An ear witness said they heard some shouting, 2020 familymurders.com All Rights Reserved. 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). 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. There was a bridge above where his body had been discovered, with a clearing of about a meter; implying that whoever had tried to throw him into the water below had missed the mark, but had not rectified their mistake. The Adelaide Festival of Arts (also known as just Adelaide Festival) started in 1960 and led to something of a "cultural revival" in the area. [21] Among the mutilations was a wound that appeared to have been cut with a surgical instrument that went from his navel to the pubic region and part of his small bowel was missing. 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. At the same time he was developing a network of people who made it possible for him to carry out his sexually sadistic fantasies. Only one suspect has been charged and convicted for a crime. [5][9] The cold case review was completed in November 2010 with no charges being laid against any of the three key suspects. This group was believed to be involved in the kidnapping and sexual abuse of approximately 150 teenage boys and young men, as well as the torture and murder of 5 young men aged between 14 and 25, in the city of Adelaide, South Australia, in the 1970s and 1980s. 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 . This argument would carry on for a few minutes, while the trio was parked along War Memorial Drive, overlooking the Torrens River. Other times he would just pick up a hitch hiker. 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. Neil Muir's body had been so badly mutilated that he still barely resembled an entire being. 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. 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. 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. He then moved away from Adelaide and the murders continued. 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. Was Dr Millhouse involved in Neil Muirs murder. Make no mistake, Bevan Spencer von Einem is the architect behind all these crimes. This conflict has endured because Alan's bloodstream also showed signs of alcohol consumption, which Alan had participated in that same weekend. [14] The hair around the area had been shaved as it would have been in an operation in a hospital. This theory is that whatever item had been used to sexually assault Mark with - which ultimately led to his death - had gotten caught up in his intestines, and required surgery to retrieve. 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. The fishermen probed the bags - a mystery just waiting to be unearthed - and quickly discovered that the bags held human remains. 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. In addition to the driver, there appeared to be a couple of other occupants inside of the car that they, unfortunately, could not recall many details of. Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. Victims - The Family Murders Victims Alan Barnes Feb 12, 2021 The night before he went missing he stayed at Darko Kastelan's house in Cheltenham. The son was fifteen when he was snatched from the street . [3], Von Einem was convicted in 1984 of the murder of Kelvin and sentenced to life imprisonment. 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. Richard Dallas Kelvin, (born 4 December 1967) aged 15,[23] murdered in July 1983. 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. Trevor Peters lived two doors away from one of the transgender suspects and mixed in the same circles as a number of suspects. . 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. The older driver not only offered to give George a ride but offered to show him a good time with some ladies he knew. Enjoy reading. Eventually, Peter returned home with his backpack, stowing it in his family's garage while his parents were at work. 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. Some showed signs of prolonged captivity, while death came quick to others . Once known as the "City of Churches," Adelaide began going through a stark progression in the 1960s. 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. [6] Von Einem was also one of the last people seen with a fourth victim, Muir, following his abduction. Just like Neil Muir, whoever had taken him had killed him and dumped his body pretty quickly, within a day or two. 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". 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. A span of 4 years. In Adelaides gay community in the 1970s and 1980s, young men were coveted for sex. The following morning, however, is a different story. 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]. It wasn't until the following year, 1983, that police finally rediscovered George's story. "The Family murders" occurred in the period of time between the late 1970s and 1980s. 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. 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. This meant that his remains had likely been sitting out in the wilderness for about a week. This section explores the people who at this stage are thought to have been on the periphery. Neil Muir was someone that you could describe as a transient. This included people that visited the same bars and clubs as Neil and perhaps knew him that way. Noctec was found in his blood, suggesting he had been drugged. 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. 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. 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. 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. Both witnesses - who were friends with Neil and drug users themselves - were prepared to testify should this man be tried for the murder. 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. Hundreds of sordid and terrifying crimes and only one man found guilty in relation to only one victim. 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. 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. 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. 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. Darko's brother dropped them at a bus stop near the corner of on Grand Junction Rd and Addison. The "Family Murders" *Warning: graphic content and mentions of sexual abuse ahead. Police believe that up to 12 people, several of them high-profile Australians, were involved in the kidnappings. These details made it clear to police that this mutilation was not done simply for the killer's ease-of-mind, but indicated that they were a particularly savage killer that had likely committed similar crimes in the past. 