SA convicted murderer Bevan Spencer Von Einem during the jury's tour of North Adelaide dumping spot of Richard Kelvin's body. Peter Leslie Millhouse was a doctor from Mt. 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. 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. Four of the five murders remain unsolved. Because of this lack of clarity, police were unable to press forward with any charges for the offenders, and George's story would become buried by more pressing police concerns in the coming weeks and months. 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 . 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. 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. 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. 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. Richard Dallas Kelvin, (born 4 December 1967) aged 15,[23] murdered in July 1983. The fishermen probed the bags - a mystery just waiting to be unearthed - and quickly discovered that the bags held human remains. He was last seen while hitchhiking being picked up by a white HQ Holden sedan carrying three or four people. Bevan von Einems life revolved around sexual sadism. 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. I first heard of the murders in an episode of an Australian television program called . While police pounded the pavement to find out what had happened to Richard Kelvin, the young man's life was slowly coming to an end. With tattoos, long hair, and a gruff demeanor, Neil looked like your average rock musician, and his transient lifestyle seems to support that. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the case is how did von Einem find accomplices willing to be involved in such crimes? Police got the number one offender. Once known as the "City of Churches," Adelaide began going through a stark progression in the 1960s. Bob O'Brien was an investigator for Major Crimes, who had just started working with the unit the year prior (1982). The next day was a Sunday, they both planned to hitchhike to Alan's home in Salisbury. George and the driver, a man roughly twice his age with artificially-dyed hair, traveled to a nearby house where a couple of young women welcomed them. 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. 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. 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. Its always easier to visualise events when you have maps. 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. . His body also showed signs of beatings and torture. Due to changes in the Forensic Procedures Act, which later allowed DNA samples to be taken from suspects in major indictable offences, all the suspects voluntarily submitted to DNA testing. 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. Another anonymous caller claimed that they had seen Richard Kelvin in a snuff film, which had been filmed very recently. 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. 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. Enjoy reading. Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. 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. Some time after they went missing, their bodies would each be found, often horribly mutilated. 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 . 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. How did he manipulate large numbers of people to get involved to various degrees even if that involvement was merely remaining silent? 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. This reported sighting led police to the notion that a group of people might have been acting in-tandem to abduct Richard, for reasons that appeared nefarious. It wasn't until the following year, 1983, that police finally rediscovered George's story. 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. They organized a helicopter search of the area, which O'Brien was present for, but unfortunately, the police were unable to find anything definitive. '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. But at this point, police were already preoccupied with a separate lead from Neil Muir's social circle: a man named Dr. Peter Millhouse. 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. Many of these people were directly involved in the abductions and rape of victims who survived. Needing to get away from his friends and clear his head, Mark decided to get out and walk away. 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. Analysis of Kelvin's bloodstream revealed traces of four hypnotic drugs,[11][26] including Mandrax and Noctec. Now, with Mark Langley, police were able to confirm the presence of the drug Mandrax in his system. Investigators were unable to pinpoint Peter's exact cause-of-death, or even estimate when he had been killed. The body count had essentially doubled within a couple of months, and police were still unsure whether or not the cases were related. 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. Over the next few days, it became apparent that Alan Barnes was not returning home. 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. 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. 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. 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. See what they say here. 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. George, an impressionable young man, was enticed by the offer and accepted. The Family Murders is a well known and notorious series of crimes that occurred in Adelaide, Australia. 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. Suspect 2, a former male prostitute and close friend of von Einem known as Mr B. The head was tied to the torso with rope passed through the mouth and out through the neck. South Australia's overdue for another Unlike other drugs, Mandrax was heavily-regulated, meaning that police could search through government records to find out who had a prescription, and whether or not they appeared on their suspect lists. The next day was a Sunday, they both planned to hitchhike to Alan's home in Salisbury. 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. Australia's most notorious unsolved serial killings. In October of 1982 - in the very midst of this crime spree - a teenage hitchhiker named George had been picked up by a passing car. Police were now back, right where they had started. Description. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS. Over time Trevor kept diary records of his conversations with that suspect as well as another suspect. He told officers what the two had been up to that weekend: hanging out on Saturday and into Sunday morning, before splitting up. 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. Alan lived with his parents, both English immigrants, in Salisbury: a northern suburb of Adelaide. 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. He had school the next day, dinner was waiting, and he wanted to call his girlfriend. 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. They now had five bodies - five victims - and five families pushing for answers. 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. 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. Veale Gardens had a thriving male prostitution scene, many of which were underage. It was the body of Neil Muir or, rather, what remained of him. Noctec was found in his blood, suggesting he had been drugged. [15] A post-mortem examination revealed that Muir had died of massive blood loss from an anal injury, likely caused by the insertion of a large blunt object[16] and Noctec was found in his blood. If you have information about the case then contact us through our contact page. Ten years von Einem's junior, Mr B helped von Einem pick up, drug, and rape several young men. Later on, Ian would recall the argument cropping up around cigarettes, but that just proves the point of how nonessential it was. Police didn't believe that this voice was Richard, as he was a teenager with a deep voice that had already cracked. Other times he would just pick up a hitch hiker. 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. And at least one witness - a security guard that lived just down the street from the Kelvins - recalled some more details succinctly. 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. Of only one victim. Neil's penis had been cut, and he was missing a testicle at the time of discovery. Mark Andrew Langley, aged 18,[17] murdered in February 1982. 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. George Duncan, one of the three men thrown into the Torrens, would drown that evening. But only one recalled seeing where Alan might have gone. In the latter half of the 1970s, South Australia had started to regulate drugs like Mandrax, known throughout most of the world as "Quaaludes." He was seventeen years old, with a youthful, handsome appearance, and a carefree, fun-loving attitude. 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. There, George was plied with beers and other alcoholic beverages while the older women flirted with him. They phoned police that evening, hoping that their son's whereabouts could be chalked up to a simple miscommunication. Millhouse was charged and went to trial but was acquitted. He was last seen stumbling down the street, supposedly wandering off to parts unknown. Like the other victims, investigators would learn a lot from the status of Mark's remains. 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. It's 1983, and a 15-year-old boy named Richard Kelvin is in a laneway in North Adelaide. However, Neil's life was far less glamorous; rumors persist to this day that, leading up to August of 1979, Neil was engaging in sex work to support his bad habits and lifestyle. Gambier, a city roughly five hours south of Adelaide. Peter Stogneff, aged 14,[17] murdered in August 1981. Bevan Spencer von Einem was jailed for life for the murder of 15-year-old Richard Kelvin. 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. 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. [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.