Ep. 20 - The Somerton Man Mystery

Interactive Transcript

spk_0 And just like that here we are at episode 20. Welcome all and thanks for being here. This is history's great mysteries as always

spk_0 I am your host Nick and what can I say except that I'm very happy to be here for another day and another episode of a great mystery

spk_0 But before I get started a quick announcement for those of you who have been following this podcast

spk_0 You'll know that I recently had to take a break from releasing episodes just due to the fact that I started grad school

spk_0 And just absolutely did not have time to create quality episodes and nobody has time for anything less than quality episodes right so

spk_0 This past month actually I did get a break from my studies and I was able to release a couple episodes including this one

spk_0 But unfortunately I have to break the news now that my studies are resuming and I will have to hit the pause button once more until further notice

spk_0 But please do keep updated with my with my Facebook page where I promise to keep you guys in the loop

spk_0 However today let's just focus on the mystery at hand what you're all here for and let me tell you

spk_0 This is definitely a mystery that calls for focus and calls for

spk_0 Thinking outside of the box and you know definitely calls for you to channel your inner Sherlock Holmes because what I have for you today is a

spk_0 World-renowned cold case out of Australia a true thriller with enough twists and turns to be a blockbuster Hollywood movie

spk_0 Also definitely something for you true crime lovers out there as well a case that I've been falling for quite a while now

spk_0 And I'm extremely excited to finally share with you so get ready to develop your own theory as you listen along to Australia's most notorious

spk_0 Unsolved cold case for the ages the Summerton man mystery

spk_0 Now

spk_0 Before I get started I wanted to put out a brief heads up this episode will touch on the topic of

spk_0 Suicide as it is very pertinent to the case

spk_0 It can be a tough topic to discuss

spk_0 So please take care and discretion when listening and please take the time to educate yourself on how to handle mental health struggles both

spk_0 Personal and for those around you either through resources online or direct outreach services that are set up in your country and community

spk_0 And with that being said let's go ahead and jump in

spk_0 The year is 1948 the Cold War has just begun the world is still reeling from World War 2 and

spk_0 On a beach in southern Australia a body is found more specifically

spk_0 Summerton Beach in Adelaide Australia on the morning of December 1st

spk_0 It turns out to be the body of a man a very well-dressed man

spk_0 slumped up against a wall in a relaxed looking position

spk_0 So relaxed in fact that many people walking the beach early that morning thought that he was sleeping

spk_0 But eventually it became clear that this man was in fact dead

spk_0 Seems straightforward so far, but let me tell you ladies and gentlemen the circumstances around this case are so bizarre and extraordinary

spk_0 There is a reason that we still talk about it over 70 years later

spk_0 The police arrive and scrambled together all of the details that they can and here's what they can initially piece together

spk_0 A local resident by the name of John Lyons was walking the beach that previous night when he first saw this mysterious man

spk_0 He was in the same position lying in the sand with his head

spk_0 Propped up in an odd position against the sea wall at the back of the beach

spk_0 His lower legs were crossed he was immaculately dressed in full suit and tie dress pants and newly polished shoes

spk_0 At this point in the night he was evidently still alive smoking a cigarette

spk_0 John Lyons remarked to police that he saw him actually raise his right arm into the air and kind of an odd jerky motion

spk_0 Before it fell flat back against his body

spk_0 This strange behavior Lyons initially chalked up to the man just being the behavior of a drunk man and continued walking on

spk_0 Another passerby noticed the man a little bit later on and some mosquitoes flying around his face

spk_0 She noted the strange clothing for the beach

spk_0 But just kind of assumed that the man was asleep and went on her way

spk_0 It wasn't until the light of next morning December the first until Lyons that same guy was passing by again

spk_0 And he noticed the man still there still in the exact same position and this time not moving at all

spk_0 In a later interview it was said that people slowly begin to kind of gather around the body

spk_0 Still unsure if this guy was black out drunk or dead

spk_0 One fellow eventually went down to kind of move his leg and got no response from the Summerton man

spk_0 And it was decided that he was indeed quite dead

spk_0 As police continued to peruse the scene they may know of how pristine and well kept this man appeared

spk_0 Going further there was absolutely no noticeable

spk_0 Cause of death with the body simply looking very relaxed

spk_0 Upon further inspection of the corpse they found no wallet no documents no meaningful belongings

spk_0 Nothing that could identify him immediately and what's even more strange is that all of the tags on his clothing had been

spk_0 Snipped off so there was no way to I mean if they got lucky maybe his name was on the tags

spk_0 But even more than that there was no way to determine where this clothing was from and maybe perhaps where this man was from

spk_0 The body made its way to Royal Adelaide Hospital a few hours later and in all tops it was carried out

spk_0 He was estimated at an age of 40 to 45 he had brushed back hair medium weight well groomed and his fingers were tobacco stained

spk_0 Dr. John Baygley Bennett put the time of death somewhere around 2 a.m. That early morning

spk_0 Moreover, he noted that the actual cause of death was not apparent but that he expected heart failure

spk_0 There were no signs of hypotarmic needle puncturing the skin anywhere which they always want to look for

spk_0 No lesions no noticeable disease no cerebral hemorrhaging and

spk_0 More vaguely he was able to learn a lot about the man just through general observation noting that he was

spk_0 Instrichingly good shape with particularly muscular calves

spk_0 In combination with this his feet had a particular wedge shape to them

spk_0 Which gave the doctor the inclination that the Summerton man had a habit of wearing pointed shoes

spk_0 This with the muscular calves made him think of ballet and it was here that we have the first potential link made to ballet dancing and this will come up a bit later

spk_0 But moving on looking at the stomach

spk_0 He could see that there was a recent pasty eaten that day on the previous day

spk_0 And that there was a lot of blood in the stomach also working on the case was official pathologist John Cleyland

spk_0 Who first put forward the notion based on that

spk_0 Coagulation of blood in the stomach and a distended liver that poisoning could have been the culprit

spk_0 These oddities started to add up to drastically change the outlook of the case for police because

spk_0 Now they have to consider the possibility of a murder

spk_0 So for investigators lots of questions are beginning to mount

spk_0 How exactly did this man die under what circumstances was there foul play did anyone else see anything?

spk_0 Are there any other clues out there?

spk_0 Why does there appear to be an effort to keep his identity a mystery and has been on least the end of the day who is this man?

