Some of the employees that worked at the area's bars recalled seeing the two together multiple times that weekend, and other character witnesses described Dr. Millhouse and Neil as being very close friends (intimate, even). The "Family Murders" *Warning: graphic content and mentions of sexual abuse ahead. 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. Mark Andrew Langley, aged 18,[17] murdered in February 1982. In the latter half of the 1970s, South Australia had started to regulate drugs like Mandrax, known throughout most of the world as "Quaaludes." They had no idea that they were about to make one of the most gruesome discoveries in Australian history. 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. 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. And, with the recent discovery of the chemical cocktail found in Richard Kelvin's system, they had a pretty decent foundation for their investigation. Our locations section shows where all the events happened and where all the players lived. The other murders remain unsolved. [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. The Butchered Boys: This episode revisits Adelaide's notorious Adelaide Family Murders case, where six young Adelaide men were murdered during the 1970s and '80s. Five murders and over 150 rapes. 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". Many of these people were directly involved in the abductions and rape of victims who survived. 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. 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). But only one recalled seeing where Alan might have gone. Four of the five murders remain unsolved. 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. This section explores his social network. This meant that his remains had likely been sitting out in the wilderness for about a week. For obvious reasons, he didn't tell his parents, setting out that morning with his backpack and heading off like any other day. (What a lovely country, Australia!) The bodies were found from 24th June 1979 and the fifth and last body on 24th July 1983. 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. 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. Bob O'Brien was an investigator for Major Crimes, who had just started working with the unit the year prior (1982). He likely did this to hide it from his parents, in case they made it home before he did. He failed to make any contact with his family, and police began to express concern that he had gone missing under duress. 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. Over time Trevor kept diary records of his conversations with that suspect as well as another suspect. A thrash metal band singer and members of his family were killed in an apparent murder-suicide late last month, according to police. That was believed to have been Neil's cause-of-death, same as Alan Barnes. 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. With these results, police were able to successfully link Richard's disappearance and death to at least two prior cases: Alan Barnes and Mark Langley, who had been similarly drugged and sexually assaulted before their deaths. Suspect 3, an Eastern Suburbs doctor. He had school the next day, dinner was waiting, and he wanted to call his girlfriend. How, why, or where they had seen this tape escaped the caller, but it was enough to send detectives through the paces of investigating every lead related to this: known deviants, underground porn shops, etc. It was there that they found his backpack hidden in the garage, which ultimately led to calls to all of his friends. 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. 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. The first of which was a very specific call alleging that two men - named Doug and Mark - were responsible for abducting Richard Kelvin. 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. 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. After taking the pills, George's memory began to blur. 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. 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. [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. 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. Ten years von Einem's junior, Mr B helped von Einem pick up, drug, and rape several young men. One such case is the Family Murders of Adelaide, Australia. Bevan von Einems life revolved around sexual sadism. But his teachers recalled him being absent, and hours would pass that afternoon (heading into the evening) and Peter would fail to return home. 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. It wasn't until the following year, 1983, that police finally rediscovered George's story. Most were later described as being worthless, but a few piqued the interest of Investigator O'Brien. The Family were not an official group, gang, or organisation. 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. Needing to get away from his friends and clear his head, Mark decided to get out and walk away. This included people that visited the same bars and clubs as Neil and perhaps knew him that way. Analysis of Kelvin's bloodstream revealed traces of four hypnotic drugs,[11][26] including Mandrax and Noctec. 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. [14] The hair around the area had been shaved as it would have been in an operation in a hospital. 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. The last victim was the son of our local television newsreader. [5][9] The cold case review was completed in November 2010 with no charges being laid against any of the three key suspects. 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. 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. Rumours of high-society involvement and cover-ups. Gambier, a city roughly five hours south of Adelaide. [citation needed]. 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. This website was built on publicly available information contributed by many people who have an interest in this case. [3], Von Einem was convicted in 1984 of the murder of Kelvin and sentenced to life imprisonment. 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. However, the medical examiners in Adelaide concluded definitively that Alan had died several hours before this happened. Bevan von Einem had a network of around 25-30 people. 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. [16][22] The sedative-hypnotic drug Mandrax, popular in the 1970s disco scene, was found in Langley's blood. Through these connections, police were able to link all of these crimes together. 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. 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. 2020 familymurders.com All Rights Reserved. This was cancelled the night before. In Adelaides gay community in the 1970s and 1980s, young men were coveted for sex. Alan and his friend bid adieu to one another, with his friend assured that Alan would be okay; Grand Junction Road was always busy and teeming with life, and it wasn't like he was leaving Alan in the middle of the night. 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." According to some witnesses in the area, screams had been heard at around the time that Richard had disappeared, some time between 5:30 and 6:30 PM that Sunday. 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. Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. 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". It's 1983, and a 15-year-old boy named Richard Kelvin is in a laneway in North Adelaide. Now, with Mark Langley, police were able to confirm the presence of the drug Mandrax in his system. 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. As the 1970s entered their homestretch, Alan was beginning to enter the phase of his life where he experimented with drug and alcohol usage. In June of 1983, Richard Kelvin was approaching sixteen years of age. 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. 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. Trace evidence, including hair and fibres from von Einem's home, was found on Kelvin's body and clothing.
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