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. After taking the pills, George's memory began to blur. That Monday - August 27th, 1979 - Neil Muir was seen alive for the last time. Because of this prime location, Adelaide has become one of the country's most populated areas, and more than a million Australians live in the city itself; which is split in half by the Torrens River, which runs through the center of Adelaide. Five murders and over 150 rapes. A span of 4 years. [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. Other times he would just pick up a hitch hiker. 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. 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. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS. It was there that they found his backpack hidden in the garage, which ultimately led to calls to all of his friends. 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. Richard was found wearing the same clothing that he had been wearing on the day of his disappearance, but in an unusual twist, was found to be wearing his family dog's collar. 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. Only one suspect has been charged and convicted for a crime. Once in the car they would be offered a drink that was laced with a knockout drug. On Saturday, June 16th, 1979, Alan spent the night at a friend's house. [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. Enjoy reading. At the same time he was developing a network of people who made it possible for him to carry out his sexually sadistic fantasies. The Family Murders - Strange Matters Podcast 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). Victims - The Family Murders 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. The final two - Mark Langley and Richard Kelvin - had disappeared just blocks away from one another. The Family Murders (Part Two: The Family) Unresolved They tried to hitch a ride on Grand Junction Road, a busy thoroughfare in Adelaide, before realizing that they were going to have no luck hitchhiking together. 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. The "Family Murders" *Warning: graphic content and mentions of sexual abuse ahead. Mr B - The Family Murders Mr B Mr B was named by South Australian police in 2008 as one of the three main suspects who were involved in the murders alongside Bevan von Einem. Police got the number one offender. Young Blood refers to the age of the victims who were brutally murdered. An accountant by profession, he was convicted in 1984 for the murder of 15-year-old Adelaide teenager Richard Kelvin, the son of local television and radio personality Rob Kelvin. [7] Suspect 1, an Eastern Suburbs businessman, is believed to have been with von Einem when Kelvin was abducted. The Family Murders (Part One: The Murders) - Spreaker 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. 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. By the time they managed to look outside, whoever had been outside had already sped off. The name of the group stems from an interview a police detective gave on 60 Minutes,[1] claiming the police were taking action "to break up the happy family". [11], Last edited on 24 February 2023, at 04:35, List of serial killers by number of victims, Von Einem: Lawyers in new bid to re-open Kelvin case, "Doctor found not guilty of 'Family' murder of Neil Muir dies in NSW", "Australian police reopen notorious 1970s Family murders case", "Body in bag: jury acquits doctor in Adelaide", "Lost diary gives South Australia police new lead into Alan Barnes murder by The Family", "Many Theories, Few Clues in String of Adelaide Murders", "Record 24-year non-parole period for boy's killer", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Family_Murders&oldid=1141259172, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 04:35. But the rumors that he engaged in sex work were mainly perpetrated by those that knew him from his regular haunts: members of Adelaide's gay community, who regularly saw Neil at the gay-friendly bars they frequented. Police believe that up to 12 people, several of them high-profile Australians, were involved in the kidnappings. Subsequent efforts to reach Alan through his friends had failed, and none of them had seen him since the weekend. The area around the scar had even been shaved away, implying that this a methodical decision by someone with surgical experience perhaps someone trying to rectify a mistake. Another anonymous caller claimed that they had seen Richard Kelvin in a snuff film, which had been filmed very recently. Unfortunately, that Thursday, Peter never arrived at the mall to meet his friend. He had multiple channels to procuring young men. 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. But other than that, this friend had nothing new to offer police: he hadn't seen or heard from Alan since the two went their separate ways. Of the five men that fell prey to this violent killer, at least two had been drugged with Mandrax, as had George. While searching, they ended up discovering the body of Richard Kelvin, who had been missing for just shy of two months. Noctec was found in his blood, suggesting he had been drugged. The fishermen probed the bags - a mystery just waiting to be unearthed - and quickly discovered that the bags held human remains. Even though Dr. Peter Millhouse had supposedly known Neil Muir for several years, there was never any proof that the two had a sexual relationship. 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. Between 1979 and 1983, a series of heinous murders shocked Adelaide. Due to the state of the young man's remains, it was believed that Alan had been detained against his will for several days. However, what wasn't up for debate was the fact that Alan had been violently tortured for hours before his death, with his death ultimately coming from blood loss due to an anal injury. He then explained to the investigator that he was a former lover of Neil's, from roughly four years beforehand, and had run into the man just days before his eventual murder. Was Dr Millhouse involved in Neil Muirs murder. Neil Muir was someone that you could describe as a transient. Trevor Peters lived two doors away from one of the transgender suspects and mixed in the same circles as a number of suspects. 