Snowtown murders | |
---|---|
Criminal charge | Twelve counts of murder |
Penalty | Bunting: 11 life sentences without parole Wagner: 10 life sentences without parole Vlassakis: four life sentences with 26 year non-parole period Haydon: 25 years with 18 year non-parole period |
Details | |
Victims | 12 |
Span of crimes | August 1992 –May 1999 |
Country | Australia |
State(s) | South Australia |
Date apprehended | 21 May 1999 |
The Snowtown murders (also known as the bodies in barrels murders) were a series of murders committed by John Justin Bunting, Robert Joe Wagner, and James Spyridon Vlassakis between August 1992 and May 1999, in and around Adelaide, South Australia. A fourth person, Mark Haydon, was convicted of helping to dispose of the bodies. The trial was one of the longest and most publicised in Australian legal history.
Most of the bodies were found in barrels in an abandoned bank vault in Snowtown, South Australia, hence the names given in the press for the murders. Only one of the victims was killed in Snowtown itself, which is approximately 140 kilometres (87 miles) north of Adelaide, and neither the twelve victims nor the three perpetrators were from the town. Although motivation for the murders is unclear, the killers were led by Bunting to believe that the victims were pedophiles, homosexuals, or "weak". In the case of some victims, the murders were preceded by torture, and efforts were made to appropriate victims' identities, social security payments and bank accounts.
Although initially the notoriety of the murders led to a short-term economic boost from tourists visiting Snowtown, it created a stigma, with authorities considering a change of the town's name and identity. The case has been chronicled in numerous books as well as a film adaptation released in 2011 to critical acclaim.
Several individuals were involved in the murders. John Bunting, Robert Wagner, and Mark Haydon were all charged with the killings; additionally, James Vlassakis pleaded guilty to four murders and provided testimony in exchange for a lesser sentence. There were several other persons who had acted as accomplices in the murders or in the disposal of the bodies:
The victims were chosen at random by Bunting for imagined infractions; some victims were murdered as Bunting suspected them of being a pedophile, based on flimsy evidence or rumour. Others were killed due to his dislike of obese people, drug users, or because they were homosexual. Most of the victims were friends or acquaintances of at least one member of Bunting's group. Some were family members, occasionally sharing a residence with one of the murderers. Some were befriended for a short time and pulled into the group as easy targets for Bunting. [2]
Kevin Howells, a forensic psychiatrist at Broadmoor Hospital in the United Kingdom, believed that Bunting's behaviour suggested he lacked emotion and the capacity to empathise with his victims. It showed that Bunting was a psychopathic killer who derived satisfaction from controlling his victims. Bunting's victims were forced to call Bunting; 'God', 'Master', 'Chief Inspector' and 'Lord Sir'. During the murders, Bunting had fashioned a "rock spider wall" on a wall of a spare room in his house. The chart, created using paper notes and wool, was an interconnected web of names of people Bunting alone suspected to be pedophiles or homosexuals. Bunting would select a name from the wall then call and threaten the person, insinuating they were pedophiles and "would get what's coming to them".
The victims' social security and bank details were often obtained so the murderers, or their associates, could impersonate the victims after their deaths and continue to collect their pensions. Although a total of $97,200 was collected in this way, it is not believed that social security fraud was the main motive for the murders. The final murder of David Johnson was conducted in a Snowtown bank building after the barrels which contained the majority of the victim's remains had been moved there for storage.
