Police Renew Investigation into 53-Year-Old Buxton River Cold Case

A distinctive black signet ring could hold the key to identifying a man found dead in 1971, as investigators explore potential Ukrainian links.

On Christmas Day 1971, a group of children discovered a decomposed body in the Steavenson River near Buxton, Victoria.
The deceased man, believed to be in his 40s or 50s, was wearing a black signet ring inscribed with '21.4.71 P. U.C. K,' which police now see as a critical clue.
Investigators are pursuing a theory that the man may have been a Ukrainian migrant, with the ring's inscription potentially referencing the Cyrillic word for 'risk.'
A previous hypothesis linking the man to missing unionist Alfred 'The Ferret' Nelson was ruled out due to mismatched physical features.
Victoria Police have released an image of the ring and are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers to help resolve the decades-old mystery.