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Permission has been granted for the body of an unknown male at the centre of a decades old mystery to finally be exhumed.

The 'Somerton Man', as he's come to be known, was discovered in the early hours of December 1, 1948 on Somerton Beach just miles from Adelaide, Australia.

Despite the media attention surrounding the case at the time, no missing persons report was filed and his body has never been officially claimed.

Present day DNA testing of hairs taken from inside the plaster autopsy cast, and updated composite sketches, have yet to positively identify him.

But Roma Egan, the widow of a man close to the investigation, Robin Thomson, believes the 'Somerton Man' could be a close relative.

In a bid to try and bring closure to any possible living relatives, an exhumation will be granted - on the condition it is not funded with tax payers money.

Was this unidentified man a spy? Possibly a father or some kind of transient? Was he murdered, or did he take his own life? Or could it all have been an accident?

As the world waits to find out new details, we revisit this mysterious case to establish if this mystery will ever be laid to rest.

How was the 'Somerton Man' discovered?

(Image: Australian Police)

The corpse of the unidentified male was initially found in immaculate condition lying down, with its head gently propped up against the seawall by a group of jockeys who had been on the beach training with their horses.

At a glance the man almost looked like he could have been sleeping, as there were no visible injuries, but as the men got closer they realised he was dead.

He was 5ft 11 inches, with an athletic build, grey eyes, fair almost coper toned hair, and coroners noted his toes were somewhat crushed to a point as though he was some kind of dancer.

On him he had an unlit cigarette, an unused rail ticket from Adelaide to Henley beach, a bus ticket that may have been used, a comb, half an empty packet of chewing gum, an Army Club packet of cigarettes, and some matches.

(Image: Wikipedia)

The cigarette packet and his general appearance led officers to believe he may have been a Brit, as Army Club was a British brand, though his jacket was an American tailoring style.

This is where the case gets rather puzzling.

Police found all the labels on his clothing had been removed, he had no identification on him, and his dental records didn't match with any known persons.

The coroner noted his last meal had been a pasty, and it was his personal belief that poison must have been involved. But he noted it was not consumed through the pasty.

The inquest and a new discovery

(Image: Wikepedia)

Days later, on January 4, 1949, staff at the nearby Adelaide Railway Station found a suitcase with its label removed that had been checked into the clock room in late November.

In the case were a number of personal effects including slippers and a dressing gown, a butter knife that had been cut down and sharpened, and a stencilling brush used by officers on ships, and an overcoat also believed to have been purchased in the USA.

On closer inspection police found the name Kean on a vest in the suitcase, but it's likely if he was placed on the beach the items were left because Kean was not his real name.

(Image: Wikipedia)

No letters were found on the man or any kind of identifying documents.

The coroners noted a few more unusual details when they inspected the body.

The man shoes had been cleaned and were not scuffed or dirty from the beach and his clothes did not have spit or vomit, so if he was poisoned he may have been cleaned off and placed on the beach.

A piece of paper was also discovered rolled up into a pocket that had been sewn into the dead man's trousers.

A Secret Code

(Image: Wikepedia)

The paper said Tamam Shud, library officials were able to trace this phrase (which means ended or finished) to the last page of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam a rare text.

Yet more tracing by police turned up the book from which this phrase had been torn from and on it was a a phone number, some kind of cypher or code, and another unidentified number and the book was found in the rear foot well of a man's car.

Cryptographers have never managed to truly decipher what the message was supposed to read.

The telephone number was traced to a woman who lived in Glenelg not far from where the man was discovered, Jessica Ellen 'Jo' Thomson who has since died.

(Image: wikipedia)

Police interviewed Jessica at the time and she revealed that an unidentified man had once attempted to visit her, asking a neighbour about her.

When she was interviewed again in 2002 by Gery Feltus, who was writing a book on the case, Feltus described her as being "evasive".

For many years police were forbidden by the witness from using her name in the investigation, through fear of association/embarrassment, but years on her family released her name in hopes of revealing the mystery.

What could be the 'familial' link to the unknown man?

(Image: ABC News In-Depth- Australian Story)

After her death, Jessica's daughter Kate stated in an interview with 60 minutes that she believed her mother knew the dead man.

Roma Egan, who was married to Jessica's son Robin Thompson, believes that the Somerton Man may have fathered a child with Jessica Ellen 'Jo' Thomson, though there has been no DNA testing to confirm this.

John Rau first refused permission for the body to be exhumed on these grounds, stating there had to be a public interest justification or scientific justification.

However as of October 2019, a new request for exhumation by the Egan family has been granted as the exhumation for DNA testing would be similar to requests to identify war graves for families.

The case has even deeper family investment for the Egans, as Rachel is married to Derek Abbott, a University Professor who has spent years trying to crack the case.

(Image: ABC, Australian Story)

The pair recently appeared on ABC News's 'Australian Story' to discuss their belief that the Somerton Man, may have been linked to Jessica Thompson.

On the show the pair revealed they kept composite portraits of Thompson and "Mr. Somerton" above their lounge door.

Kate Thomson opposed the exhumation over concerns it could be disrespectful to her brother Robin's memory.

Though the links are somewhat strained, could the Somerton Man have been a father, could the note in his pocket be a love note of sorts?

It seems in bringing up one body, we may be laying to rest this decades old mystery.