Australia's murder capital: Why can't Adelaide bury the myth? And Marshall is no novice at delving into the minds of evil men. Some of his strategies were to unscrew his car muffler or pull out his choke and ask an unsuspecting youth to help him with car trouble. Description. For that reason, this crime remains technically unsolved to this day. These details made it clear to police that this mutilation was not done simply for the killer's ease-of-mind, but indicated that they were a particularly savage killer that had likely committed similar crimes in the past. Once known as the "City of Churches," Adelaide began going through a stark progression in the 1960s. Although each attack and mutilation appeared different, police investigators soon began to link the horrific murders to one another. The Family Murders are a series of violent and depraved sex crimes committed against five young men and boys in South Australia throughout the 1970's and 1980's. In 1988 Detective Trevor Kipling described a group of people whom he suspected as being responsible as "one big happy family" and vowed to do all that he could to bring them to justice. Trevor Peters lived two doors away from one of the transgender suspects and mixed in the same circles as a number of suspects. Sadly, almost all of the evidence that may have been left behind was now gone, burned away to ash along with all of Peter's remaining soft tissue. Any person complicit in the abduction, rape and murders of the five victims, plus any person who visited the place of captivity when a victim was knowingly present, plus any person involved in the abduction, spiking and raping of teenage boys or young men with other members of The Family. This story would become historic, in more ways than one. Peter Stogneff. Do you think the Family Murders case will ever be solved? Bevan von Einem was no exception he also preferred youths between the 15 and 19 year old age group. Only one suspect has been charged and convicted for the crimes: Bevan Spencer von Einem was sentenced in 1984 to a minimum of 24 years (later extended to a minimum 36-year term) for the murder of 15-year-old Richard Kelvin. George and the driver, a man roughly twice his age with artificially-dyed hair, traveled to a nearby house where a couple of young women welcomed them. Just east of Adelaide, this area is well-known to Southern Australians, as it serves as a primary destination for the area's outdoorsmen and women. Bevan von Einem had a network of around 25-30 people. However, they were able to learn that - before his body was burned in the brush fire - his remains had been cut into multiple parts with a saw. Over time Trevor kept diary records of his conversations with that suspect as well as another suspect. Because very little physical evidence had been left behind, it was hard to tell whether or not these crimes belonged to the same spree, or were simply copycats. [20] His mutilated body was found in scrub in the Adelaide foothills nine days after his disappearance. [5] Others, who have examined the cases, however, argue that there were many more victims. Unfortunately, from there, the trail would go cold for over a year at which point, another victim had already become ensnared in this tragic saga. Some time after they went missing, their bodies would each be found, often horribly mutilated. And at least one witness - a security guard that lived just down the street from the Kelvins - recalled some more details succinctly. While police pounded the pavement to find out what had happened to Richard Kelvin, the young man's life was slowly coming to an end. They organized a helicopter search of the area, which O'Brien was present for, but unfortunately, the police were unable to find anything definitive. Between 1979 and 1983, the city of Adelaide in South Australia was the stage for a horrific string of crimes against young men and teenagers.Five known victims of kidnapping, sexual abuse and murder showed up in those years, and police became convinced that the perpetrator was actually a group of several men . George, an impressionable young man, was enticed by the offer and accepted. One victim was killed and dumped within 24 hours, another was kept alive for five weeks, and the rest were in between. He likely did this to hide it from his parents, in case they made it home before he did. Police spoke to Alan's friend, who had left him behind on Grand Junction Road. However, that was very circumstantial evidence at best, and anything but definitive. