He was able to exploit and manipulate enablers, helpers and participants over a long period of time. High profile lawyer and murder victim Derrance Stevenson regularly entertained teenage youths. If your information is verified and its not breaking any laws, we may publish it. The head was tied to the torso with rope passed through the mouth and out through the neck. The Family Murders (Part One: The Murders) - Spreaker I first heard of the murders in an episode of an Australian television program called . 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. Now twenty-five years old, Neil had spent the better part of the last few years struggling with addictions and vices that left him moving from place-to-place pretty regularly. The "Family Murders" *Warning: graphic content and mentions of sexual abuse ahead. 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. Only one suspect has been charged and convicted for the crimes: Bevan Spencer von Einem was sentenced in 1984 to a minimum of 24 years (later extended to a minimum 36-year term) for the murder of 15-year-old Richard Kelvin. A farmer that lived nearby Middle Beach and Two Wells, roughly an hour north of Adelaide, had been cleansing his farmland during the advised winter months. Hence, the odd scar that seemed to serve no other purpose. What the two got up to that evening is anyone's guess, but rumors and theories have propagated this story in the decades since. After doing away with his old, dried-up crops, the farmer was looking over his land when he came upon the now-charred remains of young Peter Stogneff. Veale Gardens had a thriving male prostitution scene, many of which were underage. That evening, as Mark drove around with his friend Ian and Ian's girlfriend, Paula, an argument broke out. Once it became clear that something had happened to Peter, his family launched a frantic search for him, starting in the family's home. Police believe that up to 12 people, several of them high-profile Australians, were involved in the kidnappings. A couple of black trash bags were floating on the low tide of the river's coast. Gino Gambardella regularly scouted Rundle Mall and video game arcades for runaways, homeless teenagers, and youths who he was able to exploit. The Clermont County Sheriff's Office . His body had been severely mutilated and dumped in the South Para Reservoir, northeast of Adelaide. Stogneff's body had been cut into three pieces in a similar fashion to Muir. 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. 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? Unfortunately, by the time they returned, Mark was nowhere to be found. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS. Part One: The Murders Between 1979 and 1983, a series of heinous murders shocked Adelaide. With tattoos, long hair, and a gruff demeanor, Neil looked like your average rock musician, and his transient lifestyle seems to support that. The Family Murders - Wikipedia Mark Andrew Langley, aged 18,[17] murdered in February 1982. This was about 300 metres from his family home. Due to the state of the young man's remains, it was believed that Alan had been detained against his will for several days. 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. Police first treated Richard as a runaway; an unfortunate symptom of the times. If you have information about the case then contact us through our contact page. Shockingly, police found an insane combination of sedatives in his system, which included the drugs Noctec, Mandrax, valium, Rohypnol, and amytal. The victims were all young men, who had gone missing in or near the northern section of town. 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. Bevan Spencer von Einem was jailed for life for the murder of 15-year-old Richard Kelvin. 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. 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. 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. Some of the victims were brutally tortured, or horrifically mutilated or cut up. Mark's remains had also clearly been thoroughly washed before being dumped, just like Alan Barnes. 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. Only one suspect has been charged and convicted for a crime. Following the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1975, Adelaide began to be known as one of the more progressive cities in all of Australia. Description. 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. Neil Muir was someone that you could describe as a transient. Because Neil's transient lifestyle led to him becoming known as a bit of a vagabond, his sexuality was not exactly common knowledge. And, with the recent discovery of the chemical cocktail found in Richard Kelvin's system, they had a pretty decent foundation for their investigation. 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. Oh, that reminds me. On Saturday, February 27th, 1982, Mark attended a friend's 18th birthday party in Windsor Gardens, a neighborhood in northeastern Adelaide. 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. Some time after they went missing, their bodies would each be found, often horribly mutilated. Alan Arthur Barnes, aged 16, murdered in 1979. It was this rapport that caused Peter to skip school on Thursday, August 27th, 1981. 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. '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. 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. 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. [16][22] The sedative-hypnotic drug Mandrax, popular in the 1970s disco scene, was found in Langley's blood. The two were hiking through the area near the South Para Reservoir when they noticed something on the ground. 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. The news was heartbreaking for those that had known Alan. 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. Australia's most notorious unsolved serial killings. 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. Rumours of high-society involvement and cover-ups. 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. 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. 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. [18] His skeletal remains were found in October 1982 later by a local farmer at Middle Beach, 50km north of Adelaide. At the time of the murder, Dr. Millhouse - a gay man in his mid-forties - lived alone in northern Adelaide, and drove a ten-year-old Holden sedan. 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. 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. Ian and Paula, Mark's friends, drove away but would return just minutes later, cooler heads having prevailed. [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. In 2014 when Trevor passed away, his diaries were recovered. 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. It has been reported that the exposed skin on his face and neck had begun to wither away, leading to the theory that he had been killed shortly after going missing. 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. Australia's murder capital: Why can't Adelaide bury the myth? 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. 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. In Adelaides gay community in the 1970s and 1980s, young men were coveted for sex. The Family Murders revolved around von Einem. So they tried to safely guard the parts of the investigation that they could. 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. Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. Likely, he was one of the people seen hanging out with Neil at the bars and clubs just days that weekend. 