Snowtown murders

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Snowtown murders
Criminal chargeTwelve counts of murder
PenaltyBunting: 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
Victims12
Span of crimes
August 1992 May 1999
CountryAustralia
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.

Contents

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.

Background

Perpetrators

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:

Murders

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.

Victims

Investigation

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]

Trials and verdicts

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]

Aftermath

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, 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]

In media

Film

Snowtown , also known as The Snowtown Murders, a feature film based upon the murders, was released in Australia on 19 May 2011. [26]

Music

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

Books detailing the crimes include:

Documentaries

See also

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References

  1. Heckel, Jessica; Drum, Tracy; Gravitt, Karoline (26 November 2008). "John Justin Bunting" (PDF). Dept of Psychology, Radford University, Va. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Debelle, Penelope (9 September 2003). "Gruesome trail of killing". The Age . Melbourne. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Snowtown killers 'cooked victim's flesh'". ABC News . Australia. 19 September 2005. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Bodies-in-barrels trial not over". The Sydney Morning Herald . AAP. 19 December 2004. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Newton, Michael (1 January 2006). The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. Infobase Publishing. 242–244. ISBN   9780816069873 . Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "R v BUNTING & OTHERS (NO 3) No. SCCRM-01-205 [2003] SASC 251". Supreme Court of South Australia. 29 October 2003. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  7. "Snowtown Murders - Bodies in the Barrels". Aussie Criminals and Crooks. 25 April 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  8. Keane, Daniel; Martin, Patrick (20 May 2019). "Living in the shadow of one of Australia's worst serial killings". ABC News. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  9. "Chamber of horrors". The Sydney Morning Herald . 9 September 2003. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Debelle, Penelope (9 September 2003). "Sadists get life". The Age . Melbourne. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  11. Hull, Tony (8 September 2003). "Snowtown killers likely to die in jail". Lateline . Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  12. "Final Snowtown murder charge dropped". ABC News . Australia. 7 May 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  13. Coogan, Michael (28 July 2016). "Brian Martin QC: Meet the man who will head the NT youth detention royal commission". ABC News . Australia. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  14. "Snowtown murderers get life". Lateline. 29 October 2003. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  15. "Snowtown suppression orders lifted for film". News.com.au . AAP. 20 January 2011. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  16. "Snowtown 'bodies-in-the-barrels murders' accomplice Mark Haydon released from prison". ABC . 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  17. 1 2 3 Snowtown: Living with a death penalty The Age 7 May 2011
  18. Kennett, Heather (15 July 2012). "Tourists snap up souvenirs of Snowtown's past". The Advertiser . Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  19. "If walls could talk". The Australian. 30 June 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  20. Noonan, Amy (29 August 2012). "Snowtown bank sells for more than $185,000". The Advertiser. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  21. "Snowtown bank sold". The Age. 29 September 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  22. Mason, Gail (June 2007). "Hate Crime as a Moral Category: Lessons From the Snowtown Case". Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology. 40 (3): 249–271. doi:10.1375/acri.40.3.249. ISSN   0004-8658. S2CID   146576961.
  23. Kim, Sangkyun; Butler, Gareth (2 January 2015). "Local community perspectives towards dark tourism development: The case of Snowtown, South Australia". Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change. 13 (1): 78–89. doi:10.1080/14766825.2014.918621. ISSN   1476-6825. S2CID   144037067.
  24. Rofe, Matthew Winsor (April 2013). "Considering the Limits of Rural Place Making Opportunities: Rural Dystopias and Dark Tourism". Landscape Research. 38 (2): 262–272. Bibcode:2013LandR..38..262R. doi:10.1080/01426397.2012.694414. ISSN   0142-6397. S2CID   144537200.
  25. The darker side of travel : the theory and practice of dark tourism. Richard Sharpley, Philip R. Stone. Bristol, UK. 2009. ISBN   978-1-84541-116-9. OCLC   593253904.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  26. Snowtown (2011) at IMDb, 18 November 2011
  27. Snowtown the Musical, 10 April 2017
  28. , 6 September 2022

Further reading