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS. The older man in the driver's seat reached into the backseat and pulled out a beer from a cooler, offering it to George. The head was tied to the torso with rope passed through the mouth and out through the neck. The post-mortem revealed that Langley had died from a massive loss of blood from gross injuries to his anus, similar to Barnes. His body had been dissected into parts, with his internal organs carved out and missing, replaced by his lower legs and arms, which had been sawed off and placed inside of his hollowed-out chest cavity. This caller told detectives that a man named Bevan Spencer von Einem was responsible for Alan's death, and his name was added to the list of potential suspects to explore. The Family Murders - 5 Teen Boys Raped, Tortured, And Killed Likely, he was one of the people seen hanging out with Neil at the bars and clubs just days that weekend. Australian police launch appeal to solve string of notorious killings stretching back to 1966, The Advertiser - Doctor found not guilty of Family murder of Neil Muir dies in NSW, Kimberly Riley & Jeremy Britt-Bayinthavong, Paul Skiba, Sarah Skiba, and Lorenzo Chivers, June & Jennifer Gibbons (The Silent Twins). Meanwhile, the mutilation of Neil Muir's body seemed to be identical to that perpetrated upon Peter Stogneff's remains, whose limbs had been similarly severed with a saw-like device. Noctec was found in his blood, suggesting he had been drugged. So prosecutors and the police began to build their case around Millhouse without his cooperation, including witness statements that alleged the two had been together the weekend before Neil's violent death. These people have no such bond, only an association that with time probably no longer exists". Ian and Paula, Mark's friends, drove away but would return just minutes later, cooler heads having prevailed. The Clermont County Sheriff's Office . There were signs that he had been tortured and beaten by a sexual sadist, who had likely kept Alan drugged with a chemical compound named chloral hydrate. He also happened to be a relative of Robin Millhouse, South Australia's former Attorney General who would become a Supreme Court Justice in 1982. Because homosexuality was still outlawed in Australia at this point, Vice officers would often detain individuals that they believed were loitering nearby known gay hotspots. Richard's family disputed this, vigorously denying the notion that Richard would have run away of his own accord. True Crime Conversations: The Family Murders Of Adelaide on - Apple However, when Neil Muir's body was discovered, his internal organs had been removed and were gone entirely, leading to police being unable to test his blood levels. This group was believed to be involved in the kidnapping and sexual abuse of a number of teenage boys and young men, as well as the torture and murder of five young men aged between 14 and 25, in Adelaide, South Australia, in the 1970s and 1980s. While changes in Southern Australia's draconian laws had decriminalized homosexuality, there were still people eager to prey on or harass gay men and women - behavior that lingers to this day. It was a group of homosexual men and transgender women who formed a network around convicted murderer and sexual sadist Bevan Spencer von Einem, based on the drugging, raping and sometimes murder of youths and young men. Medical examiners and investigators began to theorize about the rationale for the surgical scar, and the most plausible one to-date is perhaps one of the worst to imagine. The male and female drove off but returned At about 6pm on a Sunday afternoon, Richard walked his friend to the bus stop on O'Connell St, North Adelaide. While the men in the river struggled to make it back to the shore, the group that had thrown them into the water made their escape before camera crews or onlookers could begin to gather. [6] Von Einem was also one of the last people seen with a fourth victim, Muir, following his abduction. Of only one victim. Unfortunately, as the farmer's land burned, so did the remains of the missing teenager. Among those voices, he described, was a higher-pitched voice, which sounded almost feminine. His body had been severely mutilated and dumped in the South Para Reservoir, northeast of Adelaide. The first of which was a very specific call alleging that two men - named Doug and Mark - were responsible for abducting Richard Kelvin. A witness says she saw Stogneff at Tea Tree Plaza with someone matching Noel Brook's appearance. Mark Langley attended party in Windsor Gardens but left with a male and female. Unfortunately, by the time they returned, Mark was nowhere to be found. Neil Muir had been missing for less than 24 hours by the time his body was discovered, and because he was an adult that lived alone, police were already at a disadvantage when it came to trying to figure out what happened to him. Millhouse was charged and went to trial but was acquitted. The information is easy to navigate and easy reference. For many, that meant gay-specific bars and clubs, where these individuals were allowed to socially express themselves honestly for the first time in their lives. The death of George Duncan would serve as a catalyst, eventually martyring Duncan himself and leading to repeals of South Australia's harsh anti-homosexuality laws. This conflict has endured because Alan's bloodstream also showed signs of alcohol consumption, which Alan had participated in that same weekend. [3], Von Einem was convicted in 1984 of the murder of Kelvin and sentenced to life imprisonment. Some showed signs of prolonged captivity, while death came quick to others . The bodies were found from 24th June 1979 and the fifth and last body on 24th July 