spk_0 Well for a while the police were absolutely stumped

spk_0 This is a truth with almost all cases

spk_0 But the first step in solving it would be to understand everything you can about the victim

spk_0 But the authorities knew next to nothing

spk_0 So they turned to seek help from the community hoping first of all that perhaps someone could actually just look at him and

spk_0 Identify him or at least that maybe a missing persons report would come out in the next day or two and they could match it up to this mystery man

spk_0 But a last days passed on and neither of these things happened

spk_0 What did keep the case alive however was the fact that clues slowly but surely started to trickle in

spk_0 Firstly, I mentioned that he didn't have any meaningful belongings on him

spk_0 But that's not to say he had absolutely nothing on him in one of his trouser pockets

spk_0 He had an unused train ticket and a bus ticket that was used and

spk_0 This bus had evidently dropped him off somewhere near Sumerton Beach

spk_0 With an inquest at the train station a couple of dots were actually connected

spk_0 The day that the Sumerton man booked his train ticket a suitcase was left in the storage area there

spk_0 This suitcase had never been retrieved so investigators naturally considered that this suitcase

spk_0 Most likely belong to this man

spk_0 Upon opening it they found some clothing and shoes that matched the type and size that the Sumerton man was wearing on the beach

spk_0 What's more convincing however is this and I'll read it straight from the official pathologist notes

spk_0 On a card in the suitcase is some orange colored linen thread

spk_0 I have examined this

spk_0 Microscopically and it corresponds

spk_0 Microscopically in color and size of fibers with similar thread used to sew up a trouser pocket in the suitcase

spk_0 Buttons on the trouser taken off of the deceased and where the coat collar of deceased had given away

spk_0 The color is unusual was warm

spk_0 Sepia of Ridgeway which apparently is a color that he was able to identify

spk_0 Okay, so anyway, we have the suitcase belonging to this man great what more can we gain from it

spk_0 Also in the pathologist notes we have a note that the coat looked to be American made

spk_0 Secondly, we have the name keen

spk_0 K-E-A-N-E written on some of the clothing within this suitcase

spk_0 however in one instance keen is spelled key

spk_0 K-E-A-N with no E at the end in two different articles of clothing which is a little bit confusing

spk_0 Initially, they thought maybe this is his last name, but you know something more is going on here, right?

spk_0 And they couldn't ignore the fact that this may have been a deliberate attempt to falsify his identity and keep his true identity

spk_0 Secret because again, we have tags being removed from everything and by all accounts

spk_0 It seems that the Sumerton man went to great lengths to keep his identity hidden through his death

spk_0 Now are we even completely sure that it was the Sumerton man himself that went to these lengths or perhaps his killer are if we are allowing the

spk_0 Possibility for murder

spk_0 Either way, even with this new clue, we seem to be no closer to getting any answers

spk_0 This is at least until the next clue rolled in

spk_0 Our pathologist John Clealand can be thanked for bringing this one to light again. I will read it directly from the file

spk_0 In an easily overlooked small money pocket on the right side of the front trousers was a small piece of paper

spk_0 torn from its context with imprint and large letters to mom should I

spk_0 Understand it is Arabic for completely holy this may suggest the intention to commit suicide

spk_0 But if this was meant to be found why place it in a small pocket likely to be overlooked

spk_0 He was evidently acquainted with Turkish or Arabic

spk_0 Had he served in the army or visited as a sailor?

spk_0 So yes, let me clarify here in a small semi-hidden pocket in his pants the investigators discovered this

spk_0 Small piece of paper that was evidently torn out of a book that contained the words

spk_0 to mom should which are actually Persian and

spk_0 This is actually a source of some misconception in the case many online and many articles online that talk about this case

spk_0 Kind of this assumption that this pocket where these words were found was like a secret pocket that was like sewn in by himself hand sewn in somewhere random on his on in his pants

spk_0 Like that's not exactly what it was it was an unremarkable pocket

spk_0 But it was a standard smaller pocket that was kind of in the front where someone could hold a pocket watch

spk_0 It was like it's like a fog pocket. It was something that is known

spk_0 I actually still see him around today as well like you could put little coins in there or maybe a pocket watch in there

spk_0 It just wasn't his main pocket. It was easily overlooked. Yes, but it wasn't like deliberately sewn in somewhere

spk_0 So keep this in mind later when I go over the theories

spk_0 Now initially the investigators had no clue what to make of this or where these words had been ripped out of

spk_0 It took an interested and well-read member from the local community to enlighten the investigators that this term

spk_0 Came directly from a book called the Rulayat

spk_0 This book is actually a collection of Persian poems from around the year 1100

spk_0 Specifically, tamam should is the closing phrase at the end of all of the poems

spk_0 It has been translated to roughly mean the end or finished or it is finished

spk_0 So of course the next thought for some people like the pathologist is okay

spk_0 Maybe this was a suicide note of sorts. It is finished

spk_0 He ripped it out of the book for a reason and to this day many who hold tightly to the theory that the Summerton man case is a

spk_0 Suicide case will use this as the strongest piece of evidence

spk_0 But for investigators this case was nowhere near solved and this is when another realization begin to set in

spk_0 If he ripped this out of a copy of the Rulayat then perhaps that book that he ripped it out of is still out there somewhere

spk_0 With you know the words tamam should ripped out of the last page

spk_0 Well, they posed this question to the community has anyone seen this book and they waited

spk_0 In the meantime a local expert chemist had finished running blood and organ tests on the Summerton man and

spk_0 reported the findings to investigators

spk_0 What he told them baffled them and immediately made the case even more complex

spk_0 These tests failed to reveal even the smallest trace of poison in the system

spk_0 I mean they had been fully expecting poisoning and to be able to finally write down a cause of death after it all

spk_0 But unfortunately the truth continued to elude them poisoning was not it

spk_0 It's actually quite haunting

spk_0 To look at the official death certificate for the Summerton man that I have here

spk_0 It's quite bone-chilling when you think about it really under name and surname it says unidentified male body

spk_0 Occupation not known birthplace not known cause of death not known

spk_0 I mean this is a guy's entire life a real man that had untold adventures and love and loss

spk_0 and struggle and triumph and this is what we have on him at the end of the day and

spk_0 You know for those of you want to take a look at this or any other file that I'm discussing in the episode

spk_0 Of course you can take a look on my Facebook page

spk_0 Under the need the post for this for this podcast episode

spk_0 But anyways, I'd address the pathologist cannot pin down poisoning as the culprit and the big questions of the case remain

spk_0 It is worth mentioning that the coroner on the case and many other investigators involved actually

spk_0 Still suspected poisoning after all of this a respected professor at the local university

spk_0 Suggested that it could have been a type of poison that is very rare or at least rarely used as poison in that it decomposes

spk_0 quickly after death and leaves no trace

spk_0 Specifically, he suggested perhaps digitalis or strophanthin

spk_0 digitalis is a super common heart medication actually or was it was more common in that time

spk_0 That was generally used to enhance the contractile strength of the heart

spk_0 However, I'm sure you can imagine what too much of this drug could do and

spk_0 Strophanthin on the other hand is really quite rare only seen in euthanasia for lethal injection

spk_0 It's derived from an African plant that when ingested acts directly onto the heart and no other organs and again too much of it

spk_0 And you can have lethal cardiac arrest

spk_0 These two drugs are so uncommonly used as you know quote unquote poison and they act so quickly with no other consequences

spk_0 Other than that cardiac arrest that it's not unreasonable to think that a standard toxicity blood and organ test would miss them

spk_0 So the investigators are still there scratching their heads wishing and hoping for a new lead to pop up

spk_0 Fingerprints weren't giving any match

spk_0 People from all over continued to come in and try to identify the man to know of a no missing persons reports were matching his description