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. 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. In the days to come, police began asking around the area for any sign of Peter Stogneff and discovered that the teen had essentially vanished into thin air. A thrash metal band singer and members of his family were killed in an apparent murder-suicide late last month, according to police. Bob O'Brien was an investigator for Major Crimes, who had just started working with the unit the year prior (1982). With tattoos, long hair, and a gruff demeanor, Neil looked like your average rock musician, and his transient lifestyle seems to support that. Bevan von Einem had a network of around 25-30 people. For obvious reasons, he didn't tell his parents, setting out that morning with his backpack and heading off like any other day. Peter Leslie Millhouse was a doctor from Mt. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. While Neil Muir had endured a similar fate, his remains were too badly mutilated to test for any drugs; however, the injuries suffered seemed to be identical. 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. Neil Fredrick Muir, aged 25,[12][13] murdered two months after Barnes in August 1979. In the days after Neil Muir's body was discovered in separate black trash bags, police had received two separate phone calls alerting them to the victim's relationship with a local doctor. This website was built on publicly available information contributed by many people who have an interest in this case. The Adelaide Festival of Arts (also known as just Adelaide Festival) started in 1960 and led to something of a "cultural revival" in the area. SA convicted murderer Bevan Spencer Von Einem during the jury's tour of North Adelaide dumping spot of Richard Kelvin's body. He was also found to be wearing clothing that did not belong to him, and his original clothing was missing entirely. 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. It wasn't until Monday morning that Alan's parents decided to contact the police, having not seen him for several days. But only one recalled seeing where Alan might have gone. 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. 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"). However, unlike many of the others, it was believed that Richard had been held captive for an extended period of time, enduring torture and sexual abuse for weeks leading up to his death. [2] The suspects and their associates were linked mainly by their shared habits of "actively [having] sought out young males for sex," sometimes drugging and raping their victims. by enjin | Feb 12, 2021 | victim. A couple of black trash bags were floating on the low tide of the river's coast. It had been reported that Richard was wearing the collar as a joke on the afternoon he went missing, while he was kicking around the soccer ball in the park with his dad and his friend, Boris. 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. Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. Police wouldn't get around to conducting a door-to-door canvas of the neighborhood until Tuesday, two days after Richard had gone missing. Trace evidence, including hair and fibres from von Einem's home, was found on Kelvin's body and clothing. But now, they needed to find a suspect. Bevan von Einem was no exception he also preferred youths between the 15 and 19 year old age group. 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. One such case is the Family Murders of Adelaide, Australia. Many of these people were directly involved in the abductions and rape of victims who survived. 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. There are also notorious unsolved disappearances in Adelaide, including the Beaumont children. 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. 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. Alan Arthur Barnes, aged 16, murdered in 1979. "CIA: Crime Investigation Australia" The Butchered Boys (TV - IMDb Just a few months later, in June of 1982, the family of missing 14-year-old Peter Stogneff would finally get some resolution. Neil's penis had been cut, and he was missing a testicle at the time of discovery. Over the next few days, it became apparent that Alan Barnes was not returning home. There was a bridge above where his body had been discovered, with a clearing of about a meter; implying that whoever had tried to throw him into the water below had missed the mark, but had not rectified their mistake. Millhouse would have. His friend likely just assumed that Peter had bailed on their plan, and likely gone to school that day. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the case is how did von Einem find accomplices willing to be involved in such crimes? [14] The hair around the area had been shaved as it would have been in an operation in a hospital. [3], Von Einem was convicted in 1984 of the murder of Kelvin and sentenced to life imprisonment. Australia's most notorious unsolved serial killings. How did he manipulate large numbers of people to get involved to various degrees even if that involvement was merely remaining silent? 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. However, instead of charging them with any known crimes, the officers proceeded to throw the three men into the nearby Torrens River. There's a conviction in the last murder in the series, but I will include it due to the similarity and due to the man convicted being suspected in the other murders as well. 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. It was at around this time - the end of August - that Investigator Rod Hunter finally got around to interviewing Bevan Spencer von Einem, the man implicated by an anonymous caller in the murder of Alan Barnes. And Marshall is no novice at delving into the minds of evil men. 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. "The Family murders" occurred in the period of time between the late 1970s and 1980s. Moments later, George lost consciousness, falling prey to the drugs that he had consumed. 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. 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. 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. 