the family murders adelaide victims the family murders adelaide victims

Gambier, a city roughly five hours south of Adelaide. At this point, the idea of a random killer hadn't even crossed investigators' minds. This group was believed to be involved in the kidnapping and sexual abuse of approximately 150 teenage boys and young men, as well as the torture and murder of 5 young men aged between 14 and 25, in the city of Adelaide, South Australia, in the 1970s and 1980s. He was last seen stumbling down the street, supposedly wandering off to parts unknown. 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. 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. Unfortunately, it did not. Stogneff still skipped school but never made it home. A short time later, police were contacted and later arrived at the scene to document the grisly find. Peter Stogneff, aged 14,[17] murdered in August 1981. When Dr. Millhouse's trial eventually commenced in the latter half of 1980 - more than a year after Neil Muir's murder - the prosecution continued to rely heavily upon their circumstantial evidence and witness statements, failing to establish any motive for the crime or provide any definitive evidence. Hundreds of sordid and terrifying crimes and only one man found guilty in relation to only one victim. Like the other victims, Richard Kelvin's blood and organs were tested for any sign of drugs, with investigators hoping to find a connection to any of the prior victims. Darko's brother dropped them at a bus stop near the corner of on Grand Junction Rd and Addison 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. During the 1970s von Einem started developing strategies to lure victims into his car. He had multiple channels to procuring young men. This caller alleged that the two older men had been driving around a 1963 EJ Holden sedan. 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. He had a network of over 30 people. 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. March 3, 2023 - 7:08PM. 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 was in G Block of Yatala Prison for decades but was transferred to Port Augusta Prison in the north of the state in 2007. 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. What the two got up to that evening is anyone's guess, but rumors and theories have propagated this story in the decades since. Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. This story would become historic, in more ways than one. They now had five bodies - five victims - and five families pushing for answers. This reported sighting led police to the notion that a group of people might have been acting in-tandem to abduct Richard, for reasons that appeared nefarious. This was about 300 metres from his family home. 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. 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.). This conflict has endured because Alan's bloodstream also showed signs of alcohol consumption, which Alan had participated in that same weekend. The older man in the driver's seat reached into the backseat and pulled out a beer from a cooler, offering it to George. This notoriety brought with it a poor reputation, however, and by the late 1970s, Mandrax had become a regulated prescription drug throughout Australia. 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 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. 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. The two were hiking through the area near the South Para Reservoir when they noticed something on the ground. 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 thrash metal band singer and members of his family were killed in an apparent murder-suicide late last month, according to police. Unfortunately, that Thursday, Peter never arrived at the mall to meet his friend. Five young men who were drugged, viciously raped and tortured, kept captive for up to five weeks, horrifically mutilated, and ultimately murdered. But he decided to instead head to a local mall, named Tea Tree Plaza, where Peter and his friends often hung out on the weekends. 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. He told officers what the two had been up to that weekend: hanging out on Saturday and into Sunday morning, before splitting up. They drove to War Memorial Drive (150m east of the Adelaide Rowing Club ) when Mark had a minor argument with the other male so got out and left. 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. Was Dr Millhouse involved in Neil Muirs murder. The Kelvins, though upset at the duration of time that had already passed, understood why the process was so delayed but were hopeful that their son would return home to them, safe and sound. "The Family murders" occurred in the period of time between the late 1970s and 1980s. POLICE are investigating new information linking convicted killer Bevan Spencer von Einem to the abduction and murder of teenager Alan Barnes. There, George was plied with beers and other alcoholic beverages while the older women flirted with him. Neil Muir was someone that you could describe as a transient. 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]. 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. 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 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. It was the body of Neil Muir or, rather, what remained of him. Stogneff's body had been cut into three pieces in a similar fashion to Muir. Noctec was found in his blood, suggesting he had been drugged. In 1979, residents of Adelaide were gripped by fear when several young men began to go missing under mysterious circumstances. His body had been severely mutilated and dumped in the South Para Reservoir, northeast of Adelaide. Later on, Ian would recall the argument cropping up around cigarettes, but that just proves the point of how nonessential it was. The closest thing to hard evidence that police found in this sweep was what appeared to be traces of blood on the bathroom floor, which had been cleaned multiple times over with a chemical agent; and, as such, could not be tested. However, instead of charging them with any known crimes, the officers proceeded to throw the three men into the nearby Torrens River. It wasn't until Monday morning that Alan's parents decided to contact the police, having not seen him for several days. On Saturday, June 16th, 1979, Alan spent the night at a friend's house. This was commonly found in the drug Noctec, which was an over-the-counter pharmaceutical used to aid people with sleep problems, which had been given to Alan sometime before his death. Hours would begin to pass, and Alan would fail to return home at all that Sunday. 