Clues with Morgan Absher and Kaelyn Moore

Episode: The Somerton Man Case: The Death No One Could Explain

Crime House | January 7, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, hosts Morgan Absher and Kaelyn Moore take a deep dive into Australia's most infamous unsolved mystery: the Somerton Man case. They guide listeners from the mysterious discovery of an unidentified, well-dressed body on an Adelaide beach in 1948 all the way to recent breakthroughs that may have finally solved the riddle—answering not only the question of "who" but "how" and "why." The episode thoroughly analyzes the evidence, untangles the theories (spy? suicide? murder?), and delivers compelling storytelling around one of true crime's most iconic cold cases.

Tone: Engaged, conversational, occasionally light-hearted, but always respectful and detail-oriented.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovery on the Beach

• Timeline of Discovery:
  • Nov 30, 1948 (Evening): Witnesses John Lyons and his wife see a man in a brown suit slumped against a seawall at Somerton Park Beach. The man briefly raises his arm, so they assume he is drunk and move on. (04:44-05:45)
  • Others: Olive Neal and date Gordon also notice the man, but just his legs; Olive remarks he isn’t swatting mosquitoes—“perhaps he’s dead.” (05:10)
  • Dec 1, 1948 (Morning): 16-year-old Neil Day and his friend Hori Patching see the man still unmoved; upon closer check, he is dead and already cold. John Lyons (again) confirms the man is the same as the night before, and police are called. (06:34-07:49)

2. The Clues Begin: Clothing & Personal Effects

• Unusual Wardrobe (08:19)
  • The Somerton Man was overdressed for summer (four upper layers, trousers, dress shoes)—but notably missing any clothing tags and a hat, which was almost mandatory in 1948.
  • American-style tie and stitching; speculation of American connections.
• Personal Items (10:04)
  • No wallet, no ID, no money; items included chewing gum (unusual in Australia then), bus & train tickets, cigarettes (expensive ones in a cheap brand’s pack), combs, and matches. The lack of ID raises questions—was he hiding his identity? (11:57)
• Autopsy Findings (12:54)
  • No visible trauma; estimated age 45, fit and healthy, large calf muscles (possibly a dancer/cyclist), odd dental features (born without two lateral incisors, rare ear shape).
  • Internal: massively enlarged spleen, organ swelling, blood in the stomach—but no cause of death found. Suspicion of undetectable poison or rare self-inflicted death. (17:16)

Quote:
“This man’s spleen was three times normal size... but the examiner didn’t think that’s what killed him.” —Morgan (15:04)

3. Identification Attempts & Early Dead Ends

• Misidentification (20:32)
  • Initial media rumor identifies him as E.C. Johnson—who promptly walks into police to prove he's alive. (21:29)
• Fingerprints/Photographs (21:49)
  • Prints checked in Australia, FBI, Scotland Yard—no matches. Wide circulation of post-mortem photos, though facial recognition is notoriously unreliable post-mortem. (22:12-23:10)
  • Unique anatomical features: ear shape (rare), dental anomalies (rare; 2% of people born without those teeth). (24:48)
• Physical Preservation
  • The body is embalmed to allow further attempts at identification. None yields a match. (25:30)

4. Major Clues Uncovered

A. The Suitcase (26:47)

• Located at Adelaide railway station; matched by contents and repaired clothes.
• Items marked “T. Keen/Keen” didn’t match any missing person report—perhaps bought secondhand or misdirection. (27:23)
• Ship tools and stenciling brush hint at a maritime connection, but evidence is inconclusive. (28:49)

B. The Hidden Scrap: "Tamam Shud" (30:58)

• Found hidden in a tiny, concealed fob pocket in his trousers by Dr. Cleland.
• Two words, Persian for “the end” or “finished”—a direct reference to the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, a book popular at the time. The search for a matching copy begins. (31:05)

C. The Rubaiyat Book and the Code (40:12)

• July 1949: A local chemist turns in a Rubaiyat found in his car at Somerton Beach, with the “Tamam Shud” page torn to match the scrap.
• Inside the cover: a local phone number and a strange series of seemingly random letters—an unbreakable code. (41:58)
• The phone number links to Jessica “Justin” Harkness, whose reaction to seeing the Somerton Man’s plaster cast is shock and distress—she denies knowing him, fueling speculation. (48:48-50:39)
• The Navy fails to crack the code; many theories, including a book cipher, substitution cipher, or personal mnemonic. No confirmation. (43:42-47:57)

Quote:
“It’s giving international spy.” —Kayla, on the coded message and clues (43:02)