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. 4 had horrific injuries with clear signs of torture, abuse and confinement lasting up to 5 weeks. He loved music - both playing it and listening to it - and had a good rapport with his friends, whom he hung around constantly. This caller alleged that the two older men had been driving around a 1963 EJ Holden sedan. At this point, the idea of a random killer hadn't even crossed investigators' minds. The "Family Murders" - Amateur Sleuth 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). But, just like the failure to properly drop Alan's body into the water, these bags had failed to make it to their intended location; still resting against the coast, instead of floating out to sea, where they'd have been lost forever. For a week, his loved ones had been bracing themselves for the worst, but this was a confirmation of everything they had been fearing for the past several days: Alan had been violently murdered, and had spent his final hours in agony. 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. 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. The victims were all young men, who had gone missing in or near the northern section of town. Unfortunately, Richard Kelvin would never make it home. This screening also revealed that the young man had been drugged with Mandrax ("Randy Mandys"), which had resulted in him losing consciousness. 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. The Family were not an official group, gang, or organisation. If your information is verified and its not breaking any laws, we may publish it. Among friends, Alan had begun to smoke weed and experiment with new things, pushing himself to the limits of his comfort zone to discover who he was and what he enjoyed. The victims were found in random locations throughout the state, their bodies neatly cut into pieces. 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. 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]. 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. What the two got up to that evening is anyone's guess, but rumors and theories have propagated this story in the decades since. The Family Murders is the name given to the murders of five young men and boys between 1979 and 1983, with all abducted from the streets of Adelaide before being taken to another location,. The body count had essentially doubled within a couple of months, and police were still unsure whether or not the cases were related. He had been sexually assaulted and went on to report this bizarre, terrifying incident to police. The Family Murders Unresolved Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. 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. Dylan John Kovarskis sentenced to 20 years' jail for murder of Adelaide It was this rapport that caused Peter to skip school on Thursday, August 27th, 1981. The information is easy to navigate and easy reference. 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. In a word, no. Following the supposed abduction of Richard Kelvin, the police unit known as Major Crimes was tasked with overseeing the investigation. Police were called out to the scene, and an extensive search of the area commenced. In the days immediately after Neil Muir's death, Dr. Millhouse had gone on a bit of a self-described "bender." In particular, they were members of the Vice Squad, who typically crackdown on "moral" crimes such as gambling, narcotics, pornography, and illegal substances. The other murders remain unsolved. [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 included people that visited the same bars and clubs as Neil and perhaps knew him that way. They wanted to continue eliminating suspects that personally knew Alan ahead of time, but promised to check out von Einem in the future. South Australia's overdue for another 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). 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. So, they believed that this crime might have been perpetrated by someone that Neil owed money to, who wanted to cover up their tracks afterward. 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. 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. He had a network of over 30 people. He was last seen while hitchhiking being picked up by a white HQ Holden sedan carrying three or four people. The Family Murders: 'Dissected' Kindle Edition - Amazon.com.au Global Nav Open Menu . The Family Murders revolved around von Einem. From the outside looking in, von Einem was incredibly average. The skeletal remains of one victim bore marks to reasonably indicate a similar experience and outcome. Sadly, Neil's biggest vice was his ever-evolving drug addiction. In Adelaides gay community in the 1970s and 1980s, young men were coveted for sex. After being arrested, Dr. Millhouse had denied ever knowing Neil, and continued stating so over the next year, openly defying the dozens of witness statements that claimed they were acquaintances at the least, intimate friends at the most. However, Neil's life was far less glamorous; rumors persist to this day that, leading up to August of 1979, Neil was engaging in sex work to support his bad habits and lifestyle. While investigators had been keeping information closely guarded in this case, they decided to publicize this information to the media in the hopes that it would attract follow-up tips. 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. 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. Because Neil's transient lifestyle led to him becoming known as a bit of a vagabond, his sexuality was not exactly common knowledge. Millhouse was charged and went to trial but was acquitted. Bevan Spencer von Einem is serving a life sentence for one of those murders. The jury visits spot where Richard Kelvin's body was found, northeast of Adelaide. They kicked the footy around. 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. Richard Dallas Kelvin, (born 4 December 1967) aged 15,[23] murdered in July 1983. The periphery of The Family is a grey area. 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. Mark's remains had also clearly been thoroughly washed before being dumped, just like Alan Barnes.
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