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. They organized a helicopter search of the area, which O'Brien was present for, but unfortunately, the police were unable to find anything definitive. 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 son of popular local Nine Network news presenter Rob Kelvin, he was abducted a short distance from his North Adelaide home on 5 June. If that was true, then could that have been happening to the other young male victims that had been viciously murdered in the preceding years? Suspect 2, a former male prostitute and close friend of von Einem known as Mr B. 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. 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 also found to be wearing clothing that did not belong to him, and his original clothing was missing entirely. In the latter half of the 1970s, South Australia had started to regulate drugs like Mandrax, known throughout most of the world as "Quaaludes." 4 had horrific injuries with clear signs of torture, abuse and confinement lasting up to 5 weeks. Richard and Boris remained at the park for a bit longer, kicking around the soccer ball and chatting, before eventually, Boris decided to make his way home. 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. A few more anonymous calls would be received in the coming weeks. Five murders and over 150 rapes. This is an analysis of the information provided by Wendy Roles and Greg McInerney in the book The Family Murders: Dissected The Timeline 25 Aug (Sat) Michael B sees band-aid on Neil's leg at the methadone clinic during the day. This argument would carry on for a few minutes, while the trio was parked along War Memorial Drive, overlooking the Torrens River. Just a few months later, in June of 1982, the family of missing 14-year-old Peter Stogneff would finally get some resolution. 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. Examiners discovered that just a few inches above his groin - just below his navel - Mark had a small surgical scar that had been sealed shut with staples and a specific type of Johnson & Johnson surgical tape. They knew then that the description of the remains - should it become public knowledge - would alert a lot of media to the story and scare a lot of people. His family knew this but accepted that there was little they could do to curtail this behavior; letting Alan grow and develop at his own pace as his adolescence came to an end. However, they quickly began to narrow in on the one avenue of the investigation that seemed most enticing to them at the time: Neil's dependency on drugs and alcohol. Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. 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. Although each attack and mutilation appeared different, police investigators soon began to link the horrific murders to one another. His head had also been removed from the rest of his body, but was placed in its own separate black trash bag and connected with a rope tie to the rest of the remains. 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. The older driver not only offered to give George a ride but offered to show him a good time with some ladies he knew. Alan was supposed to find a ride back home and was taking his luck hitchhiking, hoping that someone willing to pick him up would be heading north towards his family's neighborhood of Salisbury. Our locations section shows where all the events happened and where all the players lived. The final two - Mark Langley and Richard Kelvin - had disappeared just blocks away from one another. He had been sexually assaulted and went on to report this bizarre, terrifying incident to police. Many of these people were directly involved in the abductions and rape of victims who survived. And at least one witness - a security guard that lived just down the street from the Kelvins - recalled some more details succinctly. After taking the pills, George's memory began to blur. [5][9] The cold case review was completed in November 2010 with no charges being laid against any of the three key suspects. It is estimated that over 150 youths and young men were abducted, drugged, and then raped. He never made it home. He is 50 metres from his beautiful family home. 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. Following the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1975, Adelaide began to be known as one of the more progressive cities in all of Australia. While police began to investigate who might be responsible for this heinous crime, medical examiners testing the body made a pretty shocking discovery: the presence of drugs in his blood. Investigators were unable to pinpoint Peter's exact cause-of-death, or even estimate when he had been killed. He likely did this to hide it from his parents, in case they made it home before he did. The jury visits spot where Richard Kelvin's body was found, northeast of Adelaide. 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. It's 1983, and a 15-year-old boy named Richard Kelvin is in a laneway in 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. It was this rapport that caused Peter to skip school on Thursday, August 27th, 1981. . In October of 1982 - in the very midst of this crime spree - a teenage hitchhiker named George had been picked up by a passing car. [8] The reward carried an offer of immunity to accomplices, dependent on their level of involvement. [14][15] Skin bearing tattoos had been removed and most of the body parts were placed in another garbage bag before being placed within the abdominal cavity. Witnesses would later recall having seen the two at some of the area's gay bars and clubs (which I referenced just a moment ago). 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. Among those voices, he described, was a higher-pitched voice, which sounded almost feminine. We know that on the morning of Sunday, June 17th, Alan and his friend woke up, and tried their luck hitchhiking back to Alan's family's house (a practice that wasn't that uncommon in the late 1970s). [8] Little more could be determined as the remains had been accidentally burnt by the farmer while clearing his property of scrub.[11][19]. Between 1979 and 1983, a series of heinous murders shocked Adelaide. The victims were all young men, who had gone missing in or near the northern section of town. by enjin | Feb 12, 2021 . 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. Dylan John Kovarskis murdered Nathan Russell in 2021 . 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. 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. It was broad daylight, and both were assured that Alan would easily be able to find a ride to take him the few miles home. There are also notorious unsolved disappearances in Adelaide, including the Beaumont children. Once in the car they would be offered a drink that was laced with a knockout drug. 