Neil Muir was someone that you could describe as a transient. 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. 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. Bevan von Einem had a network of around 25-30 people. Bevan Spencer von Einem is serving a life sentence for one of those murders. It is estimated that over 150 youths and young men were abducted, drugged, and then raped. 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. 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. Players - The Family Murders Players Five murdered young men, over 150 violent abduction drug-rapes, two people arrested, one person found guilty. Like the other victims, investigators would learn a lot from the status of Mark's remains. Several eyewitnesses remembered seeing Alan and his long, blond hair standing along Grand Junction Road that Sunday. When a warrant was eventually served on Dr. Millhouse's cottage in northern Adelaide, police found the same type of trash bags and rope that had been found with Neil Muir's remains. Just a few months later, in June of 1982, the family of missing 14-year-old Peter Stogneff would finally get some resolution. 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. [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. Bevan Spencer von Einem was jailed for life for the murder of 15-year-old Richard Kelvin. The news was heartbreaking for those that had known Alan. It's 1983, and a 15-year-old boy named Richard Kelvin is in a laneway in North Adelaide. Police first treated Richard as a runaway; an unfortunate symptom of the times. No additional leads would surface in that time-span, and police would continue to refrain from stating that the two victims so far - Alan Barnes and Neil Muir - were connected in any way (at least, they wouldn't say so publicly). 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. 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. [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. [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. 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 The post-mortem revealed that Langley had died from a massive loss of blood from gross injuries to his anus, similar to Barnes. It was the body of Neil Muir or, rather, what remained of him. He was able to exploit and manipulate enablers, helpers and participants over a long period of time. . 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). 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. The "Family Murders" *Warning: graphic content and mentions of sexual abuse ahead. In the days immediately after Neil Muir's death, Dr. Millhouse had gone on a bit of a self-described "bender." 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. He is 50 metres from his beautiful family home. 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. SA convicted murderer Bevan Spencer Von Einem during the jury's tour of North Adelaide dumping spot of Richard Kelvin's body. 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. Peter Stogneff, aged 14,[17] murdered in August 1981. 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. Nine days after Mark Langley went missing, his body was discovered in the Adelaide Foothills, close to Mount Lofty in the area known as Summertown. Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. Detective O'Brien was the unfortunate one tasked with notifying the Kelvins that Richard's body had been found; which he describes in his book as one of the most heartbreaking duties he's ever had to endure. In 2014 when Trevor passed away, his diaries were recovered. Once known as the "City of Churches," Adelaide began going through a stark progression in the 1960s. He immediately contacted the police, and when they arrived at the scene, they were able to quickly identify the remains as Peter. 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. This was as good of a tip as police were going to get, and since the most recent victim of this strange killing spree had been found in the Foothills, police decided to follow through on the tip. The head was tied to the torso with rope passed through the mouth and out through the neck. The next day was a Sunday, they both planned to hitchhike to Alan's home in Salisbury. While investigators had been keeping information closely guarded in this case, they decided to publicize this information to the media in the hopes that it would attract follow-up tips. However, instead of charging them with any known crimes, the officers proceeded to throw the three men into the nearby Torrens River. He has spent that Sunday, June the 5th, playing footy, until the afternoon when his best friend Karl came over. His friend likely just assumed that Peter had bailed on their plan, and likely gone to school that day. Gambier, a city roughly five hours south of Adelaide. 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." A witness says she saw Stogneff at Tea Tree Plaza with someone matching Noel Brook's appearance. Mark Langley attended party in Windsor Gardens but left with a male and female. 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. This argument would carry on for a few minutes, while the trio was parked along War Memorial Drive, overlooking the Torrens River. Of only one victim. But only one recalled seeing where Alan might have gone. by enjin | Feb 12, 2021 | victim. They tried to hitch a ride on Grand Junction Road, a busy thoroughfare in Adelaide, before realizing that they were going to have no luck hitchhiking together. 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. Darko's brother dropped them at a bus stop near the corner of on Grand Junction Rd and Addison. While in rehab, Dr. Millhouse refused to speak to police about Neil Muir (or his alleged relationship with the man). Regardless, this information was incredibly helpful to police, who began to expand their interests to finding people in the area that drove similar vehicles. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS. 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. 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. 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. Although each attack and mutilation appeared different, police investigators soon began to link the horrific murders to one another. He likely did this to hide it from his parents, in case they made it home before he did. When this young man woke up the next day, he was surprised to find himself both at home and in significant pain. The bags looked as if they had been dropped from the higher-up wharf, just like the body of Alan Barnes had been. A few more anonymous calls would be received in the coming weeks. I think we might get closer to understanding what happened but I think lack of physical evidence pretty much rules out any more charges being laid. 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. He never made it 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. 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. 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. They now had five bodies - five victims - and five families pushing for answers. Neil's numerous tattoos had also been cut away from his flesh, and those patches of inked skin had been placed into his chest cavity along with his severed limbs. One such case is the Family Murders of Adelaide, Australia. Hundreds of sordid and terrifying crimes and only one man found guilty in relation to only one victim. 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. [8] Little more could be determined as the remains had been accidentally burnt by the farmer while clearing his property of scrub.