A number of possible identifications have been proposed over the years. An Adelaide newspaper, "The Advertiser", on reporting the discovery of the body, gave the possible identification as "E.C. Johnson, about 45, of Arthur St, Payneham". The following day, 3 December 1948, Johnson identified himself at a police station. That same day, another Adelaide newspaper, "The News", published a photograph of the dead man on its front page, leading to additional calls from members of the public about his possible identity. By 4 December, police had announced that the man's fingerprints were not on South Australian police records, forcing them to look further afield. On 5 December, "The Advertiser" reported that police were searching through military records after a man claimed to have had a drink with a person resembling the dead man at a hotel in Glenelg on 13 November. During their drinking session, the mystery man supposedly produced a military pension card bearing the name "Solomonson".