Police still know nothing about man that was found dead with bizarre code 65 years later
Police still know absolutely nothing about man that was found dead with a bizarre code a whole 65 years after he was first discovered.
It all started way back when in 1948 (1 December) when a body was found on an Australian beach in perfect condition and with no apparent cause of death to be found.
And the kicker? Police discovered a secret pocket in the bloke's trousers containing a perplexing piece of evidence which they have never managed to work out to this day.
Known as the 'Taman Shud' case, this is possibly one of the most puzzling unsolved true crime stories and authorities still haven't a clue about the bizarre finding.
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The man was found on Somerton Beach in Adelaide and upon a full body search, police found a few odd things that left them well and truly baffled.
Firstly, while he was well dressed, all the labels on his clothes were missing.
Bit weird.
Secondly, the man had a train ticket going towards Henley Beach but it was never used and, to make things even weirder, police later found a suitcase linked to him at Adelaide Railroad Station a whole month after the body was first found.
Just like his clothing, the luggage's label was removed alongside every single garment of clothing packed inside.
While the findings were definitely strange, they never ended up leading to any concrete clues alongside his autopsy, which found no foreign substance in his body that could have potentially linked his death to poisoning of any sort.
But there are some things that police do know.
According to The Crime Wire the man was 5'11" with grey eyes and mousy ginger hair 'greying around the sides and receding in the front'.
He was estimated to be anywhere 'between 40 and 50 years old' and weighed within the range of 75-80 kilograms (165-175 pounds).
Getting a bit more into the nitty gritty, the man was also missing a staggering '18 teeth' which included his 'two lateral incisors' which 'most likely never grew in due to a genetic defect'.
The body was found with 'small scars' located on this left wrist, left forearm and left elbow.
His 'hands and feet were clean and callous-free' which may sound like an odd thing for a coroner to make note of but this indicated he did not do manual labour.
Oh yeah, he was also uncircumcised if you were wondering...
It was only a month after finding the body that police found the oddest but most substantial piece of evidence.
Located in a hidden pocket, officials found a note which read: "Taman Shud."
Experts were called in to work the case and managed to translate the cryptic phrase, concluding that it meant 'ended' or 'finished'.
The phrase in question can be found in a collection of poems titled The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.
Police took no time in launching a nationwide search for the book which the torn piece of paper once originated from.
Finally, one man came forward after alleging that he found the book in the backseat of his unlocked car a week or so before the police even discovered the body.
And, as if it wasn't weird enough already, there was a very strange code scribbled on the back of it.
While they tried tirelessly to crack the code, and case, police never made any real progression with it.
However, given the subject matter of the book itself, many suspect the man's death may have been a suicide as the anthology references the feeling of having no regrets when life comes to an end.
Others have an entirely different theory, claiming that the man was a spy.
And, until police finally do, if they ever, figure out the case, the 'Taman Shud' man's gravestone will remain as reading: "Here lies the unknown man who was found at Somerton Beach 1st Dec. 1948."
Topics: Weird, True Crime, Australia
Rhiannon Ingle