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. Hence, the odd scar that seemed to serve no other purpose. He immediately contacted the police, and when they arrived at the scene, they were able to quickly identify the remains as Peter. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. That was believed to have been Neil's cause-of-death, same as Alan Barnes. Allegations would even surface that indicated Dr. Millhouse had been one of the people in the area that supplied Neil with prescription drugs, but that would remain an allegation for the foreseeable future. This included people that visited the same bars and clubs as Neil and perhaps knew him that way. Unfortunately, it did not. A span of 4 years. 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. 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 . 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. It wasn't until the next day, Sunday (February 28th), that Mark's parents began to grow concerned. 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 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. And Marshall is no novice at delving into the minds of evil men. 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 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. 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. They organized a helicopter search of the area, which O'Brien was present for, but unfortunately, the police were unable to find anything definitive. 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. 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.). 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. 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. If you have information about the case then contact us through our contact page. He is 50 metres from his beautiful family home. The ongoing investigation featured in an episode of Crime Stoppers which went to air on 2 March 2009. 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. 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. He had multiple channels to procuring young men. He had struggled to wean himself off of heroin, using methadone to do so, only to have methadone become his next addiction. [16][22] The sedative-hypnotic drug Mandrax, popular in the 1970s disco scene, was found in Langley's blood. But now, they needed to find a suspect. Dylan John Kovarskis sentenced to 20 years' jail for murder of Adelaide The skeletal remains of one victim bore marks to reasonably indicate a similar experience and outcome. Their psychological profile indicated that Neil's body had been carved up due to either a psychotic killer that derived pleasure from inflicting pain on others or someone that wanted to hide his/her identity. 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). The police came to this conclusion due to the status of his remains, which weren't nearly as decomposed as they should have been; by the time he was discovered at the end of July, he had been dead for no more than a week or two, despite having gone missing at the beginning of June. Police were called out to the scene, and an extensive search of the area commenced. Whatever it was, it looked like a human body but was somehow twisted and contorted in an inhuman nature. In 1979, residents of Adelaide were gripped by fear when several young men began to go missing under mysterious circumstances. Writing, research, hosting, and production by Micheal Whelan, Producers: Maggyjames, Ben Krokum, Roberta Janson, Quil Carter, Peggy Belarde, Laura Hannan, Damion Moore, Amy Hampton, Scott Meesey, Steven Wilson, Scott Patzold, Marie Vanglund, Lori Rodriguez, Jessica Yount, Aimee McGregor, Danny Williams, Sue Kirk, Victoria Reid, Sara Moscaritolo, Thomas Ahearn, Marion Welsh, Seth Morgan, Sydney Scotton, Alyssa Lawton, Kelly Jo Hapgood, Patrick Laakso, Meadow Landry, Rebecca Miller, and Tatum Bautista, Original music created by Micheal Whelan through Amper Music, Other music created and composed by Ailsa Traves, Young Bloods: The Story of the Family Murders by Bob OBrien, Crime Stoppers (South Australia) - Alan Arthur Barnes, Crime Stoppers (South Australia) - Neil Fredrick Muir, Crime Stoppers (South Australia) - Peter Stogneff, Crime Stoppers (South Australia) - Mark Andrew Langley, Crime Stoppers (South Australia) - Richard Kelvin, The Sydney Morning Herald - Adelaides Duncan case: letting some light shine in, The Sydney Morning Herald - Boys murderer refused High Court appeal, The Sydney Morning Herald - Macabre Adelaide (1), The Sydney Morning Herald - Macabre Adelaide (2), The Sydney Morning Herald - Murderer quizzed on death of youth, The Age - Men fled as Duncan died, court told, The Sydney Morning Herald - The Beaumonts, Kirste and Joanne: the mystery may be over, The Sydney Morning Herald - Witness feared threats to his life, The Age - Court told rape victim thought he would die, The Sydney Morning Herald - Family killings murder charge dropped, The Age - Lock up your sons in the worlds murder capital, The Weekend Australian - How Mother Goose ducked pedophile net, The Advertiser - Police seek von Einem associate, Perth Now - DNA tests for Family murder suspects, The Advertiser - $5M reward bid to solve Family murders, The Sydney Morning Herald - Reward doubled to solve Family murders, The Telegraph - Australian police reopen notorious 1970s Family murders case, The Sydney Morning Herald - Aussie pedophile deported from Indonesia, The Advertiser - Focus on three key suspects, The Advertiser - Revealed: The double life of a magistrate who sought young men, ABC News - Mother Goose sex trial starts in Adelaide, The Advertiser - Mother Goose claims he was set up by gay ex-prostitutes, The Advertiser - Doctor with alleged links to The Family identified as Stephen George Woodards, The Advertiser - Sex-case doctor Stephen George Woodards free to practise, ABC News - Mother Goose acquitted of sex charges, The Advertiser - Paedophile Peter Liddy fears prison attack, ABC News - Former TV entertainer sentenced for sex offences, The Advertiser - Lost diary gives South Australia police new lead into Alan Barnes murder by The Family, The Daily Mail - Will $13million reward solve the murders of 18 children? The son of popular local Nine Network news presenter Rob Kelvin, he was abducted a short distance from his North Adelaide home on 5 June. Hours would begin to pass, and Alan would fail to return home at all that Sunday. 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). [7] Suspect 1, an Eastern Suburbs businessman, is believed to have been with von Einem when Kelvin was abducted. Unfortunately, that Thursday, Peter never arrived at the mall to meet his friend. 