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Investigators hope a black signet ring with an unusual inscription could be critical in solving a 53-year cold case. | Source: Victoria Police/ 7NEWS Australia

Could this signet ring be the key to solving a cold case?

Posted April 17, 2025 | By Samuel Ord

Investigators hope a black signet ring with an unusual inscription could be critical in solving a 53-year cold case.

A group of children discovered the body of an unknown man in Victoria’s Steavenson River on 25 December 1971. Believed to be in his 40s or 50s with dark hair and a large build, the man was discovered with a gold unicorn watch and a black signet ring.

The ring has a mysterious inscription: '21.4.71 P.U.C.K.' Investigators believe this inscription may have been the Cyrillic term '?.?.?.?', which means 'risk' in English.

Details of the cold case have been made public, and the man is believed to be from a nearby Ukrainian youth camp. Alexandra Crime Investigation Unit Detective Sergeant Flyn Loughlin said that any information would be helpful.

"We are confident that there is someone out there who knows something that can help determine who this man was," he said.

"This may have occurred back in 1971, but this man was someone's son; he had a family, and there were those who loved him."

A coronial inquest determined the cause of death was consistent with drowning. Victoria Police have contacted the Ukrainian embassy and the camp; however, no additional information about the man’s identity has emerged.