In particular, they were members of the Vice Squad, who typically crackdown on "moral" crimes such as gambling, narcotics, pornography, and illegal substances. In the latter half of the 1970s, South Australia had started to regulate drugs like Mandrax, known throughout most of the world as "Quaaludes." The next day was a Sunday, they both planned to hitchhike to Alan's home in Salisbury. After taking the pills, George's memory began to blur. The periphery of The Family is a grey area. 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 . Alan Arthur Barnes, aged 16, murdered in 1979. It's important to note that, even though members of the LGBTQ community felt more comfortable to express themselves socially, that did not mean that everyone in the area was necessarily welcoming. Most were later described as being worthless, but a few piqued the interest of Investigator O'Brien. Once in the car they would be offered a drink that was laced with a knockout drug. Unfortunately, by the time they returned, Mark was nowhere to be found. 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 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. Some time after they went missing, their bodies would each be found, often horribly mutilated. This witness recalled Alan getting into a vehicle, which appeared to be a white Holden sedan. [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. Needless to say, over the past few months, this investigation had become a new beast entirely. [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. 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. There are also notorious unsolved disappearances in Adelaide, including the Beaumont children. Unfortunately, this lead ultimately led nowhere, so police began investigating people more tentatively linked to Neil through his social circle. 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. 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. 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. High profile lawyer and murder victim Derrance Stevenson regularly entertained teenage youths. The victims were found in random locations throughout the state, their bodies neatly cut into pieces. He then moved away from Adelaide and the murders continued. 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. This meant doing away with large plots of dried-out farmland in a prescribed burn to prepare for the upcoming spring bloom. 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. 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. Detective O'Brien was the unfortunate one tasked with notifying the Kelvins that Richard's body had been found; which he describes in his book as one of the most heartbreaking duties he's ever had to endure. Young Blood refers to the age of the victims who were brutally murdered. 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. [20] His mutilated body was found in scrub in the Adelaide foothills nine days after his disappearance. Police were now back, right where they had started. 4 had horrific injuries with clear signs of torture, abuse and confinement lasting up to 5 weeks. Bevan von Einem was an apex predator. 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. In June of 1983, Richard Kelvin was approaching sixteen years of age. 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. It was this rapport that caused Peter to skip school on Thursday, August 27th, 1981. This section explores the people who at this stage are thought to have been on the periphery. An ear witness said they heard some shouting, 2020 familymurders.com All Rights Reserved. They now had five bodies - five victims - and five families pushing for answers. Bob O'Brien was an investigator for Major Crimes, who had just started working with the unit the year prior (1982). [5] Others, who have examined the cases, however, argue that there were many more victims. Some showed signs of prolonged captivity, while death came quick to others . Part One: The Murders Between 1979 and 1983, a series of heinous murders shocked Adelaide. 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. George, an impressionable young man, was enticed by the offer and accepted. 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. 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. A day or two prior, at least. However, instead of charging them with any known crimes, the officers proceeded to throw the three men into the nearby Torrens River. This was cancelled the night before. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS. That Monday - August 27th, 1979 - Neil Muir was seen alive for the last time. After a bit, Rob decided to walk home, leaving the two boys at the park; assured that it was just down the street from their house and it was still early in the day. 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 lived with his parents, both English immigrants, in Salisbury: a northern suburb of Adelaide. Unfortunately, as the farmer's land burned, so did the remains of the missing teenager. 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. He had seemingly disappeared, and a brief search of the area failed to come up with him. Over the next few days, it became apparent that Alan Barnes was not returning home. Police first treated Richard as a runaway; an unfortunate symptom of the times. A man who donned a balaclava and stormed a man's Adelaide CBD unit, stabbing him within nine seconds, will spend 20 years behind bars. It wasn't until the following year, 1983, that police finally rediscovered George's story. His body had been severely mutilated and dumped in the South Para Reservoir, northeast of Adelaide. Global Nav Open Menu . He then moved away from Adelaide and the murders continued. 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. 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. He remembered going to a back room of the house to have sex with one of the older women, only to discover - during the act itself - that she was transgender. The body count had essentially doubled within a couple of months, and police were still unsure whether or not the cases were related. If your information is verified and its not breaking any laws, we may publish it. 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. From the outside looking in, von Einem was incredibly average. '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. [18] His skeletal remains were found in October 1982 later by a local farmer at Middle Beach, 50km north of Adelaide. 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 jury visits spot where Richard Kelvin's body was found, northeast of Adelaide. He was seventeen years old, with a youthful, handsome appearance, and a carefree, fun-loving attitude. 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. This screening also revealed that the young man had been drugged with Mandrax ("Randy Mandys"), which had resulted in him losing consciousness. 