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. 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 next day was a Sunday, they both planned to hitchhike to Alan's home in Salisbury. 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. 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 Family murders are the name of the murders of five young men and teenagers who happened in Adelaide, South Australia between 1979 and 1983. Listen to "The Family Murders (Part One: The Murders)" on Spreaker. The following morning, however, is a different story. The last victim was the son of our local television newsreader. On Saturday, June 16th, 1979, Alan spent the night at a friend's house. [16][22] The sedative-hypnotic drug Mandrax, popular in the 1970s disco scene, was found in Langley's blood. 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. In 1979, residents of Adelaide were gripped by fear when several young men began to go missing under mysterious circumstances. This triggered a recurrence of his on-again/off-again bout with alcoholism, and within a week, he had checked himself into the Osmond House rehabilitation center but not before consulting with his attorney for any potential legal ramifications. The Family Murders is a well known and notorious series of crimes that occurred in Adelaide, Australia. Millhouse was charged and went to trial but was acquitted. Regardless, this information was incredibly helpful to police, who began to expand their interests to finding people in the area that drove similar vehicles. Major Crimes was primarily responsible for serial killings, mass killings, and any other high-profile crimes that the local government wanted to be handled by a specialized task force. '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. Dylan John Kovarskis sentenced to 20 years' jail for murder of Adelaide [5] Others, who have examined the cases, however, argue that there were many more victims. 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 . But underneath the surface, a monster lingered 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 was also found to be wearing clothing that did not belong to him, and his original clothing was missing entirely. The two were hiking through the area near the South Para Reservoir when they noticed something on the ground. Bob O'Brien was an investigator for Major Crimes, who had just started working with the unit the year prior (1982). 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. 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. 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. Darko's brother dropped them at a bus stop near the corner of on Grand Junction Rd and Addison. He was seventeen years old, with a youthful, handsome appearance, and a carefree, fun-loving attitude. This screening also revealed that the young man had been drugged with Mandrax ("Randy Mandys"), which had resulted in him losing consciousness. At this point, the idea of a random killer hadn't even crossed investigators' minds. He then explained to the investigator that he was a former lover of Neil's, from roughly four years beforehand, and had run into the man just days before his eventual murder. The Family Murders (Part One: The Murders) - Spreaker Bevan von Einem had a network of around 25-30 people. 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. [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. Just like Neil Muir, whoever had taken him had killed him and dumped his body pretty quickly, within a day or two. 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 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. 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. He consented to any available tests or analysis, and during a medical screening, it was discovered that the young man did have tears in his anus, proving that he had been raped. 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 . Stogneff's body had been cut into three pieces in a similar fashion to Muir. 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. So, they believed that this crime might have been perpetrated by someone that Neil owed money to, who wanted to cover up their tracks afterward. The final two - Mark Langley and Richard Kelvin - had disappeared just blocks away from one another. [18] His skeletal remains were found in October 1982 later by a local farmer at Middle Beach, 50km north of Adelaide. In particular, they were members of the Vice Squad, who typically crackdown on "moral" crimes such as gambling, narcotics, pornography, and illegal substances. 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. 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. 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. 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. One such case is the Family Murders of Adelaide, Australia. The head was tied to the torso with rope passed through the mouth and out through the neck. A Breakdown of a series of murders that took place in Adelaide, South Mark Andrew Langley, aged 18,[17] murdered in February 1982. Hours would begin to pass, and Alan would fail to return home at all that Sunday. 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. A day or two prior, at least. 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. Neil Fredrick Muir, aged 25,[12][13] murdered two months after Barnes in August 1979. However, they quickly began to narrow in on the one avenue of the investigation that seemed most enticing to them at the time: Neil's dependency on drugs and alcohol. He failed to make any contact with his family, and police began to express concern that he had gone missing under duress. South Australia's overdue for another 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 Family murders" occurred in the period of time between the late 1970s and 1980s. 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 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 . There are also notorious unsolved disappearances in Adelaide, including the Beaumont children. However, police would reach out to all of Mark's known friends, and learned that the night prior - February 27th - he had simply wandered off into the night and had not been seen since. Over the next few days, it became apparent that Alan Barnes was not returning home. The Family Murders is one of Australias most captivating true crime stories. Rumours of high-society involvement and cover-ups. Bevan von Einem was no exception he also preferred youths between the 15 and 19 year old age group. While in rehab, Dr. Millhouse refused to speak to police about Neil Muir (or his alleged relationship with the man). 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. 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. 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 emergence of this drug would prove to be very interesting in the years to come, but at this point in the investigation, police were still struggling to connect all of the dots. Unfortunately, that Thursday, Peter never arrived at the mall to meet his friend.