This was as good of a tip as police were going to get, and since the most recent victim of this strange killing spree had been found in the Foothills, police decided to follow through on the tip. Criminologist Alan Perry of the University of Adelaide, has argued that the murders were part of widespread series of kidnappings and sexual assaults of boys that might number several hundred victims in South Australia from about 1973 to 1983.[11]. Once known as the "City of Churches," Adelaide began going through a stark progression in the 1960s. [16][22] The sedative-hypnotic drug Mandrax, popular in the 1970s disco scene, was found in Langley's blood. His friend likely just assumed that Peter had bailed on their plan, and likely gone to school that day. Referred to as a "Randy Mandy" among the era's deviants, Mandrax was a sedative that had just become popular worldwide with the branding "Quaalude." He was able to exploit and manipulate enablers, helpers and participants over a long period of time. 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. A post-mortem examination revealed that Barnes had died of massive blood loss from an anal injury, likely caused by the insertion of a large blunt object. Boris left on a bus, and Richard started making his way back home a trip that was no more than four-hundred meters. However, they were able to learn from a witness that a young man matching Peter's description had been spotted at Tea Tree Plaza the morning of his disappearance, and had been in the company of an adult male. 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. Do you think the Family Murders case will ever be solved? This period saw the creation of gay clubs in Adelaide (such as a location known as the Mars Bar) and other clubs where all sexualities were welcome (such as the Duke of York or Buckingham Arms, known in the area as "The Buck"). When Boris had last seen Richard, walking away from the bus stop down the street from his home, he had still been wearing the collar, and it is has been theorized that the collar itself might have been a trigger for the deviant (or deviants) that ultimately decided to abduct Richard. Just two days after the body of Alan Barnes was discovered - when the investigation was still unfolding - an anonymous caller reached out to police. The convicted killer and notorious head of "The Family" ring who picked up hitchhikers and schoolboys to drug and offer to South Australia's elite to sexually abuse has broken his 20-year silence, to blame his victim, and to claim innocence over other murders. Homosexuality itself would become decriminalized just a few years later, in 1975, with the passing of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, making South Australia the first Australian state or territory where members of the LGBTQ community no longer had to fear government persecution. Police believe this murder is associated with other high profile murders commonly referred to in the media as the 'Family Murders'. by enjin | Feb 12, 2021 . Hundreds of sordid and terrifying crimes and only one man found guilty in relation to only one victim. This was done in a different method to what had happened to Neil Muir's remains, but medical examiners were able to identify points in the bones just above the knees and the back where a saw had carved the body into pieces. victim - The Family Murders High profile lawyer and murder victim Derrance Stevenson regularly entertained teenage youths. Many of these people were directly involved in the abductions and rape of victims who survived. This young man, Bevan Spencer von Einem - an acquaintance of James' - had helped James make it to shore and then drove him to the nearby Royal Adelaide Hospital. He was seventeen years old, with a youthful, handsome appearance, and a carefree, fun-loving attitude. He was last seen stumbling down the street, supposedly wandering off to parts unknown. He was last seen while hitchhiking being picked up by a white HQ Holden sedan carrying three or four people. He then moved away from Adelaide and the murders continued. 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. Darko's brother dropped them at a bus stop near the corner of on Grand Junction Rd and Addison. 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. At this point, the idea of a random killer hadn't even crossed investigators' minds. They hoped to use character witnesses to build up the relationship between the two, and then use other eyewitnesses to fill in the rest (the drugs, the sexual relationship, etc.). He had good grades at school, was well-liked by just about everyone, had a stable of trusted friends, and played soccer for a local Lockley club on the weekends. This witness would also recall hearing this supposed argument on the street come to a sudden end, punctuated with the sound of a loud exhaust system as a car sped down the street. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 25, and most were found to have suffered brutal violence, sexual assaults, and/or body mutilation before their death. Progressive ideas began to spread out from Adelaide, but even then, progress itself was rather slow to catch on throughout large chunks of South Australia. A few more anonymous calls would be received in the coming weeks. However, the medical examiners in Adelaide concluded definitively that Alan had died several hours before this happened. In the latter half of the 1970s, South Australia had started to regulate drugs like Mandrax, known throughout most of the world as "Quaaludes." SA convicted murderer Bevan Spencer Von Einem during the jury's tour of North Adelaide dumping spot of Richard Kelvin's body. Among those voices, he described, was a higher-pitched voice, which sounded almost feminine. Even though he was nearly an adult at this point - and had a fair amount of independence in his life - this disappearance was deemed very out-of-the-ordinary. 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. Over a span of several years starting in 1979 and into the 80s five young men, aged from 14 to 25, went missing in different areas of Adelaide. Mark Andrew Langley RICHARD KELVIN Richard Kelvin, aged 15 years, was abducted at about 6.15 p.m. on Sunday 5 June 1983 from a laneway off Ward Street, North Adelaide. 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. 