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. Global Nav Open Menu . 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). Unlike the other murder victims, however, Mark's body showed an odd sign of surgical precision. Players - The Family Murders 4 had horrific injuries with clear signs of torture, abuse and confinement lasting up to 5 weeks. Police were called out to the scene, and an extensive search of the area commenced. 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. The post-mortem revealed that Langley had died from a massive loss of blood from gross injuries to his anus, similar to Barnes. Murdered victims were kept in captivity by the Family for up to five weeks. 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. The medical examiners would also find a significant head wound on Neil, which wasn't significant enough to have killed him, but would have likely happened to incapacitate or subdue the man. Of the young men whose stories I'll cover in this episode, he was by far the youngest, and his face showed it: he still had the youthful appearance of a child, and by all accounts, seemed to be your typical teenage boy. South Australia's overdue for another 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. [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. 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. 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. Because homosexuality was still outlawed in Australia at this point, Vice officers would often detain individuals that they believed were loitering nearby known gay hotspots. 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. 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. Over time Trevor kept diary records of his conversations with that suspect as well as another suspect. The smallness of Adelaide and the six degrees of separation theory became even more evident when it was revealed that one of the Family murder victims was Richard Kelvin, son of a popular Channel . 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. Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. But he then set off again, likely headed towards the distant Rundle Mall, where he was due to meet up with his friend, Daniel, that day. 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. But only one recalled seeing where Alan might have gone. Its always easier to visualise events when you have maps. The older driver not only offered to give George a ride but offered to show him a good time with some ladies he knew. This site is constantly being updated as more is learned. Police got the number one offender. 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. Mark Langley Bevan Spencer von Einem - Wikipedia In 1979, residents of Adelaide were gripped by fear when several young men began to go missing under mysterious circumstances. Millhouse was charged and went to trial but was acquitted. 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. 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. The fishermen probed the bags - a mystery just waiting to be unearthed - and quickly discovered that the bags held human remains. There, George was plied with beers and other alcoholic beverages while the older women flirted with him. The Family Murders - Wikipedia A Breakdown of a series of murders that took place in Adelaide, South [5][9] The cold case review was completed in November 2010 with no charges being laid against any of the three key suspects. Millhouse would have. Wife 'kills family in murder-suicide' - news.com.au The 'Family murders' involved the killing and torture of five young men from the 1970s to the mid-1980s. [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. 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. 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. How did he manipulate large numbers of people to get involved to various degrees even if that involvement was merely remaining silent? Of only one victim. 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 bodies were found from 24th June 1979 and the fifth and last body on 24th July 1983. Peter Stogneff. The group was involved in kidnapping, sexually abusing, torturing and murdering 5 boys. Show True Crime Conversations, Ep The Family Murders Of Adelaide - 10 Nov 2021. He had multiple channels to procuring young men. At this point, the idea of a random killer hadn't even crossed investigators' minds. Over the next year or so, the case would stagnate. Father of boat crash victim Mallory Beach snubs Alex Murdaugh's family 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. He had become so messed up on drugs and alcohol that a bouncer had to physically drag him outside of a bar, where he stumbled onto the pavement and struggled to get up. Trace evidence, including hair and fibres from von Einem's home, was found on Kelvin's body and clothing. Noctec was found in his blood, suggesting he had been drugged. Bevan von Einems life revolved around sexual sadism. It wasn't until Monday morning that Alan's parents decided to contact the police, having not seen him for several days. 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. The Family Murders is a well known and notorious series of crimes that occurred in Adelaide, Australia. Because very little physical evidence had been left behind, it was hard to tell whether or not these crimes belonged to the same spree, or were simply copycats. For that reason, many of these men and women had to keep their sexuality confined to specific locations. 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. 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 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. He was last seen stumbling down the street, supposedly wandering off to parts unknown. 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 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. But now, they needed to find a suspect. 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 is 50 metres from his beautiful family home. 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. The son was fifteen when he was snatched from the street . 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. 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. 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 Family werent an official club or group, rather a loose collection of people with Bevan von Einem at the centre. A few more anonymous calls would be received in the coming weeks. 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. This case includes mysterious attacks, brutal murders, and a dark conspiracy surrounding a secret group of elites that preyed on the young in the city. The Family were not an official group, gang, or organisation. His friend likely just assumed that Peter had bailed on their plan, and likely gone to school that day. Unfortunately, Richard Kelvin would never make it home. Make no mistake, Bevan Spencer von Einem is the architect behind all these crimes. In the latter half of the 1970s, South Australia had started to regulate drugs like Mandrax, known throughout most of the world as "Quaaludes." [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. Sadly, this dark and tragic saga was just beginning. An examination of Richard's body discovered that his cause-of-death was virtually identical to the other young male victims: blood loss caused by extensive anal injuries. 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. This notoriety brought with it a poor reputation, however, and by the late 1970s, Mandrax had become a regulated prescription drug throughout Australia. And Marshall is no novice at delving into the minds of evil men.