spk_0 And nothing new had amounted from that briefcase that was left at the train station the trails were starting to turn cold

spk_0 And time was passing and they couldn't keep the corpse in the morgue forever

spk_0 So eventually they had to give them a proper burial

spk_0 But before doing so they made a cast of the outline of his upper half starting from about below his shoulders

spk_0 All the way to the top of his head and this detailed white cast

spk_0 You know really showed his features in his face so that it could be used in the future to hopefully identify him even while he's buried underneath the ground

spk_0 However a full eight months after the body was found on Sumerton Beach

spk_0 Nothing had happened. That is until a man walked into the police station carrying a copy of the rhubiot

spk_0 And yes, what you're thinking is correct this copy of the rhubiot had a portion of the final page ripped out

spk_0 When held up against the piece of paper that was found with the Sumerton man

spk_0 They did indeed fit perfectly together this book was definitively linked to the Sumerton man

spk_0 Obviously the guy was immediately questioned the guy that walked in with it about you know how he came into the session of this book and

spk_0 History was this

spk_0 He keeps a car parked a few hundred yards away from Sumerton Beach

spk_0 Usually with the windows rolled slightly down

spk_0 One day soon after the discovery of the body

spk_0 He took that car for a spin and found a strange book lying on the floorboards in the back seat

spk_0 He initially made nothing of it kind of just thinking that's strange is this book mine

spk_0 He put it in the glove box and then kind of forgot about it

spk_0 But months later when reading a newspaper article about the case

spk_0 He realized that he had that exact book that investigators were looking for he grabbed it and brought it in and that's that

spk_0 Now we can talk about how weird this story is a bit later

spk_0 But for now the investigators were just happy to have a new lead. So what could be gained from the book?

spk_0 Well for the most part

spk_0 It seemed like a pretty normal copy of the rhubiot

spk_0 That is until you turned to the inside of the back cover

spk_0 Where it appears that the Sumerton man or at least someone had scribbled a bunch of letters and what seems to be only

spk_0 Describable as a code a cipher and I have pictures of this as well, but I can quickly read it out to you guys

spk_0 In all capital and all capital letters we have

spk_0 WRGO

spk_0 ABA BD

spk_0 Then we have one more letter on a line below, but strangely this this line has been kind of crossed out

spk_0 But behind it we can see the letters M L I A O I and then the line below that that isn't crossed out is WT

spk_0 B I M D A K E T P

spk_0 Then the single letter X that is crossed out then another new line below it M L I A B O A I A Q C

spk_0 Then finally the last line I T T M T S A A M S T G A B

spk_0 So as I'm sure you can appreciate this code is truly just gibberish and nonsense unless you know

spk_0 You have the way to decode it and I'm sure you're wondering has it been cracked?

spk_0 Has anyone managed to solve it?

spk_0 Well my listener I can tell you that the answer is no this code remains unsolved to this day

spk_0 But it isn't for lack of effort many individuals and universities and investigators and teams have tried their luck at cracking this code

spk_0 But everyone has come up empty

spk_0 Some have said that there just isn't enough to go off of we would need more lines and more letters to draw any kind of conclusion

spk_0 And for me personally when I looked at this code my first thought was okay do these letters correspond

spk_0 To words at certain locations within the rhubbiot may be the beginning of words and

spk_0 Evidently this is a thought that many have looked into already the Australian Naval Intelligence for instance is quoted as saying

spk_0 The frequency of the occurrence of letters whilst inconclusive

spk_0 Corresponds more favorably with the table of frequencies of initial letters of words in English than with any other table

spk_0 Accordingly a reasonable explanation would be that the lines are the initial letters of words of a verse of poetry or such like

spk_0 But even so the code remains unbroken and

spk_0 Despite this roadblock however, there was one more silver lining to finding the correct copy of the rhubbiot

spk_0 Because below this code was written a sequence of numbers a sequence of numbers that police believed must be a local phone number

spk_0 So what else to do but find out who the number belongs to?

spk_0 Well when they did track it down it turned out that the number belonged to a local 27 year old woman by the name of Joe Thompson

spk_0 Sometimes also referred to as Jessica Thompson. She went by a lot of pseudonyms throughout her life

spk_0 As it turns out Joe Thompson lived only a mere minutes walk away from Summerton Beach

spk_0 When the police brought her in they of course

spk_0 showed her the cast of the Summerton man and said you know, do you know him?

spk_0 Officially she went on record to say that she did not know that man

spk_0 However, the taxidermist and the investigators that were in the room at that time

spk_0 remarked that she definitely had a visceral reaction to seeing the man so much so that she apparently almost fainted and

spk_0 Despite this she looked them in the eye afterwards and said that she did not know who it was

spk_0 It's strange definitely to say the least but the police couldn't do much more to press her case any further

spk_0 They did however also ask her about that copy of the rubyot and why perhaps her phone number was in the back

spk_0 Initially she was very very reluctant to even just talk to the investigators, but

spk_0 Sooner or later they did get it out of her that years back while working as a nurse in World War II

spk_0 She actually gave a copy of the rubyot to a young man that she had met during this time

spk_0 And then she then gave investigators this man's name

spk_0 Alfred Boxall

spk_0 Well, that's cut and dry then right? I mean, I'm sure the investigators thought so cut print nice and neat

spk_0 The case is solved the Summerton man must be Alfred Boxall

spk_0 However, there was one problem

spk_0 The real Alfred Boxall was still alive and well living in new South Wales

spk_0 Punn for their investigation and interviews with Boxall it became clear that Joe Thompson's story seemed to add up

spk_0 He did know Joe they had met during the war and what's more?

spk_0 He still possessed that copy of the rubyot that Joe had given him

spk_0 He presented it to police all intact and it even contained a little hint written note from Joe

spk_0 So just as quickly as how came a dead end came soon afterwards

spk_0 Police continued to poke and prod around the case getting a few more bits and pieces of the mystery

spk_0 For one Joe Thompson was actually pregnant during this time, but with no husband

spk_0 Secondly, neighbors of Joe remember that in the previous year a man outside of her house

spk_0 Was calling for her and what I say previous year

spk_0 I mean this has been a year since the Summerton man was found so back in the year of the Summerton man being found

spk_0 They couldn't remember the exact day they remember some man yelling for Joe outside her house

spk_0 Or there was also another potential witness on the beach that night that said he may have seen a man

spk_0 carrying another man on his shoulder near the water's edge of Summerton beach which is definitely intriguing

spk_0 In 1949 another death occurred this time the death of a man named George Marshall who died by suicide on an Australian beach with remarkably

spk_0 A copy of the rubyot open on his chest. So

spk_0 coincidence is is hard to picture here

spk_0 But as far as the official police investigate investigation goes for the Summerton man

spk_0 This is about where it ends

spk_0 Everything from here on out that I talk about is kind of more the recent outside investigation and interest in the case and

spk_0 For a lot of the more recent breakthroughs in the case we have one man to think a professor from the University of Adelaide

spk_0 One Derek Abbott

spk_0 Derek Abbott has devoted an a measurable amount of time and effort into the Summerton man case a mystery that is