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. [8] The reward carried an offer of immunity to accomplices, dependent on their level of involvement. Mark Langley was an 18-year-old with the entire world in front of him: an athletic and good-looking young man, who quickly endeared himself to others. The Family Murders is one of Australias most captivating true crime stories. Eventually, Peter returned home with his backpack, stowing it in his family's garage while his parents were at work. 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. 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. Police were called out to the scene, and an extensive search of the area commenced. This meant that his remains had likely been sitting out in the wilderness for about a week. Police spoke to Alan's friend, who had left him behind on Grand Junction Road. During the 1970s von Einem started developing strategies to lure victims into his car. Bevan von Einems life revolved around sexual sadism. The Clermont County Sheriff's Office . He was last seen while hitchhiking being picked up by a white HQ Holden sedan carrying three or four people. He had been killed elsewhere and then transported to this location postmortem, implying that the killer had a base of operations for his or her dark deeds. Suspect 2, a former male prostitute and close friend of von Einem known as Mr B. Murdered victims were kept in captivity by the Family for up to five weeks. It's 1983, and a 15-year-old boy named Richard Kelvin is in a laneway in North Adelaide. Nine days after Mark Langley went missing, his body was discovered in the Adelaide Foothills, close to Mount Lofty in the area known as Summertown. 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. 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. Hence, the odd scar that seemed to serve no other purpose. The older man in the driver's seat reached into the backseat and pulled out a beer from a cooler, offering it to George. 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. The older driver not only offered to give George a ride but offered to show him a good time with some ladies he knew. Needing to get away from his friends and clear his head, Mark decided to get out and walk away. The other murders remain unsolved. While searching, they ended up discovering the body of Richard Kelvin, who had been missing for just shy of two months. 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". When using other people (sometimes transgenders, sometimes cross-dressers, and sometimes Mr B), a common ploy was to ask a lone youth if he want to go to a party where there was plenty of booze and women. The information is easy to navigate and easy reference. Trace evidence, including hair and fibres from von Einem's home, was found on Kelvin's body and clothing. 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. He likely did this to hide it from his parents, in case they made it home before he did. This triggered a recurrence of his on-again/off-again bout with alcoholism, and within a week, he had checked himself into the Osmond House rehabilitation center but not before consulting with his attorney for any potential legal ramifications. Richard's family disputed this, vigorously denying the notion that Richard would have run away of his own accord. 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. Due to changes in the Forensic Procedures Act, which later allowed DNA samples to be taken from suspects in major indictable offences, all the suspects voluntarily submitted to DNA testing. The Family Murders Of Adelaide. [7] Suspect 1, an Eastern Suburbs businessman, is believed to have been with von Einem when Kelvin was abducted. [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. Bevan von Einem was no exception he also preferred youths between the 15 and 19 year old age group. The Family Murders is a well known and notorious series of crimes that occurred in Adelaide, Australia. 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. Police got the number one offender. 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. It is estimated that over 150 youths and young men were abducted, drugged, and then raped. 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. 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. (What a lovely country, Australia!) This theory is that whatever item had been used to sexually assault Mark with - which ultimately led to his death - had gotten caught up in his intestines, and required surgery to retrieve. The head was tied to the torso with rope passed through the mouth and out through the neck. 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. While in rehab, Dr. Millhouse refused to speak to police about Neil Muir (or his alleged relationship with the man). He had school the next day, dinner was waiting, and he wanted to call his girlfriend. He loved music - both playing it and listening to it - and had a good rapport with his friends, whom he hung around constantly. They organized a helicopter search of the area, which O'Brien was present for, but unfortunately, the police were unable to find anything definitive. Like the other victims, investigators would learn a lot from the status of Mark's remains. Unfortunately, that Thursday, Peter never arrived at the mall to meet his friend. The last victim was the son of our local television newsreader. Neil Muir was someone that you could describe as a transient. Shockingly, police found an insane combination of sedatives in his system, which included the drugs Noctec, Mandrax, valium, Rohypnol, and amytal. 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. Hundreds of sordid and terrifying crimes and only one man found guilty in relation to only one victim. 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. But only one recalled seeing where Alan might have gone. 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. 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. 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. 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. Sadly, this dark and tragic saga was just beginning. The bags looked as if they had been dropped from the higher-up wharf, just like the body of Alan Barnes had been. But he didn't commit these crimes on his own. The victims were all young men, who had gone missing in or near the northern section of town. They wanted to continue eliminating suspects that personally knew Alan ahead of time, but promised to check out von Einem in the future. As the 1970s entered their homestretch, Alan was beginning to enter the phase of his life where he experimented with drug and alcohol usage. The name of the group stems from an interview a police detective gave on 60 Minutes, claiming the police were taking action to break up the happy family. Once known as the "City of Churches," Adelaide began going through a stark progression in the 1960s. 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.
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