[11][19]. Many of these people were directly involved in the abductions and rape of victims who survived. The Family Murders is a well known and notorious series of crimes that occurred in Adelaide, Australia. Unfortunately, it did not. Suspect 2, a former male prostitute and close friend of von Einem known as Mr B. 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. Millhouse was charged and went to trial but was acquitted. Veale Gardens had a thriving male prostitution scene, many of which were underage. That was believed to have been Neil's cause-of-death, same as Alan Barnes. 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. Millhouse would have Peter intended to skip school and meet his uncle (similar age) in Rundle Mall. 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. Just two days after the body of Alan Barnes was discovered - when the investigation was still unfolding - an anonymous caller reached out to police. 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"). He was last seen stumbling down the street, supposedly wandering off to parts unknown. Meanwhile, as police struggled to answer these basic questions, the trial against Dr. Peter Millhouse remained a thing of the past. 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. This section explores his social network. While changes in Southern Australia's draconian laws had decriminalized homosexuality, there were still people eager to prey on or harass gay men and women - behavior that lingers to this day. 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. In Adelaides gay community in the 1970s and 1980s, young men were coveted for sex. 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. This story would become historic, in more ways than one. Due to the state of the young man's remains, it was believed that Alan had been detained against his will for several days. Following the supposed abduction of Richard Kelvin, the police unit known as Major Crimes was tasked with overseeing the investigation. Bevan von Einem was no exception he also preferred youths between the 15 and 19 year old age group. 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. He was the son of Channel 9 News host Rob Kelvin, who had just recently taken over the hosting gig after more than a decade of field reporting through the station and a radio affiliate. Neil's penis had been cut, and he was missing a testicle at the time of discovery. Apart from von Einem, three other core members are thought to be directly involved in the murders; while DNA testing re-commenced in 2008, no further charges have been laid. In August of 1979, Neil was living alone in an apartment on Carrington Street, right in the middle of Adelaide itself. He had multiple channels to procuring young men. 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. Mr B made contact with police two days after Alan Barnes was found. Show True Crime Conversations, Ep The Family Murders Of Adelaide - 10 Nov 2021. Analysis of Kelvin's bloodstream revealed traces of four hypnotic drugs,[11][26] including Mandrax and Noctec. Neil Fredrick Muir, aged 25,[12][13] murdered two months after Barnes in August 1979. By the time they managed to look outside, whoever had been outside had already sped off. Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. 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. This was cancelled the night before. 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.). Part One: The Murders Between 1979 and 1983, a series of heinous murders shocked Adelaide. 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. This caller alleged that the two older men had been driving around a 1963 EJ Holden sedan. The periphery of The Family is a grey area. Following the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1975, Adelaide began to be known as one of the more progressive cities in all of Australia. Another anonymous caller claimed that they had seen Richard Kelvin in a snuff film, which had been filmed very recently. 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. While police began to investigate who might be responsible for this heinous crime, medical examiners testing the body made a pretty shocking discovery: the presence of drugs in his blood. Bevan von Einems life revolved around sexual sadism. 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. Sadly, this dark and tragic saga was just beginning. The following morning, however, is a different story. This witness recalled Alan getting into a vehicle, which appeared to be a white Holden sedan. Five murders and over 150 rapes. The Family were not an official group, gang, or organisation. Over the next few days, it became apparent that Alan Barnes was not returning home. 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". One victim was killed and dumped within 24 hours, another was kept alive for five weeks, and the rest were in between. Our locations section shows where all the events happened and where all the players lived. Police wouldn't get around to conducting a door-to-door canvas of the neighborhood until Tuesday, two days after Richard had gone missing. A couple of black trash bags were floating on the low tide of the river's coast. For obvious reasons, he didn't tell his parents, setting out that morning with his backpack and heading off like any other day. POLICE are investigating new information linking convicted killer Bevan Spencer von Einem to the abduction and murder of teenager Alan Barnes. But, just like the failure to properly drop Alan's body into the water, these bags had failed to make it to their intended location; still resting against the coast, instead of floating out to sea, where they'd have been lost forever. The man that had driven George there offered him a couple of pills called "No-Doz," which - he promised - would help him stay awake to enjoy the party. 17-year-old Alan Barnes, 25-year-old Neil Muir, 14-year-old Peter Stogneff, 18-year-old Mark Langley and 15-year-old Richard Kelvin were later found dumped in the Adelaide Hills and surrounds. 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. But at this point, police were already preoccupied with a separate lead from Neil Muir's social circle: a man named Dr. Peter Millhouse. In the days after Neil Muir's body was discovered in separate black trash bags, police had received two separate phone calls alerting them to the victim's relationship with a local doctor. According to his family, this was right in-line with Richard's odd sense of humor. Unfortunately, by the time they returned, Mark was nowhere to be found. Police didn't believe that this voice was Richard, as he was a teenager with a deep voice that had already cracked. 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). 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 . 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. Just like Neil Muir, whoever had taken him had killed him and dumped his body pretty quickly, within a day or two. The name of the group stems from an interview a police detective gave on 60 Minutes, claiming the police were taking action to break up the happy family. Police believe that up to 12 people, several of them high-profile Australians, were involved in the kidnappings. 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. It shows the facts and most likely scenarios, but is fluid so when new information comes to light changes can easily be made.
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