spk_0 Verde say he is absolutely obsessed with solving now he like many of you

spk_0 I'm sure had the inclination that there must be more to this Joe Thompson business than meets the eye

spk_0 The fact that her phone number was in the book the fact that she lived right next to Summerton beach and the fact that she almost fainted upon seeing his cast

spk_0 Surely means that they must have some sort of connection. They must have known each other

spk_0 Well after decades of little to no public interest in the Summerton man case Abbott took this idea and ran with it

spk_0 First he wanted to track down Joe Thompson herself and have a word with her

spk_0 But as it turns out she had already passed away in 2007

spk_0 This was unfortunate for Abbott

spk_0 But he decided he could perhaps look to see if she had any children and contact them instead

spk_0 Well as it turns out she did have children as you remember she was pregnant during the initial investigation

spk_0 And then she actually gave birth birth to that child a son named Robin then in the 1950s

spk_0 Joe got married and had a child with that husband and that was a daughter named Kate

spk_0 Abbott was particularly interested in that son Robin however the timing of his birth and the fact that his father was unknown

spk_0 Along with the still unknown connection between the Summerton man and Joe made Abbott a little bit suspicious

spk_0 He wanted to contact Robin directly, but unfortunately again

spk_0 Robin had actually just recently passed away in 2009

spk_0 Still though Abbott did all he could to learn about Robin as it turns out Robin was a

spk_0 Professional ballet dancer during his life with the Australian ballet and I'm sure you can imagine the light bulb moment

spk_0 That just struck Abbott at that point when he figured this out

spk_0 Is it just a wild coincidence that the doctor at the autopsy suggested the Summerton man was a ballet dancer and here

spk_0 We have Robin Joe Thompson's son grow up to become a successful ballet dancer

spk_0 Could there be something more to this connection?

spk_0 Well this forced Abbott to dig a little bit deeper

spk_0 He pulled up pictures of Robin and immediately saw some similarities between him and

spk_0 Pictures of the Summerton man

spk_0 Using his connections at the university Abbott began consulting around and dug up some pretty insane clues

spk_0 Of course what we have here what Abbott's theory is is that Joe Thompson and the Summerton man at some point were lovers and

spk_0 Robin here is the son between the two of them

spk_0 But what more than ballet dancing similarities and maybe some feature similarities on the face could help prove it

spk_0 Well Abbott first consulted

spk_0 Massaged Henniburg a professor of anatomy and what Henniburg discovered is that through the photographs both Robin and the Summerton man have a

spk_0 strikingly unique ear feature

spk_0 the upper ear

spk_0 Specifically the upper ear hollow was larger than the lower ear hollow

spk_0 It's a genetically inherited trait that is only present in about one to two percent of Caucasians

spk_0 Then to compound this Abbott also heard back from a consultation with dentistry experts and learned that both Robin and the

spk_0 Summerton man shared a rare trait with teeth and that they both lacked lateral insiders

spk_0 They were just not there again. It's an extremely rare genetically inherited disorder that's called hypodontia

spk_0 All of these things combined was enough for Abbott to say okay. This is all no longer a coincidence

spk_0 In fact the odds that these two rare traits would occur in both Robin and the Summerton man

spk_0 independently is around one and twenty million and that's not even throwing into the equation that these

spk_0 Independent men so to speak were both connected to Joe Thompson

spk_0 Coincidentally right that would put the number even higher. I dare not even stab at a guess

spk_0 Therefore it is highly highly likely that Robin was indeed the child of Joe Thompson and the Summerton man

spk_0 He went public with this theory and made huge waves

spk_0 It really reignited the spark of interest in the case the theory was mostly met with support

spk_0 But to finally prove the connection it would take DNA evidence and this DNA evidence would really rely on what the family of

spk_0 Joe Thompson wanted to do

spk_0 Of course, we still have the daughter Kate in addition to this we have Robyn's wife Roma and their own child to consider

spk_0 So Abbott dug and decided to keep going keep investigating

spk_0 First he wanted to meet with Robyn's daughter to see if any of these genetic traits had been passed down to her

spk_0 So in steps Rachel Egan into the story

spk_0 She actually also has a strong passion for ballet and what's more?

spk_0 She also has a strong passion to getting to the bottom of this case

spk_0 And I'm something that bears mentioning is that with all these family members

spk_0 There are some who try to distance themselves from anything having to do with the Summerton man

spk_0 But then there's Rachel here that desperately wants to solve it and

spk_0 After all if this genealogy if this theory is true

spk_0 Then the Summerton man is actually Rachel's grandfather

spk_0 So Abbott and Rachel meet up to discuss the case the theory and discuss the topic of potential DNA testing and

spk_0 And in an absolutely unforeseen fairy tale turn of events Professor Abbott and Rachel fallen love

spk_0 Fast forward a bit and they are married with several children of their own

spk_0 So needless to say Abbott is really truly 100% a part of this story now

spk_0 He really dug himself in there

spk_0 But this marriage also created more distance between other family members that already didn't want to anything to do with the Summerton man case

spk_0 So let's take for instance Kate. This is Joe Thompson's daughter, right?

spk_0 Joe Thompson had the son Robin and a daughter later on Kate

spk_0 Now there

spk_0 You know obviously could be some questions that Kate can answer. She's still alive

spk_0 She lived with Joe Thompson for most of her life

spk_0 Well, Kate is a lot less willing to enter the public eye and

spk_0 Some of the only information that we have from her came from one interview a 60 minutes interview in which she accepted and spoke

spk_0 briefly about her mother Joe and

spk_0 I'll play a quick clip of that interview for you here

spk_0 You can also get insight into Kate's own theory about her mother

spk_0 She said to me she knew who he was but she wasn't going to

spk_0 To let that out of the bag so to speak you pretty much do accept that

spk_0 She was inspired I think so he is

spk_0 She had a dark side

spk_0 But a very strong dark side

spk_0 That 60 minutes episode was great because it got interviews from across the whole family

spk_0 And it also illuminated the disagreement that they hold between one another about what to do with this case

spk_0 On the one hand you have Rachel and Professor Abbott who desperately wants to get to the bottom of

spk_0 Identifying the man to prove their theory it would require

spk_0 Exuming on the service it would require

spk_0 Exuming both Robin and the Summerton man to test

spk_0 their DNA and compare

spk_0 But it could also be possible without exuming Robin to test Rachel's DNA

spk_0 Only exume the Summerton man and then hopefully proved that he is her grandfather and then going further proved that Robin was indeed the son

spk_0 But then on the other side you have Kate who doesn't need or want any of this

spk_0 Eximation who isn't necessarily eager to find out that her brother was actually truly a half brother all along and

spk_0 Also wants Robin to rest in peace without tabloids and conspiracy theorists running his name all over the internet and

spk_0 The final piece of the puzzle here is the fact that there is a lengthy governmental process that would be required to gain legal authority

spk_0 To exume the Summerton man so from many years the case was frustratingly stuck

spk_0 However in 2016 it was actually Robin's wife Roma Egan

spk_0 Who came through to push the case along a little bit when she agreed to have her DNA tested and subtracted against