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." 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. The head was tied to the torso with rope passed through the mouth and out through the neck. Police first treated Richard as a runaway; an unfortunate symptom of the times. 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. Most were later described as being worthless, but a few piqued the interest of Investigator O'Brien. Bevan Spencer von Einem was jailed for life for the murder of 15-year-old Richard Kelvin. He has spent that Sunday, June the 5th, playing footy, until the afternoon when his best friend Karl came over. Of only one victim. The father of boat crash victim Mallory Beach refused to shake hands with Alex Murdaugh 's family in court after the legal scion was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his wife and son . 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".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 . George, an impressionable young man, was enticed by the offer and accepted. [15] A post-mortem examination revealed that Muir had died of massive blood loss from an anal injury, likely caused by the insertion of a large blunt object[16] and Noctec was found in his blood. This website was built on publicly available information contributed by many people who have an interest in this case. He was seventeen years old, with a youthful, handsome appearance, and a carefree, fun-loving attitude. In August of 1979, Neil was living alone in an apartment on Carrington Street, right in the middle of Adelaide itself. Hence, the odd scar that seemed to serve no other purpose. 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? Of the five men that fell prey to this violent killer, at least two had been drugged with Mandrax, as had George. Enjoy reading. In June of 1983, Richard Kelvin was approaching sixteen years of age. It wasn't until the next day, Sunday (February 28th), that Mark's parents began to grow concerned. 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. But only one recalled seeing where Alan might have gone. From the outside looking in, von Einem was incredibly average. In May of 1972, three gay men - George Duncan, Roger James, and another man (whose identity has been withheld in the decades since) - were picked up by members of South Australia's police force. 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. 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. 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. Like the other victims, investigators would learn a lot from the status of Mark's remains. [3], Von Einem was convicted in 1984 of the murder of Kelvin and sentenced to life imprisonment. Bevan Spencer von Einem is serving a life sentence for one of those murders. He was seen in the presence of individuals who would become relevant later on, but - at the time - were simply believed to have been his friends. 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. 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. These were connections that were hard to overlook, as police began to theorize that a single offender (or, rather, a group of offenders) had been behind all of these crimes. I first heard of the murders in an episode of an Australian television program called . But underneath the surface, a monster lingered 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. 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. This included people that visited the same bars and clubs as Neil and perhaps knew him that way. So they tried to safely guard the parts of the investigation that they could. 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 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. This horrific sight was quickly reported to police, who arrived at the scene and immediately cordoned off the area around where the fisherman had reportedly discovered the floating trash bags. [7] Suspect 1, an Eastern Suburbs businessman, is believed to have been with von Einem when Kelvin was abducted. Police were called out to the scene, and an extensive search of the area commenced. Mark Langley In Adelaides gay community in the 1970s and 1980s, young men were coveted for sex. This screening also revealed that the young man had been drugged with Mandrax ("Randy Mandys"), which had resulted in him losing consciousness. The evidence is contained in a detailed diary kept by a man who was a close associate of several key players in the so-called Family murders. Young Blood refers to the age of the victims who were brutally murdered. Now, with Mark Langley, police were able to confirm the presence of the drug Mandrax in his system. 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. 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. He then moved away from Adelaide and the murders continued. On the afternoon of Sunday, June 5th, 1983, Richard was kicking around a soccer ball with his father Rob and his friend Boris at a park near his home. Another anonymous caller claimed that they had seen Richard Kelvin in a snuff film, which had been filmed very recently. On July 24th, 1983, a family was out looking for moss rocks in the vast reaches of the Mount Crawford Forest, about 35 kilometers northeast of Adelaide. Oh, that reminds me. For that reason, many of these men and women had to keep their sexuality confined to specific locations. However, police would reach out to all of Mark's known friends, and learned that the night prior - February 27th - he had simply wandered off into the night and had not been seen since. The Clermont County Sheriff's Office . 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. He was able to exploit and manipulate enablers, helpers and participants over a long period of time. At the same time he was developing a network of people who made it possible for him to carry out his sexually sadistic fantasies. An ear witness said they heard some shouting, 2020 familymurders.com All Rights Reserved. While searching, they ended up discovering the body of Richard Kelvin, who had been missing for just shy of two months. 's had discovered the chemical compound chloral hydrate in the system of Alan Barnes, who also had an above-average level of alcohol in his system: roughly four times the legal limit, which was unusually high for a teenager. Neil's numerous tattoos had also been cut away from his flesh, and those patches of inked skin had been placed into his chest cavity along with his severed limbs. Alan lived with his parents, both English immigrants, in Salisbury: a northern suburb of Adelaide.