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. SA convicted murderer Bevan Spencer Von Einem during the jury's tour of North Adelaide dumping spot of Richard Kelvin's body. That Monday - August 27th, 1979 - Neil Muir was seen alive for the last time. 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. There, George was plied with beers and other alcoholic beverages while the older women flirted with him. Was Dr Millhouse involved in Neil Muirs murder. Lock up your sons in the world's murder capital His friend likely just assumed that Peter had bailed on their plan, and likely gone to school that day. However, that was very circumstantial evidence at best, and anything but definitive. The group was involved in kidnapping, sexually abusing, torturing and murdering 5 boys. 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. 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? Most were later described as being worthless, but a few piqued the interest of Investigator O'Brien. On Saturday, February 27th, 1982, Mark attended a friend's 18th birthday party in Windsor Gardens, a neighborhood in northeastern Adelaide. But a discovery by the medical examiner seemed to undermine that: in addition to all of this, Neil's genitals had been mutilated by his killer. In particular, they were members of the Vice Squad, who typically crackdown on "moral" crimes such as gambling, narcotics, pornography, and illegal substances. 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. This argument would carry on for a few minutes, while the trio was parked along War Memorial Drive, overlooking the Torrens River. [8] Little more could be determined as the remains had been accidentally burnt by the farmer while clearing his property of scrub.[11][19]. It wasn't until Monday morning that Alan's parents decided to contact the police, having not seen him for several days. Stogneff's body had been cut into three pieces in a similar fashion to Muir. The Family Murders is the name given to a series of five sadistic murders committed by a loosely connected group of individuals who came to be known as The Family. The Family Murders: 'Dissected' - Amazon.com.au 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. The final two - Mark Langley and Richard Kelvin - had disappeared just blocks away from one another. The following morning, however, is a different story. He was seventeen years old, with a youthful, handsome appearance, and a carefree, fun-loving attitude. With these results, police were able to successfully link Richard's disappearance and death to at least two prior cases: Alan Barnes and Mark Langley, who had been similarly drugged and sexually assaulted before their deaths. Over time Trevor kept diary records of his conversations with that suspect as well as another suspect. The 'Family murders' involved the killing and torture of five young men from the 1970s to the mid-1980s. Show True Crime Conversations, Ep The Family Murders Of Adelaide - 10 Nov 2021. 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. 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. Peter Leslie Millhouse was a doctor from Mt. The Family Murders - Wikipedia The body count had essentially doubled within a couple of months, and police were still unsure whether or not the cases were related. Also, like the other victims, Mark's cause-of-death seemed to be nearly identical: blood loss from an anal injury, caused by the forced insertion of an unknown item. The death of George Duncan would serve as a catalyst, eventually martyring Duncan himself and leading to repeals of South Australia's harsh anti-homosexuality laws. See what they say here. 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. 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. One victim was killed and dumped within 24 hours, another was kept alive for five weeks, and the rest were in between. 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. At the same time he was developing a network of people who made it possible for him to carry out his sexually sadistic fantasies. He had been sexually assaulted and went on to report this bizarre, terrifying incident to police. However, when Neil Muir's body was discovered, his internal organs had been removed and were gone entirely, leading to police being unable to test his blood levels. Sadly, this dark and tragic saga was just beginning. 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. Things then came full circle when he began using heroin again, and shortly thereafter, followed that up with a dependence on Rohypnol ("roofies", commonly known as the date-rape drug). The Family Murders revolved around von Einem. Another anonymous caller claimed that they had seen Richard Kelvin in a snuff film, which had been filmed very recently. [20] His mutilated body was found in scrub in the Adelaide foothills nine days after his disappearance. Five young men were mysteriously abducted in different . The Family Murders | Adelaide's most notorious unsolved serial killings Over the next few days, it became apparent that Alan Barnes was not returning home. 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. Do you think the Family Murders case will ever be solved? 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. The Butchered Boys of Adelaide. Interview with Homicide Detective Bob O He had school the next day, dinner was waiting, and he wanted to call his girlfriend. 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. Like the other victims, investigators would learn a lot from the status of Mark's remains. victim - The Family Murders 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. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS. Once it became clear that something had happened to Peter, his family launched a frantic search for him, starting in the family's home. He had seemingly disappeared, and a brief search of the area failed to come up with him. In the days immediately after Neil Muir's death, Dr. Millhouse had gone on a bit of a self-described "bender." This was cancelled the night before. The severing of Neil's limbs and the mutilation of his body was originally believed to have been part of an effort to dispose of his body. 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. [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. Millhouse was charged and went to trial but was acquitted. Rumours of high-society involvement and cover-ups. . They now had five bodies - five victims - and five families pushing for answers. [4][10], Some authorities do not recognise the term "The Family", stating that "[t]hey should not be given any title that infers legitimacy. Some of the victims were brutally tortured, or horrifically mutilated or cut up. 