spk_0 Rachel's DNA to pinpoint the portion of DNA that must have come from Robin and thus may have come from the Summerton man

spk_0 So it's a lot of steps there clearly. It's not going to give anything to precise the results of this DNA test

spk_0 But what they did find is that Robin's father's DNA the Summerton man's

spk_0 Presumably the Summerton man's DNA has several links to the Eastern United States and actually a fun fact it was even found

spk_0 That this link is a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson one of the founding fathers of America

spk_0 So all of this linkage to America could perhaps point the idea that the Summerton man was actually American

spk_0 This would coincide with the original pathologist report that said his hairstyle and clothing style matched that of an American during that time

spk_0 and

spk_0 Interesting development to be sure but we're not quite there yet

spk_0 The true and of course most direct way to identify the Summerton man would just be to exume him directly and test the DNA there

spk_0 However as I said this is a process that's hopelessly tied up in bureaucracy and several efforts at gaining approval for the

spk_0 Eximation have already been rejected and

spk_0 Then this is where a bit of a time crunch begins to set in because experts believe that if we want to recover quality

spk_0 Testable DNA from the Summerton man his body would have to be exhumed really soon

spk_0 It's been over 70 years since his death

spk_0 So in the not so distant future our chance to test his DNA will be forever lost

spk_0 There has been a lot of public support in recent years about the possibility of an exclamation so much so actually that in 2019

spk_0 Conditional approval was finally achieved for this exclamation and the last I've heard about it

spk_0 It's now simply a matter of securing funds and of course probably letting this COVID pandemic get out of the way so that we can move forward with it

spk_0 But for now as I make this podcast the grave of the Summerton man still sits undisturbed at West Terrace Cemetery in

spk_0 Adelaide, Australia his ominous gravestone breeds

spk_0 Here lies the unknown man who was found at Summerton Beach first December

spk_0 1948

spk_0 So how about it then through all of this information have you begun to form your own theory?

spk_0 If not that's okay because now is the time in the episode when I begin to list out the current popular theories that are already out there

spk_0 Surrounding this case and then of course I'll end it off with my own theory on the

spk_0 elusive solution to this infamous 70 plus year mystery of the Summerton man

spk_0 So first let's start off with perhaps the most straightforward theory that exists the theory that the Summerton man

spk_0 died of completely natural causes in an unfortunate accidental death

spk_0 The exact nature of this accidental death varies as I've seen several possibilities thrown out there such as an accidental drug overdose a

spk_0 Sudden cardiac event from a pre-existing heart problem a deadly stroke a heat stroke

spk_0 But probably most interesting I've seen the idea of positional effixiation

spk_0 positional effixiation is a death in which the anatomical positioning of head neck torso and

spk_0 Overall body leads to poor circulation of blood and oxygen about the body to the point where normal function can no longer continue and death follow suit

spk_0 The idea of positional effixiation

spk_0 effixiation you guys try to say it. It's really hard

spk_0 It's only more recently being better understood

spk_0 But during the time of the Summerton man death it was definitely not something that was talked about

spk_0 The pathologist in the corner and the doctors around the case never even really threw it out as a possibility

spk_0 And you have to remember the position in which the Summerton man was it was very very odd his head was

spk_0 Propped up against the back wall at a very very steep angle meaning according to this theory

spk_0 It's possible that he was inadvertently cutting off air flow through his windpipe and that led to suffocation

spk_0 Obviously if you or me were to try this position right now, right? We wouldn't be able to hold the position

spk_0 Forever like we wouldn't be able to hold it until we pass out, you know because we could fix it

spk_0 but the idea is that

spk_0 This position that he was in killed him in combination with something else like perhaps like an accidental drug overdose that rendered him

spk_0 incapacitated to the point that he couldn't move from that unfortunate position

spk_0 This theory would also line up with the fact that the chemist testing found absolutely no traces of common poison in his body

spk_0 And that's because there really was no poison as I've touched on briefly many other theories still hold true to the idea that poisoning did indeed take place

spk_0 But it was just a rare poison that didn't show up on the test

spk_0 But at the end of the day that was actually, you know, never proven the idea

spk_0 Just became so popular because the pathologist and the lead investigator of the case pushed it so hard they believed it and

spk_0 You know, they really truly believed that it was a rare fast-acting

spk_0 heart-targeting poison such as digitalis or astrophanthin and

spk_0 Thus that is what many modern theories hold on to

spk_0 But if we are to surmise that they could have been wrong in this assumption

spk_0 Then we are left with you know natural causes of death

spk_0 Perhaps his distended liver and blestemic are actually just consequences of a pre-existing condition that he was dealing with that ended up killing him there on that beach

spk_0 However, the biggest hole in this theory is the fact that we still have no explanation as to why he strangely had all the tags from his clothing removed why he had

spk_0 This strange code in the rubyot why he may have left fake names in his luggage why he had no forms of identification on him

spk_0 And why it seems that he went to such length to keep his identity hidden

spk_0 It seems really really odd this behavior seems very odd for someone who accidentally died of natural causes

spk_0 If it was an unforeseen accident, how can you explain all of this setup?

spk_0 You would also have to believe that the coroner would have

spk_0 Not been able to identify any of these causes of death we've been talking about like if it was a stroke from a blood clot in the brain

spk_0 The doctors there are literally trained professionals that should have been able to identify that you'd have to believe that the natural cause of death was just so

spk_0 uncommon maybe or that

spk_0 The coroner and doctor were just incompetent at their jobs and they couldn't identify something that was natural

spk_0 So it's a bit of a give and take with this theory, but I'll go ahead and move on to the next popular explanation

spk_0 This is the unfortunate theory of suicide as I alluded to earlier the main driving force behind this explanation is the Tomom should note

spk_0 It was left in his pocket. It is finished or the end as a rough translation

spk_0 This could explain also why he seems to have no regard for his belongings before his death

spk_0 You know tossing a book into a random car having no wallet on him, you know

spk_0 Maybe he tossed this away to somewhere randomly into the garbage or something

spk_0 He had some sort of poison on him perhaps

spk_0 Digitallic or Traffin than already with him

spk_0 He found a nice spot on a beach laid down, let up a cigarette and carried it out

spk_0 The only clue left behind is this sort of suicide note that was in his pocket Tomom should

spk_0 Now this seems straightforward enough, but people who hold this theory take it six million different directions from here six different six million different angles

spk_0 Right some say that it was a case of being rejected by Joe Thompson perhaps and follow the chronology here

spk_0 He and Joe had met during the war

spk_0 Maybe he was a soldier traveling around maybe even from America which could explain the preliminary DNA testing and his American

spk_0 appearance

spk_0 Perhaps they kindled a relationship together and at some point Joe Thompson gave him this book as a gift with her phone number in the back

spk_0 We already know that she did this once with Alfred Boxhall remember the and it was a past lover of hers

spk_0 So maybe that was kind of her MO

spk_0 She just she kind of falls for a guy and then she liked to give them this collection of Persian love poems as a gift