1983. The Family were not an official group, gang, or organisation. No additional leads would surface in that time-span, and police would continue to refrain from stating that the two victims so far - Alan Barnes and Neil Muir - were connected in any way (at least, they wouldn't say so publicly). We know, from the 2014-2017 Royal Commission, that Debi Marshall's count of 150 disappeared boys in Adelaide is miniscule compared to the number tens of thousands of victims who stepped forward once they were invited by the RC. by enjin | Feb 12, 2021 | victim. The Family Murders (Part One: The Murders) - Spreaker [14][24] His body was found on 24 July by a geologist who was searching for moss-covered rocks near a dirt airstrip at Kersbrook. The Family murders are the name of the murders of five young men and teenagers who happened in Adelaide, South Australia between 1979 and 1983. They admitted that he'd faced some issues with other kids at his school, but he was otherwise happy and had just gotten a serious girlfriend. Alan Barnes was a teenager growing up in this environment, who seemed to live on the bubble between childhood and adulthood in the winter of 1979. A cold case review was opened in March 2008 with a $1,000,000 reward available for anyone who provided information leading to a conviction. Apart from von Einem, three other core members are thought to be directly involved in the murders; while DNA testing re-commenced in 2008, no further charges have been laid. He was the son of Channel 9 News host Rob Kelvin, who had just recently taken over the hosting gig after more than a decade of field reporting through the station and a radio affiliate. Just two days after the body of Alan Barnes was discovered - when the investigation was still unfolding - an anonymous caller reached out to police. Some of the employees that worked at the area's bars recalled seeing the two together multiple times that weekend, and other character witnesses described Dr. Millhouse and Neil as being very close friends (intimate, even). Investigator Hunter made note of this, finding it odd that one man would have connections to two separate murder investigations - especially two gruesome murders that shared such grisly traits. The other murders remain unsolved. The Family Murders Of Adelaide. Police were called out to the scene, and an extensive search of the area commenced. victim - The Family Murders In 1979, residents of Adelaide were gripped by fear when several young men began to go missing under mysterious circumstances. Meanwhile, as police struggled to answer these basic questions, the trial against Dr. Peter Millhouse remained a thing of the past. Although there were in excess of 150 youths and young men who were drugged and raped, often by multiple men, this section focuses on the five young men who didnt come home. But his teachers recalled him being absent, and hours would pass that afternoon (heading into the evening) and Peter would fail to return home. This meant that his remains had likely been sitting out in the wilderness for about a week. Victims - The Family Murders Victims Alan Barnes Feb 12, 2021 The night before he went missing he stayed at Darko Kastelan's house in Cheltenham. Only one suspect has been charged and convicted for the crimes: Bevan Spencer von Einem was sentenced in 1984 to a minimum of 24 years (later extended to a minimum 36-year term) for the murder of 15-year-old Richard Kelvin. Police believe that up to 12 people, several of them high-profile Australians, were involved in the kidnappings. Enjoy reading. The night before he went missing he stayed at Darko Kastelan's house in Cheltenham. . Ten years von Einem's junior, Mr B helped von Einem pick up, drug, and rape several young men. Eventually, Peter returned home with his backpack, stowing it in his family's garage while his parents were at work. South Australia's overdue for another Banquet: A Marvelous Book about "The Family Murders" in Adelaide But he then set off again, likely headed towards the distant Rundle Mall, where he was due to meet up with his friend, Daniel, that day. Neil's remains were brought in and carefully examined by the area's medical examiners, who quickly discovered an alarming red flag, which harkened back to the discovery of Alan Barnes' corpse. The skeletal remains of one victim bore marks to reasonably indicate a similar experience and outcome. He vividly remembered hearing a young voice shout out (which we can assume was Richard) and a group of voices screaming in protest, almost in unison. He had school the next day, dinner was waiting, and he wanted to call his girlfriend. In the latter half of the 1970s, South Australia had started to regulate drugs like Mandrax, known throughout most of the world as "Quaaludes." Police first treated Richard as a runaway; an unfortunate symptom of the times. This witness recalled Alan getting into a vehicle, which appeared to be a white Holden sedan. He consented to any available tests or analysis, and during a medical screening, it was discovered that the young man did have tears in his anus, proving that he had been raped. In Adelaides gay