Initially, the body of Clinton Trezise was found at Lower Light in 1994, [5] although no connection to Bunting was made at this time. Similarly, the death of Thomas Trevilyan in 1997 was initially treated as a suicide. It was police inquiries into Elizabeth Haydon's disappearance which eventually led them to Snowtown, and on 20 May 1999, the remains of eight victims were found by the South Australian Police in six plastic barrels in a disused bank vault. [10] For this reason, the murders were dubbed the "bodies in barrels murders". [4]
It is believed that the bodies had been held in several locations in South Australia before being moved to Snowtown in 1999. Prosecutors believe that the killers moved the bodies after they became aware of the ongoing police investigation. Two more bodies were found buried in the backyard of Bunting's house in Adelaide. [10] Police later arrested and charged Bunting, Wagner and Mark Haydon on 21 May 1999, for the murders. Vlassakis was arrested later, on 26 May 1999. At the time of the arrest, Vlassakis lived in Bunting's home. [5]
The trial of Bunting and Wagner lasted almost twelve months, the longest in the history of South Australia. In December 2003, [11] Bunting was convicted of committing eleven murders, [10] and Wagner of ten murders, of which he had confessed to only three. [10] Vlassakis pleaded guilty to four of the murders. [10] In 2004, Haydon was convicted on five counts of assisting with the murders of which he admitted to two. [4] [3] The jury did not come to a decision on two murder charges against Haydon, and another charge of assisting murder, at which the senior prosecutor, Wendy Abraham, indicated that she would seek a retrial on those charges. [3] The final count against Bunting and Wagner—that of murdering Suzanne Allen—was dropped on 7 May 2007, when a jury had been unable to reach a verdict. [12]
Justice Brian Ross Martin [13] determined that Bunting was the ringleader, and sentenced him to 11 consecutive terms of life imprisonment without the possibility of release on parole. Wagner was sentenced to 10 consecutive terms under the same conditions, and at his sentencing, he stated from the dock: "Pedophiles were doing terrible things to children. The authorities didn't do anything about it. I decided to take action. I took that action. Thank you." [14] Vlassakis was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences with a non-parole period of 26 years and Haydon was sentenced to 25 years with non-parole period of 18 years. More than 250 suppression orders prevented publication of the details of this case. In early 2011, a judge lifted the remaining orders in response to a request by the producers of the film Snowtown , a dramatisation depicting the murders and the events leading up to them. [15]
In February 2024, Mark Haydon was granted parole, with authorities citing his "excellent" behaviour in prison. He was released in April and is residing at the Adelaide Pre-Release Centre in Northfield as part of the conditions for his parole. [16]
The notoriety of the murders led to a short-term economic boost from tourists visiting Snowtown, [5] but created a lasting stigma. [17] The Age reported in 2011 that Snowtown would be "forever stigmatised" due to its association with the murders. [17] Shortly after the discovery of the bodies in Snowtown, the community discussed changing the name to "Rosetown", but no further actions were taken. [17] As of 2012 [update] , one shop in Snowtown was selling souvenirs of the murders "cashing in on Snowtown's unfortunate notoriety". [18]
The house in Salisbury North where Bunting lived and buried two bodies was demolished by its owner, the South Australian Housing Trust. [2] The other place in Murray Bridge has been sold. The bank, with a four-bedroom attached house, was placed on auction in February 2012 but only reached half its reserve price of $200,000. [19] After holding an open house which raised $700 for charity through charging an entrance fee, the property sold later that year on 27 September for just over $185,000 with the new owners intending to live in the house while running a business from the bank. A plaque will be installed to commemorate the victims. [20] [21]
Since the Snowtown murders, the small farming town has become a grim destination for tourists seeking to explore the dark stories associated with the crimes. The region, still a quaint farming town, has become a landmark associated with the twelve murders committed in the 1990s. [22] Tourists that come through Snowtown are often there because of the murders, and may ignore other problems facing the town. As the true crime industry has become increasingly popular, Snowtown has become increasingly well known. [23] Ultimately, the increased attention on Snowtown, as a result of the Snowtown murders, creates additional pressure on the community. With a decline in economic opportunities, the population of Snowtown has been left with continued trauma and social stigma. [24] [25]
Snowtown , also known as The Snowtown Murders, a feature film based upon the murders, was released in Australia on 19 May 2011. [26]
Australian comedian Eddie Perfect wrote a demo song for "Snowtown the Musical" intended to be screened at the 2011 Inside Film Awards that he was hosting. The song was not broadcast. [27]
Jason Whalley and Lindsay McDougall of punk band Frenzal Rhomb formed a short lived acoustic band named Self Righteous Brothers, releasing an album in 2005 containing the song 'There's No Town Like Snowtown'. [28]
Books detailing the crimes include:
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)Twenty years after police uncovered one of the nation's worst serial killings, Snowtown locals are facing tough decisions about whether to cash in on the town's infamy.