spk_0 She did it several times

spk_0 Humans are creatures of habit after all

spk_0 So perhaps he comes back to Australia after the war is over to see her

spk_0 Maybe even he got her pregnant at that time with this future baby Robin

spk_0 Whoever around this time to Joe starts maybe a serious relationship with another man or for whatever reason

spk_0 You know loses interest in our poor old summerton man

spk_0 And so maybe one night he shows up at her doorstep shouting her name something we all know that did happen and

spk_0 When she continued to reject him time and time again and he wasn't gonna maybe be a father to baby Robin

spk_0 He kind of threw his hands up in the air and gave up and as a final act

spk_0 He kind of ripped those final words from the from the back of her gift and tossed it away

spk_0 Ending his days right there on summerton beach with an uncommon poison that he had on him

spk_0 This still doesn't fully explain however the secrecy behind him

spk_0 Obscuring his identity some have taken this and said well this was intentional

spk_0 Maybe it was a way to ensure that his friends and family back home never find out

spk_0 And also perhaps why if he wanted his suicide note to be found

spk_0 Why is it tucked away so deeply in a small semi-hidden pocket?

spk_0 And are we to believe that he just somehow had access to these rarely used poisons just kind of willing really

spk_0 Why in that way right and another small detail if we are to believe he indeed indeed used one of these fast

spk_0 Acting poisons then where's the bottle?

spk_0 Where's the receptacle that it was in because it certainly wasn't nearby him?

spk_0 Are we going to say that he went to great lengths to hide this too?

spk_0 See there are several patterns of his behavior here that do indeed follow common patterns of suicide

spk_0 but also several that absolutely do not follow any common patterns and

spk_0 And what about that later testimony from a potential witness that said he may have seen a man

spk_0 carrying another man on his shoulders near the water's edge

spk_0 Well, if we were to believe this testimony then we can definitely entertain this next theory

spk_0 Here we have the theory of a murder that the Summerton man was murdered in cold blood

spk_0 Presumably the murder is the guy seen carrying a man on his shoulder the night the Summerton man died

spk_0 But who is this silhouette of a man and why did he do it?

spk_0 Well if we continue on with the love affair idea from the last theory perhaps this man was Joe Thompson's current

spk_0 significant other perhaps the Summerton man traveled to Joe confronted her and was rejected by not only her but

spk_0 aggressively rejected by the current boyfriend

spk_0 Then perhaps there was a conflict maybe even a violent one

spk_0 Did Joe and her boyfriend decide the only way to handle the situation was to kill him was he

spk_0 deranged

spk_0 This could explain why there was a great deal of effort to obscure his identity

spk_0 the tearing of the tags the lack of items on his person and also when later questioned by police

spk_0 why Joe Thompson was so evasive and

spk_0 Resolute that she did not know the man

spk_0 She even gave them a deliberate false lead by giving the name Alfred Boxel to throw police off their tracks

spk_0 Or maybe even more sinister sinisterly he died while at Joe Thompson's house and

spk_0 She went through all the effort of removing tags moving belongings and then has that boyfriend carry him to the beach complete with

spk_0 planting a half smoked cigarette at his lips I

spk_0 Tend to shy away from this particular

spk_0 explanation that he died at her house for two reasons or three reasons I guess

spk_0 One because we have that witness saying that he saw the Summerton man raises hand in the air remember

spk_0 So I just think he was actually kind of laying on the beach when he died. He was alive for a little bit there

spk_0 To while Joe Thompson's house was close to the beach it was still over 800 meters

spk_0 So carrying a dead body over your shoulder that far seems a bit far fetched and you know

spk_0 It seems very risky to to have the idea for three to to carry someone over 800 meters, right?

spk_0 You could be seen which maybe he did so

spk_0 And what if you know, let's continue on with the murder theory here

spk_0 What if there wasn't a man connected to Joe at all the story given by the man who found the rubyot in his car was a little suspicious

spk_0 Now I wasn't around in Australia

spk_0 1948 but who leaves a car parked near a beach for extended periods of time with the windows rolled down

spk_0 It it seems a little weird is there a chance that he could have been hiding something so perhaps it's not a man

spk_0 Connected to Joe, but it's a man beyond it was a man connected to the Summerton man

spk_0 And Joe really is just innocent in this whole scenario is it is it that guy with the car that could be involved

spk_0 Or what if there was no other man at all in the scenario if the witness seeing the man over the shoulder thing isn't true

spk_0 Then perhaps it was Joe herself acting alone that conspired to secretly poison the Summerton man

spk_0 He came over wanted to talk perhaps about the child and she decided that this was the course of action again at this time

spk_0 Joe Thompson was working as a nurse

spk_0 She had extensive experience nursing during the war

spk_0 She may have had access to these rather rare substances that could have been used to untraceably poison the Summerton man

spk_0 Maybe he eventually leaves the house feeling unwell doesn't know he's been poisoned and decides to go light out on the beach

spk_0 How far would Joe Thompson then go to keep the police off her tail would she

spk_0 Plant his briefcase at the train station as a distraction with all these items that kind of meant nothing

spk_0 You know, this could also account why there's no poison receptacle found at the scene because it was all taken at Joe's house

spk_0 But a lot of these possibilities are getting you know a little bit hard to believe to think that Joe Thompson was

spk_0 secretly a brilliant mastermind that had every step of the equation figured out ahead of time and

spk_0 succeeded no less

spk_0 outsmarted the police outsmarted everyone

spk_0 Is this a probable explanation or perhaps it would have taken a little bit of help to pull all of this off some

spk_0 bigger organization like say perhaps a secret agency within a government

spk_0 Maybe you fall into the same belief that Joe's own daughter holds that Joe and the Summerton man

spk_0 We're actually cold war spies

spk_0 So yes, the next theory here is the ever popular idea that what we have is the consequence of spy activity

spk_0 The idea that Joe and or the Summerton man were operating as undercover spies and for one reason or another

spk_0 It led to the death of the Summerton man

spk_0 Clearly these circumstances around him kind of absolutely scream spy the well-grumed nature the muscularity

spk_0 of form and appearance the tags ripped from his clothing the lack of identification in general the the secretive nature and

spk_0 The rare untraceable poison that may have been used and last but not least obviously the cryptic code that's left in the back of the Rubaiot and

spk_0 It may seem all kind of disconnected to us now, but remember this is the beginning of the cold war

spk_0 There are agents from different governments and countries traveling all over the world that are carrying out espionage and

spk_0 What's more?

spk_0 There are actually several known cases of people dying during the Cold War with

spk_0 tags of clothing removed from them and then later they were proven to actually be spies such as Captain Orich von von der

spk_0 Osten in 1941 so therefore this is kind of a known spy mo to remove tags to

spk_0 Hide identities, right?

spk_0 Perhaps the only difference with the Summerton man here is that it was never actually definitively proven that he was a spy afterwards

spk_0 And then what about Joe? What potential evidence do we have that maybe she was a spy?