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. He failed to make any contact with his family, and police began to express concern that he had gone missing under duress. In the days immediately after Neil Muir's death, Dr. Millhouse had gone on a bit of a self-described "bender." The bodies were found from 24th June 1979 and the fifth and last body on 24th July 1983. Police first treated Richard as a runaway; an unfortunate symptom of the times. Unfortunately, it did not. 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. 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." 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. Murdered victims were kept in captivity by the Family for up to five weeks. He was found wearing most of the clothing he had last been seen in, minus an undershirt and without the chains he often wore around his neck (which contained his zodiac sign, Cancer). Part One: The Murders Between 1979 and 1983, a series of heinous murders shocked Adelaide. In a word, no. Rather than have to read the whole site, or miss updates in the case because you dont know they exist, this section will show time-stamped updates so you can keep up to date with developments. The Family Murders Of Adelaide. 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. After a bit, Rob decided to walk home, leaving the two boys at the park; assured that it was just down the street from their house and it was still early in the day. 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. Some time after they went missing, their bodies would each be found, often horribly mutilated. What the two got up to that evening is anyone's guess, but rumors and theories have propagated this story in the decades since. 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. On Saturday, June 16th, 1979, Alan spent the night at a friend's house. Moments later, George lost consciousness, falling prey to the drugs that he had consumed. Once in the car they would be offered a drink that was laced with a knockout drug. But underneath the surface, a monster lingered 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. This ultimately resulted in a victory for Dr. Peter Millhouse's attorneys, earning the man an acquittal and his freedom. But only one recalled seeing where Alan might have gone. Many of these people were directly involved in the abductions and rape of victims who survived. Unfortunately, Richard Kelvin would never make it home. 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. 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. Its always easier to visualise events when you have maps. 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. One such case is the Family Murders of Adelaide, Australia. Alan lived with his parents, both English immigrants, in Salisbury: a northern suburb of Adelaide. Analysis of Kelvin's bloodstream revealed traces of four hypnotic drugs,[11][26] including Mandrax and Noctec. Hundreds of sordid and terrifying crimes and only one man found guilty in relation to only one victim. Suspect 3, an Eastern Suburbs doctor. 2020 familymurders.com All Rights Reserved. [8] The reward carried an offer of immunity to accomplices, dependent on their level of involvement. See what they say here. Despite there being an overwhelming lack of physical evidence, police decided to pursue charges against Dr. Millhouse anyways, using the rope and trash bags recovered from his home as their primary building block. 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. [8] Little more could be determined as the remains had been accidentally burnt by the farmer while clearing his property of scrub.[11][19]. But the rumors that he engaged in sex work were mainly perpetrated by those that knew him from his regular haunts: members of Adelaide's gay community, who regularly saw Neil at the gay-friendly bars they frequented. The first of which was a very specific call alleging that two men - named Doug and Mark - were responsible for abducting Richard Kelvin. During the 1970s von Einem started developing strategies to lure victims into his car. 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. And at least one witness - a security guard that lived just down the street from the Kelvins - recalled some more details succinctly. 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. 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. 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. 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. The next day was a Sunday, they both planned to hitchhike to Alan's home in Salisbury. 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 case includes mysterious attacks, brutal murders, and a dark conspiracy surrounding a secret group of elites that preyed on the young in the city. An examination of Richard's body discovered that his cause-of-death was virtually identical to the other young male victims: blood loss caused by extensive anal injuries. The other two men thrown into the river with him managed to escape with their lives, but they did not escape unscathed. Like most of the victims targeted by this unknown subject, Richard Kelvin was a young and athletic young man, who seemed destined to have a long and rewarding life. 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. 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 . He was in G Block of Yatala Prison for decades but was transferred to Port Augusta Prison in the north of the state in 2007. After taking the pills, George's memory began to blur. 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. There are also notorious unsolved disappearances in Adelaide, including the Beaumont children. Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. 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. The medical examiners conducting the autopsy and examinations also discovered that Alan's body had been washed extensively after his death; likely an effort to scrub away any evidence linking him to the killer. Young Blood refers to the age of the victims who were brutally murdered. 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. 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.). 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. 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. The ongoing investigation featured in an episode of Crime Stoppers which went to air on 2 March 2009. Unfortunately, as the farmer's land burned, so did the remains of the missing teenager. 