was believed to be aged in his 40s or 50s, about 183cm tall with dark, greying hair and a large build.
He was dressed in blue jeans, a white shirt, a vest with square white buttons and desert-style boots.'

''An autopsy revealed the man had heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver.
Such was the decomposition of the body that it was impossible to ascertain whether the man had sustained any physical injuries in the lead up to his death.'

''Anyone with information that could assist police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.''