Sadly, Neil's biggest vice was his ever-evolving drug addiction. He had seemingly disappeared, and a brief search of the area failed to come up with him. A short time later, police were contacted and later arrived at the scene to document the grisly find. He had multiple channels to procuring young men. 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. Alan Arthur Barnes, aged 16, murdered in 1979. 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. Mark's remains had also clearly been thoroughly washed before being dumped, just like Alan Barnes. Richard's family disputed this, vigorously denying the notion that Richard would have run away of his own accord. 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. Once known as the "City of Churches," Adelaide began going through a stark progression in the 1960s. 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. 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. This period saw the creation of gay clubs in Adelaide (such as a location known as the Mars Bar) and other clubs where all sexualities were welcome (such as the Duke of York or Buckingham Arms, known in the area as "The Buck"). 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). 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. Other times he would just pick up a hitch hiker. von Einem is serving life imprisonment. 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. Another anonymous caller claimed that they had seen Richard Kelvin in a snuff film, which had been filmed very recently. He loved music - both playing it and listening to it - and had a good rapport with his friends, whom he hung around constantly. 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. 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. Peter Leslie Millhouse was a doctor from Mt. It was speculated that a foreign object had caused the internal perforations, leading to the belief that the killer had been a sexual sadist whose only intent was to cause physical pain. Most were later described as being worthless, but a few piqued the interest of Investigator O'Brien. 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. SA convicted murderer Bevan Spencer Von Einem during the jury's tour of North Adelaide dumping spot of Richard Kelvin's body. Police believe that up to 12 people, several of them high-profile Australians, were involved in the kidnappings. The group was involved in kidnapping, sexually abusing, torturing and murdering 5 boys. 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. The information is easy to navigate and easy reference. Veale Gardens had a thriving male prostitution scene, many of which were underage. Neil Fredrick Muir, aged 25,[12][13] murdered two months after Barnes in August 1979. 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. 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. The Family Murders is a well known and notorious series of crimes that occurred in Adelaide, Australia. 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. Sadly, almost all of the evidence that may have been left behind was now gone, burned away to ash along with all of Peter's remaining soft tissue. [7] Suspect 1, an Eastern Suburbs businessman, is believed to have been with von Einem when Kelvin was abducted. 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. 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. [18] His skeletal remains were found in October 1982 later by a local farmer at Middle Beach, 50km north of Adelaide. Of only one victim. That Monday - August 27th, 1979 - Neil Muir was seen alive for the last time. It was at around this time - the end of August - that Investigator Rod Hunter finally got around to interviewing Bevan Spencer von Einem, the man implicated by an anonymous caller in the murder of Alan Barnes. Mark Langley The last victim was the son of our local television newsreader. It was this rapport that caused Peter to skip school on Thursday, August 27th, 1981. This was commonly found in the drug Noctec, which was an over-the-counter pharmaceutical used to aid people with sleep problems, which had been given to Alan sometime before his death. 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. A day or two prior, at least. He then moved away from Adelaide and the murders continued. While searching, they ended up discovering the body of Richard Kelvin, who had been missing for just shy of two months. He failed to make any contact with his family, and police began to express concern that he had gone missing under duress. [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. It was a group of homosexual men and transgender women who formed a network around convicted murderer and sexual sadist Bevan Spencer von Einem, based on the drugging, raping and sometimes murder of youths and young men. 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. 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. Hence, the odd scar that seemed to serve no other purpose. Unfortunately, that Thursday, Peter never arrived at the mall to meet his friend. They now had five bodies - five victims - and five families pushing for answers. This witness recalled Alan getting into a vehicle, which appeared to be a white Holden sedan. He immediately contacted the police, and when they arrived at the scene, they were able to quickly identify the remains as Peter. He had struggled to wean himself off of heroin, using methadone to do so, only to have methadone become his next addiction. This website was built on publicly available information contributed by many people who have an interest in this case. 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. Regardless, this information was incredibly helpful to police, who began to expand their interests to finding people in the area that drove similar vehicles. Five murders and over 150 rapes. Australian police launch appeal to solve string of notorious killings stretching back to 1966, The Advertiser - Doctor found not guilty of Family murder of Neil Muir dies in NSW, Kimberly Riley & Jeremy Britt-Bayinthavong, Paul Skiba, Sarah Skiba, and Lorenzo Chivers, June & Jennifer Gibbons (The Silent Twins). 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. On this night, in particular, that included these three men. A couple of black trash bags were floating on the low tide of the river's coast. 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. Noctec was found in his blood, suggesting he had been drugged. 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. But he didn't commit these crimes on his own. Alan lived with his parents, both English immigrants, in Salisbury: a northern suburb of Adelaide. The news was heartbreaking for those that had known Alan. Only one suspect has been charged and convicted for a crime. Any person complicit in the abduction, rape and murders of the five victims, plus any person who visited the place of captivity when a victim was knowingly present, plus any person involved in the abduction, spiking and raping of teenage boys or young men with other members of The Family. 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. In a word, no. He was last seen while hitchhiking being picked up by a white HQ Holden sedan carrying three or four people. Medical examiners and investigators began to theorize about the rationale for the surgical scar, and the most plausible one to-date is perhaps one of the worst to imagine. 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. Trace evidence, including hair and fibres from von Einem's home, was found on Kelvin's body and clothing. 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. [4][5] In 1989, von Einem was charged with the murders of two other victims, Barnes and Langley, but the prosecution entered a nolle prosequi (voluntarily discontinue criminal charges) during the trial when crucial similar fact evidence was deemed inadmissible by the presiding judge. Due to the state of the young man's remains, it was believed that Alan had been detained against his will for several days. Alan's friend made it back to his house within minutes, but unfortunately, Alan was not so lucky. Bevan von Einem was an apex predator. Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. Neil had several drug debts throughout Adelaide, and that is where police started their investigation. It's 1983, and a 15-year-old boy named Richard Kelvin is in a laneway in North Adelaide. 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. Unfortunately, it did not. Police were called out to the scene, and an extensive search of the area commenced. The following morning, however, is a different story. 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 . Criminologist Alan Perry of the University of Adelaide, has argued that the murders were part of widespread series of kidnappings and sexual assaults of boys that might number several hundred victims in South Australia from about 1973 to 1983.[11]. The victims were all young men, who had gone missing in or near the northern section of town. The two were hiking through the area near the South Para Reservoir when they noticed something on the ground. 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). 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.). This caller told detectives that a man named Bevan Spencer von Einem was responsible for Alan's death, and his name was added to the list of potential suspects to explore. 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. That evening, as Mark drove around with his friend Ian and Ian's girlfriend, Paula, an argument broke out. This section explores his social network. But only one recalled seeing where Alan might have gone. Of the five men that fell prey to this violent killer, at least two had been drugged with Mandrax, as had George. They phoned police that evening, hoping that their son's whereabouts could be chalked up to a simple miscommunication. 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. The final two - Mark Langley and Richard Kelvin - had disappeared just blocks away from one another. 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. A thrash metal band singer and members of his family were killed in an apparent murder-suicide late last month, according to police. 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. The bags looked as if they had been dropped from the higher-up wharf, just like the body of Alan Barnes had been. The older driver not only offered to give George a ride but offered to show him a good time with some ladies he knew. During the 1970s von Einem started developing strategies to lure victims into his car. 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. Hundreds of sordid and terrifying crimes and only one man found guilty in relation to only one victim. Police first treated Richard as a runaway; an unfortunate symptom of the times. When this young man woke up the next day, he was surprised to find himself both at home and in significant pain. For that reason, many of these men and women had to keep their sexuality confined to specific locations. 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,. Over the next few days, it became apparent that Alan Barnes was not returning home. 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. 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. 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. 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. Richard Dallas Kelvin, (born 4 December 1967) aged 15,[23] murdered in July 1983. 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. Global Nav Open Menu . And, with the recent discovery of the chemical cocktail found in Richard Kelvin's system, they had a pretty decent foundation for their investigation. March 3, 2023 - 7:08PM. Five young men were mysteriously abducted in different . 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. Richard walked him down the road to the nearby O'Connell Street bus stop, arriving without incident, and waited there for his friend's bus to arrive. The Clermont County Sheriff's Office . The head was tied to the torso with rope passed through the mouth and out through the neck. Millhouse was charged and went to trial but was acquitted. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Unfortunately, by the time they returned, Mark was nowhere to be found. View description Share. Peter Stogneff, aged 14,[17] murdered in August 1981. 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 ongoing investigation featured in an episode of Crime Stoppers which went to air on 2 March 2009. Later on, Ian would recall the argument cropping up around cigarettes, but that just proves the point of how nonessential it was. 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. Police had still not linked the two cases - Barnes and Neil Muir - but while being questioned about the first murder, von Einem inquired about the second without any provocation. However, that was very circumstantial evidence at best, and anything but definitive. Gambier, a city roughly five hours south of Adelaide. Stogneff's body had been cut into three pieces in a similar fashion to Muir. 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 jury visits spot where Richard Kelvin's body was found, northeast of Adelaide. Bevan von Einems life revolved around sexual sadism. In June of 1983, Richard Kelvin was approaching sixteen years of age. This section explores the people who at this stage are thought to have been on the periphery. 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. 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). This notoriety brought with it a poor reputation, however, and by the late 1970s, Mandrax had become a regulated prescription drug throughout Australia. [16][22] The sedative-hypnotic drug Mandrax, popular in the 1970s disco scene, was found in Langley's blood. [4][10], Some authorities do not recognise the term "The Family", stating that "[t]hey should not be given any title that infers legitimacy. 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. And at least one witness - a security guard that lived just down the street from the Kelvins - recalled some more details succinctly. Just two days after the body of Alan Barnes was discovered - when the investigation was still unfolding - an anonymous caller reached out to police. 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. [8] The reward carried an offer of immunity to accomplices, dependent on their level of involvement. 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. 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." This included people that visited the same bars and clubs as Neil and perhaps knew him that way. 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? Millhouse would have. Police believe this murder is associated with other high profile murders commonly referred to in the media as the 'Family Murders'. It wasn't until the following year, 1983, that police finally rediscovered George's story. 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. 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. A span of 4 years. Unfortunately, Richard Kelvin would never make it home. Following the supposed abduction of Richard Kelvin, the police unit known as Major Crimes was tasked with overseeing the investigation. [6] Von Einem was also one of the last people seen with a fourth victim, Muir, following his abduction. Through these connections, police were able to link all of these crimes together. 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. 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. 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. The bodies were found from 24th June 1979 and the fifth and last body on 24th July 1983. He then moved away from Adelaide and the murders continued. Mandrax was quickly gaining notoriety as a drug used in the commission of date-rape crimes, and the local government decided that the best way to combat their usage was to keep them regulated so that they had a record of everyone that was prescribed them. With tattoos, long hair, and a gruff demeanor, Neil looked like your average rock musician, and his transient lifestyle seems to support that.