community in the 1970s and 1980s, young men were coveted for sex. The victims were found in random locations throughout the state, their bodies neatly cut into pieces. He had multiple channels to procuring young men. Neil Muir was last seen in Hindley St, Adelaide in the company of Dr Peter Leslie Millhouse at 3pm on the day he was murdered. Writing, research, hosting, and production by Micheal Whelan, Producers: Maggyjames, Ben Krokum, Roberta Janson, Quil Carter, Peggy Belarde, Laura Hannan, Damion Moore, Amy Hampton, Scott Meesey, Steven Wilson, Scott Patzold, Marie Vanglund, Lori Rodriguez, Jessica Yount, Aimee McGregor, Danny Williams, Sue Kirk, Victoria Reid, Sara Moscaritolo, Thomas Ahearn, Marion Welsh, Seth Morgan, Sydney Scotton, Alyssa Lawton, Kelly Jo Hapgood, Patrick Laakso, Meadow Landry, Rebecca Miller, and Tatum Bautista, Original music created by Micheal Whelan through Amper Music, Other music created and composed by Ailsa Traves, Young Bloods: The Story of the Family Murders by Bob OBrien, Crime Stoppers (South Australia) - Alan Arthur Barnes, Crime Stoppers (South Australia) - Neil Fredrick Muir, Crime Stoppers (South Australia) - Peter Stogneff, Crime Stoppers (South Australia) - Mark Andrew Langley, Crime Stoppers (South Australia) - Richard Kelvin, The Sydney Morning Herald - Adelaides Duncan case: letting some light shine in, The Sydney Morning Herald - Boys murderer refused High Court appeal, The Sydney Morning Herald - Macabre Adelaide (1), The Sydney Morning Herald - Macabre Adelaide (2), The Sydney Morning Herald - Murderer quizzed on death of youth, The Age - Men fled as Duncan died, court told, The Sydney Morning Herald - The Beaumonts, Kirste and Joanne: the mystery may be over, The Sydney Morning Herald - Witness feared threats to his life, The Age - Court told rape victim thought he would die, The Sydney Morning Herald - Family killings murder charge dropped, The Age - Lock up your sons in the worlds murder capital, The Weekend Australian - How Mother Goose ducked pedophile net, The Advertiser - Police seek von Einem associate, Perth Now - DNA tests for Family murder suspects, The Advertiser - $5M reward bid to solve Family murders, The Sydney Morning Herald - Reward doubled to solve Family murders, The Telegraph - Australian police reopen notorious 1970s Family murders case, The Sydney Morning Herald - Aussie pedophile deported from Indonesia, The Advertiser - Focus on three key suspects, The Advertiser - Revealed: The double life of a magistrate who sought young men, ABC News - Mother Goose sex trial starts in Adelaide, The Advertiser - Mother Goose claims he was set up by gay ex-prostitutes, The Advertiser - Doctor with alleged links to The Family identified as Stephen George Woodards, The Advertiser - Sex-case doctor Stephen George Woodards free to practise, ABC News - Mother Goose acquitted of sex charges, The Advertiser - Paedophile Peter Liddy fears prison attack, ABC News - Former TV entertainer sentenced for sex offences, The Advertiser - Lost diary gives South Australia police new lead into Alan Barnes murder by The Family, The Daily Mail - Will $13million reward solve the murders of 18 children? Gay people (in particular, gay men) began to become more comfortable in their own skin, and no longer had to suppress their sexuality in public. The victims were all young men, who had gone missing in or near the northern section of town. Hundreds of sordid and terrifying crimes and only one man found guilty in relation to only one victim. Investigators were unable to pinpoint Peter's exact cause-of-death, or even estimate when he had been killed. [16][22] The sedative-hypnotic drug Mandrax, popular in the 1970s disco scene, was found in Langley's blood. I think we might get closer to understanding what happened but I think lack of physical evidence pretty much rules out any more charges being laid. 4 had horrific injuries with clear signs of torture, abuse and confinement lasting up to 5 weeks. Most were later described as being worthless, but a few piqued the interest of Investigator O'Brien. It is confirmed that 5 of these victims were murdered, usually by having an object forced so far up their anus that it split the lining and they bled out. Allegations would even surface that indicated Dr. Millhouse had been one of the people in the area that supplied Neil with prescription drugs, but that would remain an allegation for the foreseeable future. Millhouse was charged and went to trial but was acquitted. The Family Murders (Part Two: The Family) Unresolved The Family Murders Part Two: The Family As the families of five young men mourned, investigators began to circle around their top suspect, Bevan Spencer von Einem. Alan Arthur Barnes, aged 16, murdered in 1979. It was this rapport that caused Peter to skip school on Thursday, August 27th, 1981. His remains had been dissected and neatly cut into many pieces, placed in a garbage bag and thrown into the Port River at Port Adelaide. He had a network of over 30 people. Little is known about the unidentified man, but Roger James had his ankle broken when he was plunged into the river that May, and was