5. Theories Over the Decades

• Spy Theory
  • Many hallmarks: missing ID, tags cut, cryptic message, undetectable poison, postwar espionage climate.
  • Comparison to historical cases (Isdal Woman, Harry Dexter White). (36:35)
• Personal/Family Theory
  • Connection through Jessica Harkness and her son Robin, whose rare dental and ear traits matched the Somerton Man.
  • Suggestion: Robin might be the Somerton Man’s son—possibly why Jessica concealed knowledge. (53:59)
• Genetic & DNA Research Breakthrough (57:33-68:25)
  • Prof. Derek Abbott and genetic genealogist Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick use hairs from the plaster cast and, later, exhumed remains for DNA.
  • Matched via genealogical research to Carl Webb, an electrical instrument maker from Victoria, Australia; missing from records since 1947.

6. The Final Reveal: Carl Webb

• Profile of Carl Webb (69:07)
  • Born 1905, Melbourne; technical education, worked as instrument maker.
  • Troubled marriage to Dorothy; patterns of abuse, suicide attempts, poems about death (Rubaiyat theme connection).
  • Dorothy left him in 1946; her divorce papers list poems on death as a fixation. (70:25)
  • Possibly traveled to Adelaide searching for Dorothy; circumstances of death remain mysterious—no conclusive findings on the exact poison or method. (72:13-74:34)

Quote:
“He has written many poems, most of them on the subject of death, which he claims to be his greatest desire.” —Dorothy’s divorce petition (71:43)

7. Ongoing Questions and Alternative Theories

• Not everyone agrees: Some suggest alternate identities (Austrian spy Carl Joseph Halban), though no DNA evidence so far.
• Unsolved Mysteries: The code remains unbroken, the poison undetected, the role of Jessica Harkness ambiguous. (75:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Morgan (04:14): “This case had me spiraling… Stuff is still not adding up in this case.”
• Kayla (24:48): “That immediately stuck out to them—this top part of his ear was bigger than the lower. That’s only 1 to 2% of Caucasian men.”
• Kayla (33:01): “His grave was marked, ‘Here lies the unknown man who was found at Somerton Beach, 1st of December 1948.’ The townspeople came together and funded that.”
• Kayla (36:06): “Digitalis comes from a toxic foxglove plant… but it’s saved a lot and killed a lot. Some say a former US secretary died from it.”
• Morgan (41:58): “And get this—you guys—this chemist had the weirdest story about how he came into possession of this book… someone just threw it into his backseat!”
• Kayla (53:59): “This whole story only got pieced together after both Jessica and her son Robin had passed away years and years later, but this is the most likely version…”
• Morgan (62:19): “Their family jokes that he married her for her DNA, which may or may not be true!”
• Kayla (71:43): “He has written many poems, most of them on the subject of death, which he claims to be his greatest desire.”
• Morgan (72:50): “We’re tucking him in. Bye, Carl.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Beach Discovery & Witnesses: 04:44 - 08:19
• Autopsy & Unique Physical Features: 12:54 - 17:16
• First Misidentification & Forensics: 20:32 - 23:10
• The Suitcase & Contents: 26:47 - 29:31
• Discovery of Tamam Shud Scrap: 30:58 - 33:01
• Coroner’s Inquest & Poison Theory: 33:49 - 36:41
• Link to Jessica Harkness: 48:48 - 53:59
• Robin’s Genetics and Ballet Career: 57:33 - 59:52
• DNA Analyses & Carl Webb Identification: 64:23 - 69:02
• Carl Webb’s Troubled Life & Divorce: 69:07 - 74:05
• Ongoing Theories, Unresolved Questions: 74:10 - 77:13

Unanswered Questions & Current Status

• The code among the letters in the Rubaiyat remains unbroken—spy, suicide note, or something else?
• What poison—if any—was used, and how did Webb acquire it?
• The full nature of Jessica Harkness’s connection is still speculative.
• Alternative hypotheses (e.g., other possible identities) circulate, but genetic evidence strongly supports the Carl Webb identification as of 2022.

Final Thoughts from the Hosts

Kayla (78:37): “Thank you for joining us on this mystery. I mean, what do you guys think—is it solved? Is there still more to be done? Can we put this one to bed?”

Morgan (78:49): “Yeah, and as always, at Crime House, we really value your support… until next time.”

Further Engagement

• Follow @CluesPodcast on Instagram or @CluesPod on YouTube for visuals and case updates.
• Learn more or get involved with the DNA Doe Project at dnadoeproject.org.

This episode offered a riveting journey through forensic sleuthing, decades of speculation, and the power of modern science to finally put a name to the Somerton Man. Yet, as the hosts stress, some mysteries remain—inviting listeners to weigh in and keep the discussion alive.