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. He has spent that Sunday, June the 5th, playing footy, until the afternoon when his best friend Karl came over. I first heard of the murders in an episode of an Australian television program called . He was able to exploit and manipulate enablers, helpers and participants over a long period of time. George, an impressionable young man, was enticed by the offer and accepted. 1979: The Family (1 year) 1999: Snowtown murders discovered (20 years) As of 2021, this is the longest Adelaide has gone without a crime that has made national or international headlines as either a weird case (Somerton Man), child kidnapping or brutal serial killings since WWII. Because this murder seemed like the type of crime beset by emotional issues - or likely someone with an ax to grind against Alan, personally - police initially began investigating this as a personal crime. Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, is perhaps most well known for its beautiful, scenic landscape, which is wedged in-between the Adelaide Foothills to the east, the coastline that runs along the west and down into the southern cape, and expanse of vast Australia that lies to the north. 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. 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. Five young men who were drugged, viciously raped and tortured, kept captive for up to five weeks, horrifically mutilated, and ultimately murdered. Mr B - The Family Murders 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. Bevan von Einems life revolved around sexual sadism. The Family Murders was a series of murders in the 1970s and 1980s that targeted young men in Adelaide, South Australia between the ages of 14 and 25. The first of which was a very specific call alleging that two men - named Doug and Mark - were responsible for abducting Richard Kelvin. What the two got up to that evening is anyone's guess, but rumors and theories have propagated this story in the decades since. Five murders and over 150 rapes. He likely did this to hide it from his parents, in case they made it home before he did. Alan lived with his parents, both English immigrants, in Salisbury: a northern suburb of Adelaide. 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. 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. While in rehab, Dr. Millhouse refused to speak to police about Neil Muir (or his alleged relationship with the man). by enjin | Feb 12, 2021 . Many of these people were directly involved in the abductions and rape of victims who survived. [8] The reward carried an offer of immunity to accomplices, dependent on their level of involvement. The next day was a Sunday, they both planned to hitchhike to Alan's home in Salisbury. How, why, or where they had seen this tape escaped the caller, but it was enough to send detectives through the paces of investigating every lead related to this: known deviants, underground porn shops, etc. 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. Eventually, Peter returned home with his backpack, stowing it in his family's garage while his parents were at work. Listen to "The Family Murders (Part One: The Murders)" on Spreaker. Needing to get away from his friends and clear his head, Mark decided to get out and walk away. 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. This site is constantly being updated as more is learned. From the outside looking in, von Einem was incredibly average. Several eyewitnesses remembered seeing Alan and his long, blond hair standing along Grand Junction Road that Sunday. High profile lawyer and murder victim Derrance Stevenson regularly entertained teenage youths. 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. The older driver not only offered to give George a ride but offered to show him a good time with some ladies he knew. Ten years von Einem's junior, Mr B helped von Einem pick up, drug, and rape several young men. 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. Police got the number one offender. Among those voices, he described, was a higher-pitched voice, which sounded almost feminine. by enjin | Feb 12, 2021 | victim. This ultimately resulted in a victory for Dr. Peter Millhouse's attorneys, earning the man an acquittal and his freedom. Because of this lack of clarity, police were unable to press forward with any charges for the offenders, and George's story would become buried by more pressing police concerns in the coming weeks and months. 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. Noctec was found in his blood, suggesting he had been drugged. Just like Neil Muir, whoever had taken him had killed him and dumped his body pretty quickly, within a day or two. A Breakdown of a series of murders that took place in Adelaide, South Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. Over a span of several years starting in 1979 and into the 80s five young men, aged from 14 to 25, went missing in different areas of Adelaide. Neil Fredrick Muir, aged 25,[12][13] murdered two months after Barnes in August 1979. 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. Part One: The Murders Between 1979 and 1983, a series of heinous murders shocked Adelaide. The two were hiking through the area near the South Para Reservoir when they noticed something on the ground. 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. Mark Langley Suspect 3, an Eastern Suburbs doctor. This witness recalled Alan getting into a vehicle, which appeared to be a white Holden sedan. Now, with Mark Langley, police were able to confirm the presence of the drug Mandrax in his system. The Family Murders is one of Australias most captivating true crime stories. (What a lovely country, Australia!) Within hours, Alan's father and grandfather found themselves tagged to identify the remains, which were undoubtedly the remains of their missing 17-year-old. Millhouse would have. 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. This meant doing away with large plots of dried-out farmland in a prescribed burn to prepare for the upcoming spring bloom. Case 166: The Family : r/Casefile - reddit [18] His skeletal remains were found in October 1982 later by a local farmer at Middle Beach, 50km north of Adelaide. In the latter half of the 1970s, South Australia had started to regulate drugs like Mandrax, known throughout most of the world as "Quaaludes." Although each attack and mutilation appeared different, police investigators soon began to link the horrific murders to one another.

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