spk_0 Well, the evidence is actually probably better on her end

spk_0 For instance, we know that she was a communist or at least had communist leanings and she knew Russian

spk_0 There are even some reports that she taught Russian the Russian language to students while in Australia

spk_0 So this connects her to perhaps being a spy for the Soviet Union

spk_0 Moreover in that same 60 minutes interview that I showed you earlier her daughter Kate

spk_0 Actually came out in a different clip and recalled one conversation that she had with her mother about the Summerton man

spk_0 There weren't many but she recalls one

spk_0 She remembers her mother saying something along the lines of they will never solve the case

spk_0 Because the truth is only known out of level higher than the police force

spk_0 insinuating that it was at a top governmental level and it was being kept secret there

spk_0 And so perhaps follow me here

spk_0 What if there was some forbidden love that was going on here between Joe who maybe was a

spk_0 Soviet spy and the Summerton man who maybe was an American spy and they had this forbidden love affair and in the end

spk_0 It resulted in Joe taking the upper hand and poisoning him

spk_0 Were there maybe other people in the equation other spies a ring of spies right was the Summerton man

spk_0 Maybe being chased down which could explain why he's buying train tickets and bus tickets some that he never uses

spk_0 He's keeping things hidden and hidden pockets

spk_0 He's writing a code in the back of an obscure book and

spk_0 Maybe whoever was chasing him finally got to him and you know

spk_0 Maybe he in a last-ditch effort to hide something through the ruby out into an open car window as he was running away

spk_0 And he finally got killed there on the beach

spk_0 But it was expert work right and that's why we still don't have his identification and

spk_0 In this scenario

spk_0 It wasn't Joe who killed him at all

spk_0 Maybe they were even still in love and the only reason that she couldn't help the police

spk_0 Was because it might actually lead to her blowing her own cover and you know when she was shown the Summerton man's face

spk_0 She almost fainted because that was the man that she still loved as you can see there are countless

spk_0 Directions you can take the spy theory some directions are more believable than others

spk_0 But this next theory I'll jump into here takes it to the next level and that it is probably the most far-fetched of them all but

spk_0 That doesn't have to mean that it isn't true nonetheless

spk_0 Last but not least I will now give you the explanation that maybe the Summerton man and or Joe

spk_0 We're involved in a highly secretive cult a cult involving the ruby out

spk_0 A lot of strange behaviors

spk_0 Around the death can be explained by the strange tendencies of cult activity

spk_0 Keeping identities secret never talking to authorities strange substances even and most of all the unbreakable code in the back of the

spk_0 Ruby out that's you know that just seems to be popping up everywhere in Australia at this point

spk_0 I mean again

spk_0 This is a 12th century collection of a Persian poems. Why does it seem like half the continent has it and

spk_0 Why is it being connected to multiple dead men because again?

spk_0 You have that case of George Marshall who who died right around the exact same time also on a beach with a copy of the

spk_0 Ruby out open on his chest

spk_0 Furthermore work done by popular author Gary Feltis shows that the copy of the Ruby out that the Summerton man possessed was not

spk_0 Common at all it was practically one of a kind because you think about published books right that you'd find out a bookstore

spk_0 If you're going to look for Harry Potter something you have hundreds of thousands of one of this mass produced copy

spk_0 And maybe you have some special edition copies with special cover art versions here and there but the copy of the

spk_0 Ruby out that was owned by the Summerton man was so exceedingly rare that

spk_0 Actually, no one has been able to find an exact matching version anywhere else in the world

spk_0 Was Joe Thompson perhaps the leader of this cult and she was handing out these special copies of this obscure book to people that she deemed worthy

spk_0 And there's like a whole secret code to go along with it

spk_0 Can this explain maybe why she changed her name so many times throughout her life?

spk_0 And actually not thinking about it. It makes me wonder if Joe Thompson could have actually been able to crack that code in the back of the Summerton man's book

spk_0 Like she may have actually been one of the only human beings that could have cracked that code and and it's since lost now

spk_0 But anyways, that yeah, that's a question that we will never really know for sure

spk_0 Did the Summerton man maybe break some sort of rule within the cult that then led to his death as the reason that he actually had to die?

spk_0 When Joe was speaking to her daughter Kate about you know only a higher level knows the truth

spk_0 Perhaps she was actually talking about this secret society this cult that she was a part of that was that higher level

spk_0 If this really is the case then the members of the so-called cult have definitely kept tight lips through it all and you know

spk_0 Not one I would have a whisper more than just circumstance and coincidence in this theory

spk_0 Okay, so that covers all of the main theories and of course there's always more out there like

spk_0 To case of transient global amnesia for it gets where he is for gets who he is

spk_0 The idea that the Summerton man actually worked as a spy for the Australian government and then this death was actually part of a giant cover-up in conspiracy

spk_0 Or orchestrated by the Australian government

spk_0 Maybe Joe Thompson was a serial killer and he was a victim etc etc

spk_0 But where do you live on this? What is your theory to explain it all?

spk_0 Keep formulating it in your mind as I take this opportunity to venture my own guests at what could possibly solve the monumental Summerton man mystery

spk_0 All right when it comes to the mystery of the Summerton man there are infinitely many angles when you look at solving

spk_0 But I think there are a few resolute truths in the mix that cannot be denied

spk_0 And should help formulate an explanation that manages to check all of the boxes

spk_0 For one Robin is most definitely the child of Joe Thompson and the Summerton man the genetic evidence is just too strong to deny

spk_0 Secondly, someone was definitely trying to hide the Summerton man's identity

spk_0 And third, his death was most certainly unnatural

spk_0 A case of poisoning is highly likely I believe and you know and the pathologist was right in this regard

spk_0 Beyond that things get really really subjective beyond those three truths in my mind

spk_0 And honestly I went back and forth on this on what I believe several times throughout this case and researching it

spk_0 It took many afternoon to me staring out my window to come to any kind of conclusion, but I think I finally did it

spk_0 And what brought me to my conclusion was I tried to put myself in the shoes of the Summerton man

spk_0 Based on everything I know about him what can I surmise about his intentions right his emotions his heart

spk_0 At the very beginning of this episode, I said that one of the biggest first steps in solving a case is always always always learning everything you can

spk_0 About the victim and while the Summerton man case leaves actually very few solid facts of knowledge about him right

spk_0 He does leave a pretty substantial trace related to his personality his thoughts his behavior in that regard

spk_0 And what I realized is that this can be just as useful in solving it

spk_0 So with that being said my theory is as follows

spk_0 The Summerton man

spk_0 Essentially was an absolute romantic all right, so as I go through this explanation

spk_0 I'm gonna romanticize it a bit in in fitting spirit

spk_0 So follow me here chronologically

spk_0 He's an American also he's just habitually well groomed and stylish and he's a talented but laid answer before he is enlisted to fight during World War 2

spk_0 probably in the Navy

spk_0 Therefore he's sailing around going from base to base and at some point

spk_0 He makes it to the same place where a young nurse is working a young Joe Thompson who is also developing her time in a sympathies while treating all of these wounded men

spk_0 And maybe also learning Russian during this time

spk_0 They meet maybe they bond over a love for ballet and fall head over heels for each other

