Somerton Man with Candace Jane Opper
Added 2024-10-01 03:58:30 +0000 UTCIn 1948 an anonymous man died on a beach in Australia*, and we are wondering about him to this day. Was it murder, suicide, Cold War intrigue, or something even more mysterious? (Content warning for discussion of suicide throughout this episode.)
*South Australia, even
For our October bonus episode, dear friend of the show Candace Jane Opper—who I fail to introduce in any way—comes to discuss the theories we create when we have only a handful of clues, and how our conspiracy theories can drive us apart or bring us together.
ABC Au:
Somerton Man's Identity Revealed
NYT:
Somerton Man Identified Through DNA, researchers say
Candace's website
Comments
This made me think about that Boy in a Box case…recently they did find his name (Augustus) and possibly his parents (they’re both dead) and feeling quite sad…
Octopus
2025-01-05 20:59:09 +0000 UTC10000% agree
UniqueJargon
2024-10-13 18:35:37 +0000 UTCPs thank you for correcting NSW/SA in the episode description, when I tell you how I GASPED in outrage listening to the ep…!
Alice Ridge
2024-10-09 01:24:00 +0000 UTCIf anyone is looking for a some light crime fiction (loosely) inspired by the Somerton Man I can recommend Cedar Valley by Holly Throsby. Part of a delightful series of books she’s written about lesbians in small town Australia in the early 90s and if that doesn’t appeal to YWA’s audience I don’t know what will!
Alice Ridge
2024-10-09 01:22:54 +0000 UTCthe contemporary reboot of unsolved mysteries (i forget which season) has an episode about a teenager in new jersey who was struck by a train and it seems very likely to have been suicide. i think candace said something about what those kinds of shows share vs what they don’t share, and based on what a lot of people from that community have said (i dated someone in college who lived in the town where it happened) it seems very likely that it was suicide, but that’s not going to be as compelling of an unsolved mystery, so it is heavily produced to create more ambiguity, because that keeps people engaged.
jo
2024-10-04 21:02:46 +0000 UTCPS also your guests are the best
Anne Vangerven
2024-10-03 18:01:01 +0000 UTCDear Sarah, I've been thinking of saying this to you so many times I even considered creating a Twitter account just to tweet it at you! But here's this: your voice is the equivalent of a pair of comfy socks to me and I save up your episodes for when I need them the most, because they can instantly make me feel like I am sipping tea under a warm blanket while outside a storm is raging. (you can see I've had some time to figure out how to phrase this haha) All I want to say is thank you for existing and doing this! I hope you don't get bored of it any time soon!
Anne Vangerven
2024-10-03 17:59:44 +0000 UTCgrew up watching twilight zone marathons on the syfy channel! new years marathon and a fourth of july marathon have been pretty consistent. for a few years they stopped doing the 4th marathon, which I took as a personal affront because the 4th is my birthday and the twilight zone is my favorite show !
EJ Bask
2024-10-03 03:31:02 +0000 UTCI think an important piece of context regarding Valley of the Dolls & the character’s suicide is that Jackie Susann had breast cancer and a radical mastectomy shortly before writing the book. It did not end her marriage. She passed away of a recurring bout of cancer 12 years later and she had spent that time dedicated to her work in hopes of providing money to help cover the costs of full time care for her autistic son.
Danielle F
2024-10-02 23:14:01 +0000 UTCThe gambling section - I don't think gamblers are actually good at the math, literally humans think they are better at guessing and predicting odds than they are. It's really interesting that you notice you are bad at odds because most people are overly confident about this
Caitlin Pellerbruch
2024-10-02 18:07:49 +0000 UTCWas that a sly titanic reference??
Leah Kaiser
2024-10-02 10:28:24 +0000 UTCAnd the biggest Fringe festival in the southern hemisphere! Come to Adelaide, where we promise not to convert OR murder you.
Dani du Bois
2024-10-02 09:57:39 +0000 UTCWhenever I have read about "irrational" vs "rational" suicide I always understood it to mean "we don't know why they did this (mental health)" vs "ah, yes, I understand this person's rational (a big stress event)". I never understood it as society disapproval v society approval.