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. The Family Murders Of Adelaide. The fishermen probed the bags - a mystery just waiting to be unearthed - and quickly discovered that the bags held human remains. Police thought that these gruesome and violent actions had been part of an effort to easily transport Neil's remains out to sea, and dispose of them in a way that they'd degrade before being identified. The head was tied to the torso with rope passed through the mouth and out through the neck. Australia's murder capital: Why can't Adelaide bury the myth? 17-year-old Alan Barnes, 25-year-old Neil Muir, 14-year-old Peter Stogneff, 18-year-old Mark Langley and 15-year-old Richard Kelvin were later found dumped in the Adelaide Hills and surrounds. The Family Murders: 'Dissected' Kindle Edition - Amazon.com.au Major Crimes was primarily responsible for serial killings, mass killings, and any other high-profile crimes that the local government wanted to be handled by a specialized task force. With these results, police were able to successfully link Richard's disappearance and death to at least two prior cases: Alan Barnes and Mark Langley, who had been similarly drugged and sexually assaulted before their deaths. Australia's most notorious unsolved serial killings. Although each attack and mutilation appeared different, police investigators soon began to link the horrific murders to one another. He is 50 metres from his beautiful family home. It's 1983, and a 15-year-old boy named Richard Kelvin is in a laneway in North Adelaide. "CIA: Crime Investigation Australia" The Butchered Boys (TV - IMDb Victims - The Family Murders Some were involved in the abduction of victims who were murdered, some were involved in the rape of murdered victims, and some were involved in murder. This included people that visited the same bars and clubs as Neil and perhaps knew him that way. 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. The jury visits spot where Richard Kelvin's body was found, northeast of Adelaide. [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. But at this point, police were already preoccupied with a separate lead from Neil Muir's social circle: a man named Dr. Peter Millhouse. Unlike other drugs, Mandrax was heavily-regulated, meaning that police could search through government records to find out who had a prescription, and whether or not they appeared on their suspect lists. On the final weekend of August 1979, Neil was spotted at both the Duke of York and Buckingham Arms ("The Buck"), two local gay bars that I referenced at the top of the episode. Mark had driven there with his family, as they were attending the party alongside him, but he would leave with a couple of friends afterward to hang out and cruise around the city with the young adults trying to squeeze out every bit of the Adelaide summer that they could. Gambier, a city roughly five hours south of Adelaide. It was there that they found his backpack hidden in the garage, which ultimately led to calls to all of his friends. Bevan Spencer von Einem was jailed for life for the murder of 15-year-old Richard Kelvin. Following the supposed abduction of Richard Kelvin, the police unit known as Major Crimes was tasked with overseeing the investigation. They phoned police that evening, hoping that their son's whereabouts could be chalked up to a simple miscommunication. This has come to be disputed over the years, with some speculating that Alan might have willingly consumed the drug the weekend before his death; or, perhaps, he might have been slipped it by someone at the bars he was rumored to visit with his friends that Saturday. This witness recalled Alan getting into a vehicle, which appeared to be a white Holden sedan. That was when similar stories of young men being drugged and sexually assaulted began to make waves throughout Australia; young men that had been drugged with similar substances. Later on, Ian would recall the argument cropping up around cigarettes, but that just proves the point of how nonessential it was. Mandrax was quickly gaining notoriety as a drug used in the commission of date-rape crimes, and the local government decided that the best way to combat their usage was to keep them regulated so that they had a record of everyone that was prescribed them. Most were later described as being worthless, but a few piqued the interest of Investigator O'Brien. Suspect 3, an Eastern Suburbs doctor. That Monday - August 27th, 1979 - Neil Muir was seen alive for the last time. Trace evidence, including hair and fibres from von Einem's home, was found on Kelvin's body and clothing. Its always easier to visualise events when you have maps. Unsolved - The Family Murders | Page 148 | BigFooty Forum George Duncan, one of the three men thrown into the Torrens, would drown that evening. The older man in the driver's seat reached into the backseat and pulled out a beer from a cooler, offering it to George. Some of the victims were brutally tortured, or horrifically mutilated or cut up. The Family murders: Bevan Spencer von Einem's shocking jailhouse Police first treated Richard as a runaway; an unfortunate symptom of the times. The Family Murders (Part Two: The Family) Unresolved Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, is perhaps most well known for its beautiful, scenic landscape, which is wedged in-between the Adelaide Foothills to the east, the coastline that runs along the west and down into the southern cape, and expanse of vast Australia that lies to the north. The son of popular local Nine Network news presenter Rob Kelvin, he was abducted a short distance from his North Adelaide home on 5 June. The very next day - August 28th, 1979 - a couple of fishermen were heading out to the Port Adelaide River, on what was supposed to be a regular workday for them. The Family Murders was a series of murders in the 1970s and 1980s that targeted young men in Adelaide, South Australia between the ages of 14 and 25. In particular, they were members of the Vice Squad, who typically crackdown on "moral" crimes such as gambling, narcotics, pornography, and illegal substances. Suspect 2, a former male prostitute and close friend of von Einem known as Mr B. While charges would later be filed against several police officers, they were ultimately acquitted; and it has been widely accepted in the decades since that local law enforcement engaged in a systematic cover-up. Within hours, Alan's father and grandfather found themselves tagged to identify the remains, which were undoubtedly the remains of their missing 17-year-old. 