Betty Shanks | |
|---|---|
 Betty Shanks in September 1952 | |
| Born | 10 October 1929, Wilston, Queensland |
| Died | (aged 22) Grange, Queensland, Australia |
| Alma mater | The University of Queensland |
The Murder of Betty Shanks is one of the oldest and most notorious unsolved murder cases [1] in Queensland, Australia.
On the night of 19 September 1952, 22-year-old Betty Shanks got off a tram at Days Road Terminus in Grange, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, after attending classes in the city and started her short walk home. Her violently beaten body was found in the garden of a house on the corner of Carberry and Thomas Streets the next morning at 5:35 AM, [2] by a policeman who lived nearby. [3] At the time it was Queensland's biggest criminal investigation ever, [4] and as of 2010 [update] a reward of A$50,000 is still current. [2]
An attack by a sex offender was considered very early in the investigation. [5] Another theory is that the murderer attacked the wrong woman, and was actually interested in a doctor's receptionist – who also walked home down the same street at the same time, and had keys to the surgery which contained drugs. [4] A number of people have confessed over the years, however all have proven to be false. [6]
Several books have been written about the murder and the authors have outlined who they believe the murderer to be. These works include:
The Courier-Mail is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Yandina on the Sunshine Coast. It is available for purchase both online and in paper form throughout Queensland and most regions of Northern New South Wales.
Betty Louise Van Patter, was a bookkeeper for the Black Panther Party, although she herself was white. Van Patter was murdered, a crime which remains unsolved.
The Queensland Police Service (QPS) is the principal law enforcement agency responsible for policing the Australian state of Queensland. In 1990, the Queensland Police Force was officially renamed the Queensland Police Service and the old motto of "Firmness with Courtesy" was changed to "With Honour We Serve". The headquarters of the Queensland Police Service is located at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.
The following lists events that happened during 2000 in Australia.
H.M. Prison Brisbane, more commonly known as Boggo Road Gaol, was Queensland's main prison from the 1880s to the 1980s. By the time it closed, it had become notorious for poor conditions and rioting. Located on Annerley Road in Dutton Park, an inner southern suburb of Brisbane, it is the only surviving intact gaol in Queensland that reflects penological principles of the 19th century. After closing in 1992, the larger 1960s section was demolished, leaving the heritage listed section.
This is a timeline of major crimes in Australia.
Wilston is a northern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Wilston had a population of 4,110 people.
Grange is a northern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Grange had a population of 4,615 people.
The Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) is an independent Queensland Government integrity agency created to combat and reduce the incidence of major crime and to continuously improve the integrity of, and to reduce the incidence of misconduct in, the Queensland public sector. Formerly the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) 2002–2014. The CCC also has a witness protection function. The commission was established on 1 January 2002, when the former Criminal Justice Commission and the Queensland Crime Commission were merged into a single entity under the name Crime and Misconduct Commission.
Daniel James Morcombe was an Australian boy who was abducted from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, on 7 December 2003 when he was 13 years old. Eight years later, Brett Peter Cowan, a former Sunshine Coast resident, was charged with Morcombe's murder. In the same month, DNA tests confirmed bones in the Glass House Mountains were Morcombe's. On 13 March 2014, Cowan was found guilty of the murder, and was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder, indecently dealing with a child, and interference with a corpse.
Leanne Sarah Holland was an Australian girl from Goodna, Queensland, who was murdered in September 1991, when she was 12 years old. Her mutilated body was found in nearby Redbank Plains, three days after she was reported missing. Graham Stafford, her sister's live-in boyfriend, was convicted of her murder. Stafford's conviction was quashed as a miscarriage of justice after he had served 14 years in prison.
Sian Kingi was a twelve-year-old New Zealand-Australian girl of partial Maori descent who was abducted, raped and murdered in Noosa, Queensland in November 1987. Barrie John Watts and Valmae Faye Beck, a married couple, were convicted in 1988 of the much-publicised crime. Watts was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Beck would have been eligible for parole after 14.5 years, but died while she was still incarcerated.
The Telegraph was an evening newspaper published in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was first published on 1 October 1872 and its final edition appeared on 5 February 1988. In its day it was recognised as one of the best news pictorial newspapers in the country. Its Pink Sports edition was a particularly excellent production produced under tight deadlines. It included results and pictures of Brisbane's Saturday afternoon sports including the results of the last horse race of the day.
Brett Peter Cowan is an Australian murderer and serial child rapist. He was convicted of the murder of Daniel Morcombe, a 13-year-old boy who disappeared from the Sunshine Coast on 7 December 2003. His abduction led to an eight-year investigation involving various suspects. As a result of these investigations, Cowan led undercover police to a potential burial site. He was charged with the murder that same month, and Morcombe's remains were discovered days later on 17 August. Cowan was sentenced to life imprisonment, on 13 March 2014 in a trial that attracted worldwide attention. Cowan had two previous convictions for sexually abusing children, the earliest dating back to 1987.
Hedley Thomas is an Australian investigative journalist and author, who has won seven Walkley Awards, two of which are Gold Walkleys.
Kathleen Marshall was a prominent Australian veterinarian and University of Queensland alumnus, whose murder led to an extensive police investigation.
The Bandidos Motorcycle Club is classified as a motorcycle gang by law enforcement and intelligence agencies in numerous countries. While the club has denied being a criminal organization, Bandidos members have been convicted of partaking in criminal enterprises including theft, extortion, prostitution, drug trafficking and murder in various host nations.
Wilston Methodist Memorial Church is a heritage-listed former church at 181 Kedron Brook Road, Wilston, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Ford, Hutton & Newell and built in 1956. It is also known as Trinity Grove Uniting Church, Trinity-Wilston Memorial Uniting Church, Wilston Uniting Church, and Wilston Methodist Church. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 12 November 2021.