spk_0 Maybe mostly though it's it's the Summerton man that is hopelessly infatuated with her

spk_0 I mean absolutely inescapably in love with her

spk_0 The problem is that he's only stationed there for so long they have to part ways

spk_0 But before he goes she gives him a special copy of the rubbiot full of classic moving

spk_0 Love poems and her phone number telling him to you know come to addelaid after it's all over

spk_0 So short time passes in the Summerton man who has missed her dearly and thought about her every day since finally gets that chance

spk_0 He packs up. Maybe he packs up some hand me down clones clothes perhaps from a friend named Keen and other various objects that kind of mean nothing

spk_0 And arrive in in this foreign place in addelaid and gives her a call

spk_0 But when she hears his voice she wants nothing to do with him see upon returning home

spk_0 She Joe has fallen in love into a very stable relationship with with another man

spk_0 And as it turns out she's actually pregnant at this time with what she highly suspects to be the Summerton man's child

spk_0 So she's kind of slightly ashamed. She wants to put all this behind her

spk_0 She wants to stick with this stable relationship. She found out

spk_0 And she wants to be rid of what happened to start fresh with this new man and raise the child on her own without the Summerton man

spk_0 So she says she says all this over the phone and hearing this the Summerton man is kind of knocked sideways right

spk_0 But he loves her and he may you know also want part in raising this child

spk_0 But she hangs up without anything more so he panics he needs to find her

spk_0 So he asks around he does everything he can to find out where Joe Thompson lives

spk_0 Someone finally manages to help him and give him directions

spk_0 He has nothing to write on though

spk_0 So he flips open to the only thing he has on him the back cover of the rubiah

spk_0 And he hurriedly writes down his own way to remember directions perhaps something he picked up during the war

spk_0 So it was it just looks like gibberish but to him perhaps its directions like

spk_0 Turn right under the bridge would be TR UTP or something something to this effect and maybe he messes up a couple times

spk_0 He scratches out a line

spk_0 It's unbreakable because it really truly only means something to him

spk_0 He was hurriedly scratching it down as he's getting verbal instructions

spk_0 Uh, and so he's doing his best

spk_0 He buys a train ticket to this location and then a venture will an eventual return

spk_0 Train ticket that he actually never ends up using

spk_0 Once he gets there he then takes a bus from the train station to the Summerton beach area

spk_0 But he leaves his briefcase at the train station fully intending to return to it

spk_0 The only things that he brings with him are his wallet the rubiah

spk_0 His prescribed heart medicine that he will need and takes every night and some cigarettes

spk_0 He finally walks his way to Joe Thompson's house and knocks on the door

spk_0 She sees that it's him and doesn't answer she won't let him in and he becomes distraught

spk_0 He yells out to her begs to let him in

spk_0 begs her to talk to him to maybe even talk about helping raise this child

spk_0 But time and time again she refuses

spk_0 She doesn't want to ruin this new relationship this new life she has here

spk_0 She tells him once and for all, you know, you will never see me again

spk_0 You'll never be a father to this child and he can't believe it

spk_0 This this was everything to him this was going to be his whole life

spk_0 What is he to do now? He has

spk_0 nowhere to go no job and and his eyes no future

spk_0 He is absolutely dejected the love that he created in his mind is in tatters

spk_0 He stumbles away from her house and in shambles

spk_0 He doesn't know where to go or what to do

spk_0 He's already missed his train back maybe

spk_0 He opens up the copy of the rubiah and laments at the final words on the last page

spk_0 He rips them out and then makes a decision in his mind

spk_0 He continues to walk on feeling no need for his belongings anymore

spk_0 He defiantly throws the symbol of this past love right the rubiah into an open window of a car as he walks by and you know

spk_0 He's romantic right

spk_0 He throws his wallet into a trash can even maybe

spk_0 And in one last thought about the world around him

spk_0 He decides that he doesn't want his friends and family back home in the states

spk_0 Knowing about this knowing how it ended so he decides to

spk_0 hastily rip off the tags of his clothing and throw them away as well

spk_0 He makes it to a beach as the sun is setting and here's a good as place as any as he figures right

spk_0 He takes out the bottle of his heart medicine

spk_0 Probably a type of digitalis and downs the whole thing

spk_0 Then throws that bottle away too into a trash can

spk_0 He likes to cigarette as the sun sets but he never makes it to the end of it and his heart gives way in the night

spk_0 And as the sun rises

spk_0 There's this mysterious summerton man dead on the beach

spk_0 Later when police are putting together the clues and jodhamson is contacted

spk_0 She clearly recognizes the man

spk_0 She can't believe that he did this

spk_0 But still she's not going to jeopardize her life at this point

spk_0 She denies denies denies denies denies and she even gives the name Alfred boxall as a red herring to investigators

spk_0 She raises the child robin and he with ballet in his blood

spk_0 So to speak becomes a professional ballet dancer

spk_0 Well, she likes to maybe want to leave this whole summerton man thing in the past

spk_0 She sometimes passingly mentions things to her daughter and or maybe her daughter over here's Kate

spk_0 Like that only a level higher than the police could possibly know the truth

spk_0 And that's her she is the level higher than the police because she outsmarted them

spk_0 Again Kate has said that her mother had a dark side

spk_0 And years pass on like this until eventually professor Derek Abbott

spk_0 Reignites the case by linking robin as the love child between summerton man and joe

spk_0 And that my listeners is where it stands today

spk_0 In a very near future here if the exclamation goes through we may finally have definitive answers

spk_0 And to be honest, I think an exclamation is the right thing to do this man the summerton man

spk_0 But in entire life that we have absolutely no knowledge of no one

spk_0 deserves to have a life full of everything that makes us human just to end up

spk_0 six feet beneath the ground with a gravestone that reads

spk_0 Here lies the unknown man

spk_0 Let his story be told and soon enough we may just get this we may actually finally have the answers

spk_0 The solution to Australia's greatest enigma the historic mystery of the summerton man

spk_0 Listeners, I hope you on hope that you have enjoyed another episode of history's gory mysteries

spk_0 I definitely have a lot of fun with these straightforward like who done it type mysteries and

spk_0 It also makes me very eager to hear all of the theories that are out there

spk_0 So again, I will extend an always open invitation to voice your own theory either by messaging me commenting me on the Facebook page

spk_0 Or even just talking to your friends about it or anything in between

spk_0 It's always good just have open conversation about it

spk_0 But anyways as for today that is all I have for you

spk_0 I want to give one more giant giant thank you

spk_0 Just for simply being a listener of these podcasts of the said in the beginning

spk_0 I do hope to be back as soon as I possibly can so be on the lookout

spk_0 Keep up with my Facebook page to be kept in the loop

spk_0 Also a quick shout out to Kane who resparked my attention and interest into this case. Thank you for that

spk_0 And I hope you all have a great rest of your day. Thank you. Thank you for spending some of it with me

spk_0 And until I am back of course I ask that you guys stay curious and revel in some of the beautiful unknowns of this world. Bye now

Ep. 20 - The Somerton Man Mystery

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