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. George, an impressionable young man, was enticed by the offer and accepted. 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. 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 periphery of The Family is a grey area. The Family Murders: 'Dissected' Kindle Edition - Amazon.com.au 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. There was not much to connect them, other than the graphic sexual nature of the crimes, and months would continue to pass before this story would begin to surface again in the public eye. Police were called out to the scene, and an extensive search of the area commenced. Neil had several drug debts throughout Adelaide, and that is where police started their investigation. It is estimated that over 150 youths and young men were abducted, drugged, and then raped. Other times he would just pick up a hitch hiker. 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 . 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 [16][22] The sedative-hypnotic drug Mandrax, popular in the 1970s disco scene, was found in Langley's blood. 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. 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. Do you think the Family Murders case will ever be solved? [4][10], Some authorities do not recognise the term "The Family", stating that "[t]hey should not be given any title that infers legitimacy. 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. 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. Gino Gambardella regularly scouted Rundle Mall and video game arcades for runaways, homeless teenagers, and youths who he was able to exploit. by enjin | Feb 12, 2021 . 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. Show True Crime Conversations, Ep The Family Murders Of Adelaide - 10 Nov 2021. A Breakdown of a series of murders that took place in Adelaide, South However, that was very circumstantial evidence at best, and anything but definitive. Investigators were unable to pinpoint Peter's exact cause-of-death, or even estimate when he had been killed. The Family Murders (Part Two: The Family) Unresolved But now, they needed to find a suspect. 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. Some of his strategies were to unscrew his car muffler or pull out his choke and ask an unsuspecting youth to help him with car trouble. This included people that visited the same bars and clubs as Neil and perhaps knew him that way. The body count had essentially doubled within a couple of months, and police were still unsure whether or not the cases were related. In the days immediately after Neil Muir's death, Dr. Millhouse had gone on a bit of a self-described "bender." The victims were all young men, who had gone missing in or near the northern section of town. The Kelvins, though upset at the duration of time that had already passed, understood why the process was so delayed but were hopeful that their son would return home to them, safe and sound. 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. 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. 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. 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. Dylan John Kovarskis murdered Nathan Russell in 2021 . Five murders and over 150 rapes. 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. After all, three of the victims (Alan Barnes, Neil Muir, and Mark Langley) had all died of similar injuries, and at least three (Alan Barnes, Mark Langley, and now Richard Kelvin) had all gone missing on Sundays. Neil Muir's body had been so badly mutilated that he still barely resembled an entire being. Players - The Family Murders Players Five murdered young men, over 150 violent abduction drug-rapes, two people arrested, one person found guilty. Banquet: A Marvelous Book about "The Family Murders" in Adelaide This site is constantly being updated as more is learned. 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. POLICE are investigating new information linking convicted killer Bevan Spencer von Einem to the abduction and murder of teenager Alan Barnes. 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. On the final weekend of August 1979, Neil was spotted at both the Duke of York and Buckingham Arms ("The Buck"), two local gay bars that I referenced at the top of the episode. 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 Referred to as a "Randy Mandy" among the era's deviants, Mandrax was a sedative that had just become popular worldwide with the branding "Quaalude." Just a few months later, in June of 1982, the family of missing 14-year-old Peter Stogneff would finally get some resolution. The older man in the driver's seat reached into the backseat and pulled out a beer from a cooler, offering it to George. Peter Stogneff, aged 14,[17] murdered in August 1981. He failed to make any contact with his family, and police began to express concern that he had gone missing under duress. Once known as the "City of Churches," Adelaide began going through a stark progression in the 1960s. 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. Between 1979 and 1983, a series of heinous murders shocked Adelaide. '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. 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. The convicted killer and notorious head of "The Family" ring who picked up hitchhikers and schoolboys to drug and offer to South Australia's elite to sexually abuse has broken his 20-year silence, to blame his victim, and to claim innocence over other murders. 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). Police didn't believe that this voice was Richard, as he was a teenager with a deep voice that had already cracked. The Family were not an official group, gang, or organisation. Following the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1975, Adelaide began to be known as one of the more progressive cities in all of Australia. 