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The Taman Shud Case In Unsolved Mysteries: Updated News

Searching for the Taman Shud Case In Unsolved Mysteries? Here we go! Undoubtedly one of Australia's greatest true crime mysteries, the disappearance of the Somerton Man (Tamám Shud) was finally solved in July. Since his identification, additional family members have revealed new photographs and information about the man's life in Australia.
More information about the Somerton Man's life is revealed in this week's episode of Australian Story, including previously unseen family photos and a possible explanation for the paper with "tamám shud" (Persian meaning "it is finished") on it.

Where Did They Find Somerton Man In The Taman Shud Case?

The Taman Shud Case Source: Unsolved Mysteries
In July, after having his body unearthed, the Somerton Man was finally identified by comparing his DNA to family tree records. Professor Derek Abbott, a physicist at Adelaide University and a leading authority on the Somerton Man, obtained DNA samples from the mysterious individual; nonetheless, the results are likely to disappoint those who have already concluded that the man was a Soviet spy.
Abbott and American genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick concluded that the individual was Melbourne engineer Carl "Charles" Webb, age 43. They solved the mystery by comparing DNA from a hair preserved in the plaster cast of his head with samples sent by millions of people worldwide.
South Australian authorities haven’t formally validated the match. Still, since there was a DNA match on both the maternal and paternal sides of Webb’s family, Prof Abbott is convinced it’s authentic. According to The Guardian, he explained that the DNA "not only matched" but also "triangulated," linking to a distant relative on both the paternal and maternal sides.

 

The Taman Shud Case
In the months following the solution to the Somerton Man mystery, Abbott worked to reconstruct the life of Carl Webb, sometimes known as Charles or Charlie. The unknown man was born in Footscray on November 16th, 1905. His older siblings were Russell, Freda, Gladys, Doris, and Roy. He was the youngest of six children. I'm curious if they followed the Bulldogs.
There were just a few short years between Roy Webb's enlistment in the military in 1940 and his death in 1943, so he made the most of them. An uncanny likeness to his younger sibling, the Somerton Man, was immediately apparent. Abbott was most intrigued by one particular aspect of the case: Keane was found labeled on several of Carl Webb's things in his bag.
In Melbourne, Webb had a brother-in-law named Thomas Keane. Through genealogical research, Abbott discovered photographs of a man named John Russell Keane, later identified as Webb's nephew. He joined the RAAF, and like the Somerton Man, he was killed in Europe. Webb's sister and brother-in-law, Gerald and Freda Keane received his personal belongings to give to their son.
Carl Webb may have been found on Somerton Beach wearing his nephew's returned clothes. They were around the same height and weight. Abbott informed ABC that measurements showed that John Keane and Charles Webb were only.75 inches apart in height, such that their outfits could be interchanged.

Other Pictures Of The Somerton Man?

The Taman Shud Case
More images of Webb's family and information about his life were revealed on an episode of Australian Story shown in November. The images dated back to the 1920s and were discovered in an antique photo album preserved by the Webb family. They feature a young Carl Webb with his brother Roy and their grandparents, a bigger family shot, and a photo of his teen football team.
DNA evidence led Professor Abbott to conclude that Stuart Webb was the great-grandson of the Somerton man's relative Norman. Thus, Abbott reportedly got in touch with Webb, as reported by ABC.
"Professor Abbott asked me if I was related to Norman Webb, who is my grandpa, and that led to a whole series of questions about my history and whether or not there are any images or family histories that I can recollect," he explained. With the help of his aunt Julie, Webb discovered a family photo book that included images of "Charlie" when he was younger.
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