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. Alan's body had fallen to the dirt below, twisting and contorting in such a way that - should he have been alive - would have surely resulted in death or serious injury. He was also found to be wearing clothing that did not belong to him, and his original clothing was missing entirely. Dylan John Kovarskis sentenced to 20 years' jail for murder of Adelaide 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? The man that had driven George there offered him a couple of pills called "No-Doz," which - he promised - would help him stay awake to enjoy the party. Due to the state of the young man's remains, it was believed that Alan had been detained against his will for several days. This argument would carry on for a few minutes, while the trio was parked along War Memorial Drive, overlooking the Torrens River. In August of 1979, Neil was living alone in an apartment on Carrington Street, right in the middle of Adelaide itself. 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. 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. They had no idea that they were about to make one of the most gruesome discoveries in Australian history. While working for Major Crimes, Investigator O'Brien received an anonymous tip that Richard Kelvin was being held against his will in a caravan in the Adelaide Foothills. Oh, that reminds me. [citation needed]. He had school the next day, dinner was waiting, and he wanted to call his girlfriend. 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. Only one suspect has been charged and convicted for a crime. [20] His mutilated body was found in scrub in the Adelaide foothills nine days after his disappearance. 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. This was about 300 metres from his family home. On Saturday, June 16th, 1979, Alan spent the night at a friend's house. The Butchered Boys: This episode revisits Adelaide's notorious Adelaide Family Murders case, where six young Adelaide men were murdered during the 1970s and '80s. Eventually, Peter's parents discovered the plot among Peter and his friend to skip school, and conveyed this information to the police - who were just as alarmed as they were. This screening also revealed that the young man had been drugged with Mandrax ("Randy Mandys"), which had resulted in him losing consciousness. The Family Murders | Adelaide's most notorious unsolved serial killings Neil Muir had suffered the same type of anal injuries as Alan, implying that a large, bottle-shaped object had been used to intentionally injure him, which caused a large amount of blood loss. However, instead of charging them with any known crimes, the officers proceeded to throw the three men into the nearby Torrens River. He immediately contacted the police, and when they arrived at the scene, they were able to quickly identify the remains as Peter. Because Mark had been killed and his body been dumped in the Australian summer months, his remains had already suffered some serious decomposition by the time police were called to the scene. 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. The Family Murders is the name given to a series of five murders speculated to have been committed by a loosely connected group of individuals who came to be known as "The Family". He found like minded people who shared a similar sexual bent, and he found people he could mutually exploit to lure victims into his car. Like the other victims, investigators would learn a lot from the status of Mark's remains. Millhouse was charged and went to trial but was acquitted. In addition to the driver, there appeared to be a couple of other occupants inside of the car that they, unfortunately, could not recall many details of. 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. 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). Police didn't believe that this voice was Richard, as he was a teenager with a deep voice that had already cracked. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 25, and most were found to have suffered brutal violence, sexual assaults, and/or body mutilation before their death As the 1970s entered their homestretch, Alan was beginning to enter the phase of his life where he experimented with drug and alcohol usage. At the same time he was developing a network of people who made it possible for him to carry out his sexually sadistic fantasies. Shockingly, police found an insane combination of sedatives in his system, which included the drugs Noctec, Mandrax, valium, Rohypnol, and amytal. For obvious reasons, he didn't tell his parents, setting out that morning with his backpack and heading off like any other day. He was found wearing most of the clothing he had last been seen in, minus an undershirt and without the chains he often wore around his neck (which contained his zodiac sign, Cancer). On this night, in particular, that included these three men. The body count had essentially doubled within a couple of months, and police were still unsure whether or not the cases were related. Unfortunately, this lead ultimately led nowhere, so police began investigating people more tentatively linked to Neil through his social circle. Four of the five murders remain unsolved. The severing of Neil's limbs and the mutilation of his body was originally believed to have been part of an effort to dispose of his body. Unlike the other murder victims, however, Mark's body showed an odd sign of surgical precision. Millhouse would have Peter intended to skip school and meet his uncle (similar age) in Rundle Mall. The group was involved in kidnapping, sexually abusing, torturing and murdering 5 boys. 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. It was this rapport that caused Peter to skip school on Thursday, August 27th, 1981. Unfortunately, it would later be determined that he would suffer in anguish for weeks before meeting eventually dying more than a month after his initial disappearance.
the family murders adelaide victims