Ash
2024-10-02 00:51:19 +0000 UTCI'd never heard of this story before and of course my extremely online brain thought this was going to be about James Somerton the disgraced YouTube plagiarist....... Always delighted to hear a new story from Sarah, though! This was fascinating.
Victoria Borges
2024-10-01 21:43:54 +0000 UTCRe conspiracies (loved this part of the episode btw) I would say, it’s also imperative to ask what’s the origin of this theory and who does is benefiting for people to believe it.
Matthew King
2024-10-01 19:49:21 +0000 UTCOooh I love this mystery! Red Web did a brilliant episode on it a few years ago. Can't wait to listen!
Michael Waite
2024-10-01 17:18:41 +0000 UTCWhy did I laugh so hard when Candice asked if ballet is inherited?
Alexis Madrid
2024-10-01 16:50:10 +0000 UTCCool! I’m not totally up to speed on drones stuff but looove tfs. This is awesome.
Zach
2024-10-01 16:37:35 +0000 UTCI love that being as old as I am finally comes in handy. I remember people leaving bags in train station lockers for safekeeping, see Desperately Seeking Susan for a cultural example. I guess it’s not done anymore.
Kate McDonald
2024-10-01 16:18:42 +0000 UTCThank you 🥲 think positively for me I sent in the application for my most desirable location today
Zoey Charlemagne
2024-10-01 15:49:56 +0000 UTCSA is very famous for 2 things: churches and murder
Orla Spurr
2024-10-01 15:48:49 +0000 UTCYou deserve to be safe.
You're Wrong About
2024-10-01 15:48:15 +0000 UTCEek what a ridiculous mistake, I'm so sorry! This is a great example of how attempting to confirm a fact on the fly can just generate an error. Thank you so much for correcting it and feel free to say Portland is in whatever state or Canadian province you like. <3
You're Wrong About
2024-10-01 15:45:17 +0000 UTCIs anyone else having an issue with this episode not showing up in the RSS feed?
Leah Darland Hanoosh and her sidekick Erin
2024-10-01 13:31:34 +0000 UTCCurrently stuck in a situation where I need to protect myself against someone I'm living with while I look to move out on my own and this really spoke to me at about 48 mins thank you
Zoey Charlemagne
2024-10-01 11:05:30 +0000 UTCCame here to say SA not NSW
Kristi Renfrey
2024-10-01 08:27:35 +0000 UTCI’ve never been able to confirm this but given that his last meal was a pasty, and the anonymous nurse lived in Moseley Street, I have wondered if someone in my family sold him the pasty. We had a bakery on Moseley Street for decades. The Beaumont Children also bought pies and pasties with the unidentified man. I know it’s crass to try to find links between yourself and tragedy, but being the last bakery on the left kind of fascinates me. I should also note that there’s a major racecourse 5km from Somerton Beach, with a walking/riding track that connects the two. They have since put up signs that say you can’t ride a horse there.
Sophia Shelton
2024-10-01 08:05:36 +0000 UTCLove this episode and covering some Aus you're wrong abouts (there are plenty...) but it is South Australia not new south wales. SA is Australia's only settler state with no convicts which creates a bit of NIMBY attitude about crime.
Mali Rea
2024-10-01 07:25:42 +0000 UTCAlso, The Drones - Taman Shud
Mali Rea
2024-10-01 07:18:08 +0000 UTCHere’s a song about it: https://ezann.bandcamp.com/track/3a-m-rereading-the-wikipedia-entry-on-the-tam-m-shud-case
Zach
2024-10-01 05:43:40 +0000 UTCThis week we have Trixie and katya watching Kath and Kim and YWA covering the somerton man, it’s really the week to be an Australian
Ailis Steele
2024-10-01 04:33:48 +0000 UTCThis is my Superbowl
Grease Witherspoon
2024-10-01 04:31:09 +0000 UTCThank you guys for covering this <34
turner
2024-10-01 04:24:53 +0000 UTCI'm obsessed with this case still
Ellen
2024-10-01 04:12:43 +0000 UTC