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. He then moved away from Adelaide and the murders continued. The Family Murders is the name given to a series of five murders speculated to have been committed by a loosely connected group of individuals who came to be known as "The Family".This group was believed to be involved in the kidnapping and sexual abuse of a number of teenage boys and young men, as well as the torture and murder of five young men aged between 14 and 25, in Adelaide, South . Hundreds of sordid and terrifying crimes and only one man found guilty in relation to only one victim. 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. 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. 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. 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,. Like the other victims, investigators would learn a lot from the status of Mark's remains. 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. They had no idea that they were about to make one of the most gruesome discoveries in Australian history. If your information is verified and its not breaking any laws, we may publish it. It wasn't until the next day, Sunday (February 28th), that Mark's parents began to grow concerned. These individuals have come to be known as the "The Family" and are believed to have kidnapped and sexually abused over 150 boys and are believed to have tortured and murdered at least five teenage boys during a crime spree in Adelaide, South Australia. Listen to "The Family Murders (Part One: The Murders)" on Spreaker. He would literally go on to write the book about this terrifying saga, called "Young Bloods," which - if you're interested - is one of the best resources for this case. It was the body of Neil Muir or, rather, what remained of him. True Crime Conversations: The Family Murders Of Adelaide on - Apple Unfortunately, as the farmer's land burned, so did the remains of the missing teenager. 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. Kelvin was held captive for approximately five weeks[24] and a post-mortem examination revealed that he had died of massive blood loss from an anal injury,[25] likely caused by the insertion of a large blunt object. 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. Alan lived with his parents, both English immigrants, in Salisbury: a northern suburb of Adelaide. 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. 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. Trace evidence, including hair and fibres from von Einem's home, was found on Kelvin's body and clothing. The Family Murders is a well known and notorious series of crimes that occurred in Adelaide, Australia. 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. With tattoos, long hair, and a gruff demeanor, Neil looked like your average rock musician, and his transient lifestyle seems to support that. The jury visits spot where Richard Kelvin's body was found, northeast of Adelaide. 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). 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 argument would carry on for a few minutes, while the trio was parked along War Memorial Drive, overlooking the Torrens River. Police first treated Richard as a runaway; an unfortunate symptom of the times. 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. But at this point, police were already preoccupied with a separate lead from Neil Muir's social circle: a man named Dr. Peter Millhouse. 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. Australia - Australia -the Family, 1979-83, Adelaide, B S Von Einem One victim was killed and dumped within 24 hours, another was kept alive for five weeks, and the rest were in between. And, with the recent discovery of the chemical cocktail found in Richard Kelvin's system, they had a pretty decent foundation for their investigation. Stogneff's body had been cut into three pieces in a similar fashion to Muir. Part One: The Murders Between 1979 and 1983, a series of heinous murders shocked Adelaide. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. In Adelaides gay community in the 1970s and 1980s, young men were coveted for sex. The Family Murders in South Australia : r/UnresolvedMysteries The two had been dating for about a month now, and Richard had excitedly told his mother that he planned on proposing when his girlfriend and he were nineteen years old. 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. Peter Leslie Millhouse was a doctor from Mt. Over the next few days, it became apparent that Alan Barnes was not returning home. (What a lovely country, Australia!) Lock up your sons in the world's murder capital 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. The Family Murders is one of Australia's most captivating true crime stories. The victims were found in random locations throughout the state, their bodies neatly cut into pieces. Regardless, this information was incredibly helpful to police, who began to expand their interests to finding people in the area that drove similar vehicles. "CIA: Crime Investigation Australia" The Butchered Boys (TV - IMDb 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. Suspect 2, a former male prostitute and close friend of von Einem known as Mr B. Alan's body had fallen to the dirt below, twisting and contorting in such a way that - should he have been alive - would have surely resulted in death or serious injury. Dylan John Kovarskis sentenced to 20 years' jail for murder of Adelaide Gambier, a city roughly five hours south of Adelaide. Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. But his teachers recalled him being absent, and hours would pass that afternoon (heading into the evening) and Peter would fail to return home. 