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. Alan Arthur Barnes, aged 16, murdered in 1979. 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. Alan Barnes was a teenager growing up in this environment, who seemed to live on the bubble between childhood and adulthood in the winter of 1979. 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. The name of the group stems from an interview a police detective gave on 60 Minutes,[1] claiming the police were taking action "to break up the happy family". When they finally got around to doing this, after the discovery of Richard Kelvin's body, one name popped out at them. Needing to get away from his friends and clear his head, Mark decided to get out and walk away. If you have information about the case then contact us through our contact page. A farmer that lived nearby Middle Beach and Two Wells, roughly an hour north of Adelaide, had been cleansing his farmland during the advised winter months. In particular, they were members of the Vice Squad, who typically crackdown on "moral" crimes such as gambling, narcotics, pornography, and illegal substances. These were connections that were hard to overlook, as police began to theorize that a single offender (or, rather, a group of offenders) had been behind all of these crimes. Mr B - The Family Murders Mr B Mr B was named by South Australian police in 2008 as one of the three main suspects who were involved in the murders alongside Bevan von Einem. While in rehab, Dr. Millhouse refused to speak to police about Neil Muir (or his alleged relationship with the man). 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. While searching, they ended up discovering the body of Richard Kelvin, who had been missing for just shy of two months. 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. Neil had several drug debts throughout Adelaide, and that is where police started their investigation. 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. 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. Dylan John Kovarskis murdered Nathan Russell in 2021 . [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. 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. This witness recalled Alan getting into a vehicle, which appeared to be a white Holden sedan. 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. If your information is verified and its not breaking any laws, we may publish it. 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. Due to the state of the young man's remains, it was believed that Alan had been detained against his will for several days. 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. 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. The older man in the driver's seat reached into the backseat and pulled out a beer from a cooler, offering it to George. According to his family, this was right in-line with Richard's odd sense of humor. Bevan von Einems life revolved around sexual sadism. Police didn't believe that this voice was Richard, as he was a teenager with a deep voice that had already cracked. 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 charges would later be filed against several police officers, they were ultimately acquitted; and it has been widely accepted in the decades since that local law enforcement engaged in a systematic cover-up. He was able to exploit and manipulate enablers, helpers and participants over a long period of time. Between 1979 and 1983, a series of heinous murders shocked Adelaide. 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. George, an impressionable young man, was enticed by the offer and accepted. POLICE are investigating new information linking convicted killer Bevan Spencer von Einem to the abduction and murder of teenager Alan Barnes. 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. These people have no such bond, only an association that with time probably no longer exists". Of only one victim. Of the young men whose stories I'll cover in this episode, he was by far the youngest, and his face showed it: he still had the youthful appearance of a child, and by all accounts, seemed to be your typical teenage boy. Rumours of high-society involvement and cover-ups. Investigators were unable to pinpoint Peter's exact cause-of-death, or even estimate when he had been killed. Because Neil's transient lifestyle led to him becoming known as a bit of a vagabond, his sexuality was not exactly common knowledge. Mark's remains had also clearly been thoroughly washed before being dumped, just like Alan Barnes. '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. 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. But his teachers recalled him being absent, and hours would pass that afternoon (heading into the evening) and Peter would fail to return home. The two were hiking through the area near the South Para Reservoir when they noticed something on the ground. 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. SA convicted murderer Bevan Spencer Von Einem during the jury's tour of North Adelaide dumping spot of Richard Kelvin's body. He had a network of over 30 people. 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. For many, that meant gay-specific bars and clubs, where these individuals were allowed to socially express themselves honestly for the first time in their lives. Although each attack and mutilation appeared different, police investigators soon began to link the horrific murders to one another. On July 24th, 1983, a family was out looking for moss rocks in the vast reaches of the Mount Crawford Forest, about 35 kilometers northeast of Adelaide. The Family Murders are a series of violent and depraved sex crimes committed against five young men and boys in South Australia throughout the 1970's and 1980's. In 1988 Detective Trevor Kipling described a group of people whom he suspected as being responsible as "one big happy family" and vowed to do all that he could to bring them to justice. Police believe this murder is associated with other high profile murders commonly referred to in the media as the 'Family Murders'. He had good grades at school, was well-liked by just about everyone, had a stable of trusted friends, and played soccer for a local Lockley club on the weekends. George gave police a description of the older man that had picked him up and driven him to the house in question, but he could not remember his name, nor the name of the two women at the house they had traveled to. Among friends, Alan had begun to smoke weed and experiment with new things, pushing himself to the limits of his comfort zone to discover who he was and what he enjoyed.