only able to escape with the help of a friendly onlooker. Richard Kelvin's disappearance was a slightly higher profile case than the others I've covered so far - due to him being the son of the region's top newscaster - but even then, the investigation was not without fault. They began probing those that knew Alan and might have taken issue with something he did or said in the weeks before his death; in particular, those that drove a white sedan. George gave police a description of the older man that had picked him up and driven him to the house in question, but he could not remember his name, nor the name of the two women at the house they had traveled to. The police came to this conclusion due to the status of his remains, which weren't nearly as decomposed as they should have been; by the time he was discovered at the end of July, he had been dead for no more than a week or two, despite having gone missing at the beginning of June. [21] Among the mutilations was a wound that appeared to have been cut with a surgical instrument that went from his navel to the pubic region and part of his small bowel was missing. When a warrant was eventually served on Dr. Millhouse's cottage in northern Adelaide, police found the same type of trash bags and rope that had been found with Neil Muir's remains. Listen to "The Family Murders (Part One: The Murders)" on Spreaker. Because Neil's transient lifestyle led to him becoming known as a bit of a vagabond, his sexuality was not exactly common knowledge. Regardless, this information was incredibly helpful to police, who began to expand their interests to finding people in the area that drove similar vehicles. Trace evidence, including hair and fibres from von Einem's home, was found on Kelvin's body and clothing. Following the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1975, Adelaide began to be known as one of the more progressive cities in all of Australia. Also, like the other victims, Mark's cause-of-death seemed to be nearly identical: blood loss from an anal injury, caused by the forced insertion of an unknown item. He had become so messed up on drugs and alcohol that a bouncer had to physically drag him outside of a bar, where he stumbled onto the pavement and struggled to get up. [8] Little more could be determined as the remains had been accidentally burnt by the farmer while clearing his property of scrub.[11][19]. He is 50 metres from his beautiful family home. This notoriety brought with it a poor reputation, however, and by the late 1970s, Mandrax had become a regulated prescription drug throughout Australia. This is made apparent when we look at a story from 1972, which ultimately led to drastic overhauls in Southern Australian law and cemented its place in the nation's history. Darko's brother dropped them at a bus stop near the corner of on Grand Junction Rd and Addison. According to some witnesses in the area, screams had been heard at around the time that Richard had disappeared, some time between 5:30 and 6:30 PM that Sunday. He loved music - both playing it and listening to it - and had a good rapport with his friends, whom he hung around constantly. They kicked the footy around. When police had arrived at the crime scene, they assumed that whoever had tried to dump the body of Alan Barnes had failed, in some way. The following Sunday, June 24th - one week after Alan had last been seen alive - a couple of hikers were bushwalking up in the area known as the Adelaide Foothills. He is 50 metres from his beautiful family home. It has been reported that the exposed skin on his face and neck had begun to wither away, leading to the theory that he had been killed shortly after going missing. Richard Dallas Kelvin, (born 4 December 1967) aged 15,[23] murdered in July 1983. The medical examiners conducting the autopsy and examinations also discovered that Alan's body had been washed extensively after his death; likely an effort to scrub away any evidence linking him to the killer. I first heard of the murders in an episode of an Australian television program called . [14] The hair around the area had been shaved as it would have been in an operation in a hospital. For that reason, many of these men and women had to keep their sexuality confined to specific locations. It wasn't until the next day, Sunday (February 28th), that Mark's parents began to grow concerned. Another anonymous caller claimed that they had seen Richard Kelvin in a snuff film, which had been filmed very recently. This caller alleged that the two older men had been driving around a 1963 EJ Holden sedan. This ultimately resulted in a victory for Dr. Peter Millhouse's attorneys, earning the man an acquittal and his freedom. The emergence of this drug would prove to be very interesting in the years to come, but at this point in the investigation, police were still struggling to connect all of the dots. In August of 1979, Neil was living alone in an apartment on Carrington Street, right in the middle of Adelaide itself. It wasn't until the following year, 1983, that police finally rediscovered George's story.

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