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. The Family Murders - Wikipedia When Dr. Millhouse's trial eventually commenced in the latter half of 1980 - more than a year after Neil Muir's murder - the prosecution continued to rely heavily upon their circumstantial evidence and witness statements, failing to establish any motive for the crime or provide any definitive evidence. This section explores the people who at this stage are thought to have been on the periphery. His body also showed signs of beatings and torture. He had been sexually assaulted and went on to report this bizarre, terrifying incident to police. Young Blood refers to the age of the victims who were brutally murdered. The Family murders: Bevan Spencer von Einem's shocking jailhouse Just two days after the body of Alan Barnes was discovered - when the investigation was still unfolding - an anonymous caller reached out to police. In a word, no. It's 1983, and a 15-year-old boy named Richard Kelvin is in a laneway in North Adelaide. The fishermen probed the bags - a mystery just waiting to be unearthed - and quickly discovered that the bags held human remains. This conflict has endured because Alan's bloodstream also showed signs of alcohol consumption, which Alan had participated in that same weekend. Bevan Spencer von Einem - Wikipedia Unlike the other murder victims, however, Mark's body showed an odd sign of surgical precision. [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. Interview with a monster: The City of Corpses murders - news 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. 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. An ear witness said they heard some shouting, 2020 familymurders.com All Rights Reserved. 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. He then moved away from Adelaide and the murders continued. They now had five bodies - five victims - and five families pushing for answers. 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. Bevan von Einem had a network of around 25-30 people. Hence, the odd scar that seemed to serve no other purpose. Unfortunately, it did not. 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. 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 victims ranged in age from 14 to 25, and most were found to have suffered brutal violence, sexual assaults, and/or body mutilation before their death. The 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. Alan's friend made it back to his house within minutes, but unfortunately, Alan was not so lucky. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the case is how did von Einem find accomplices willing to be involved in such crimes? 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. 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. This bore signs of premeditation, implying that this wasn't an impulsive decision, but a conscious one by a killer afraid of being identified through forensic testing. Victims - The Family Murders At the same time he was developing a network of people who made it possible for him to carry out his sexually sadistic fantasies. A day or two prior, at least. Unfortunately, it would later be determined that he would suffer in anguish for weeks before meeting eventually dying more than a month after his initial disappearance. 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. 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. Oh, that reminds me. He has spent that Sunday, June the 5th, playing footy, until the afternoon when his best friend Karl came over. The Family Murders Of Adelaide. This story would become historic, in more ways than one. 2020 familymurders.com All Rights Reserved. Rumours of high-society involvement and cover-ups. 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. 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. 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. Enjoy reading. However, instead of charging them with any known crimes, the officers proceeded to throw the three men into the nearby Torrens River. Noctec was found in his blood, suggesting he had been drugged. This group was believed to be involved in the kidnapping and sexual abuse of a number of teenage boys and young men, as well as the torture and murder of five young men aged between 14 and 25, in Adelaide, South Australia, in the 1970s and 1980s. His mother, Judy, would later describe him as being incredibly witty; "cheeky," as she describes in a 2006 documentary, going on to say that Alan was always quick on his feet, and would respond to any type of comment with something sarcastic and bitterly funny. 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. Needing to get away from his friends and clear his head, Mark decided to get out and walk away. Sadly, Neil's biggest vice was his ever-evolving drug addiction. I think we might get closer to understanding what happened but I think lack of physical evidence pretty much rules out any more charges being laid. They phoned police that evening, hoping that their son's whereabouts could be chalked up to a simple miscommunication. March 3, 2023 - 7:08PM. 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. Through these connections, police were able to link all of these crimes together. We know that on the morning of Sunday, June 17th, Alan and his friend woke up, and tried their luck hitchhiking back to Alan's family's house (a practice that wasn't that uncommon in the late 1970s). He had a network of over 30 people. Millhouse was charged and went to trial but was acquitted. 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. The Family Murders - Strange Matters Podcast 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. That evening, as Mark drove around with his friend Ian and Ian's girlfriend, Paula, an argument broke out. It shows the facts and most likely scenarios, but is fluid so when new information comes to light changes can easily be made. [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. Unfortunately, information gathered by police that fateful Tuesday began to cast doubt on the idea that Richard had willingly chosen to run away from home. 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. The Family werent an official club or group, rather a loose collection of people with Bevan von Einem at the centre. Richard's family disputed this, vigorously denying the notion that Richard would have run away of his own accord. by enjin | Feb 12, 2021 | victim. 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.