Meclazine's megathread on crime in Australia (now including Austria)

[Meclazine for Israel]

Inspired in part by my co-conspirator, i do find that this country has some interesting criminal behaviour, so when i get the chance i will try and add some interesting stories on crimes, past and present, famous and infamous to this thread.

First up:

The Peter Falconio murder.

In 2001, Peter Falconio and Joanne Lees were young tourists from the UK on an Australian holiday.

Peter had been drinking and smoking pot and having fun, and Joanne had a minor fling with one of Peter's friends, so the couple were enjoying themselves.

They purchased an orange Kombi-van and set off across Australia with love in the hearts and a sense of adventure.

During their outback trip, they would light up the occasional joint and enjoy the majestic sunsets together.

One evening around 6pm, July 14, 2001, they set off together heading north from Barrow Creek, a dusty outpost in the centre of Australia.


Barrow Creek Petrol Station

A few hours into their journey, a man in a white 4WD overtook their car and motioned for them to stop highlighting mechanical issues with their car.

When they did, the man walked up behing them and spoke to Peter about a problem at the back of the Kombi van.

Peter got out to investigate, walked to the back of the van. A gun shot was heard.

Joanne was soon confronted by the man brandishing a handgun.

She was dragged out of the car, hands cable-tied behind her back and placed in the back tray of the offender's vehicle.

Fearing for her life, she placed her arms underneath her feet so her hands were now in front of her body, although still cable-tied.

She wriggled out of the car, fell onto the side of the road and then ran into the scrub.


The Murder Scene

In total darkness, the 27 yo woman found a hiding spot close to the road under a bush.

As Joanne hid, she noticed a hole most likely dug by a sleeping animal, and crawled up tight as a ball into it and waited.

Shortly thereafter, guessing correctly which side of the highway she had escaped to, she heard loud footsteps and torch light flickering past the bush, shining through and then fading away. For the next 6 hours, heart pounding, trying not to breathe too loudly, the man stalked the bushes for Joanne's location.

He would pretend to drive away, and then slowly drive past with his lights off. He then came past the bush again on foot, yelled for her to come out as he promised not to hurt her, but she remained perfectly hidden.

At 3am in the morning, Joanne left the safety of the scrub and ventured closer to the highway. Whenever a car drove past, she remain hidden, fearing it was the killer.

But once a prime mover triple road train came down the road, she moved to the middle of the road and flagged down the truck driver.

Given the weight of the truck, he could not brake in time and missed hitting Joanne by inches

She was safe. She was taken to a nearby town and waited in a pub at 5am with drunk patrons whilst the police from Alice Springs drove up to her.

Bradley John Murdoch was arrested, charged and found guilty of the murder of Peter Falconio 4 years later.


Bradley John Murdoch

[Meclazine for Israel]

This next round of criminal behaviour comes just up the highway 220km in Tennant Creek.

A series of crimes in 2018 so heinous that i cannot actually list the details.

https://www.news.com.au/national/crime-in-the-outback-this-town-has-a-problem-with-sexual-assault-on-children/news-story/434c70e5263ae2c0c9df5f289162d4f2

Members of the NT government have said that they want the media to stop reporting on this outback towns' descent into total depravity.

[Meclazine for Israel]

The Meat Pie Murder

Further up the Stuart Highway 600km, the most interesting murder/disappearance case in Australia is currently unfolding.

Welcome to the town of Larrimah, Northern Territory, population 13.

An unlucky number indeed for one of it's more outgoing citizens, Paddy Moriaty and his dog, who have gone missing presumed murdered.



That leaves only 12 suspects, and one in particular stands out because of a previous fight over the quality of her meat pies.

Watch video for case file update:

https://youtu.be/KzqVNsQgiGs

For my gold exploration work, I was actually working in the area at the time of the disappearance, so that is why i know the finer details. But on 16 Dec 2018, it was not big news straight away. It's taken a few months for this story to unfold.

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-01/larrimah-where-are-paddy-moriarty-and-his-dog-kellie/9380782

I think based on all available evidence, it's the pie lady, Fran Hodgetts.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Latest and greatest.

Tasmania, a place dear to my heart.

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-20/body-found-in-north-east-tasmania/10139268

The Tasmanian devils may have got to the body, but maybe a dismemberment.

Drop a shipload of English convicts on a small island 230 years ago and this is what you get.

[Santander]

What do you expect in a country founded by convicts?

[Meclazine for Israel]

Meanwhile, in Australia, an update from the convict colony.

30 September 2018.

Alva Beach, Northern Queensland.

Immediately after the NRL Grand Final (Australian Superbowl), 27 yo Tom Davy and his disinterested girlfriend, 29yo Candice Locke went down to the beach with his friend, father of 3, 37yo Corey Christensen.

Tom and Corey were suitably plastered after getting on the sauce all afternoon and into the late evening.



A drunk Tom urged Candice (pictured above) to 'dink' on the back of his quad bike, and soon she fell off and broke her shoulder.

She rang 000 (911) and asked for help.

Attempting to seek medical attention for her injuries around midnight, Candice was discouraged by the two gentlemen as they thought the police would arrest them for drink driving.

Candice was allegedly restrained, but given their heavily intoxicated state, soon broke free from her captors and ran into the paradise of beachside suburbia with her drunk associates in tow.

Crying and screaming, Candice knocked on the door of Dean Webber.



She said some crazy men were chasing her and that she needed help.

Dean let her in.

Shortly thereafter, the men arrived and knocked on the door demanding that he lets them in or Candice comes out.

Dean rang 000 and despite saying the name of the woman again, the police and ambulance were still too busy as it was Grand Final night.

So as the men attempted to break into the house, Dean and Candice turned the lights off and hid in the back of the house.

Dean took a large kitchen knife and waited in the darkness.

The men took a door of it's hinges, broke into the house walked around and said "We've got you now you little prick."

As they entered the kitchen in pitch black darkness, Dean jumped up, swung the knife around in the air at where he thought they were and as they tried to attack him, he slashed one of their throats and stabbed the other in the heart in the process.

After litre after litre of blood drained onto the kitchen floor, the assailants succumbed to their impending death.

Dean was questioned at the Police Station and released without charge.

Waiting for updates.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/10/05/19/51/booze-fuelled-quad-bike-accident-allegedy-behind-ayr-stabbings

[dead0man]

oh man, I was fearing that was going somewhere bad because Dean didn't own a gun, thankfully he knew how to use a knife like a teenager in London.

[Meclazine for Israel]

The Snowtown Murders

A propensity for horror and evil rarely seen in Australian crime. These are the murders that really put Adelaide on the map as the "serial killer" capital of Australia.

Just the mere mention of the word "Snowtown" sends a dark vibe into any conversation. If you dont want to know anything about the story and just watch the movie: (trailer here)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJY6X8utM8A

then watch the film made in 2011. For fans of true crime, it is one of the best films of its genre.

The TV crime documentary about this crime is available here:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3josug

https://youtu.be/CrU79SXh_MM

Whilst living in Adelaide between 1993-1994, I studied geology and physics at the University of Adelaide in the CBD. Unbeknownst to me whilst I studied, a series of murders began 10km north mainly focused on victims who were either homosexual, cross-dressers, chemically dependant, homeless or intellectually impaired or combination thereof.

Societies unwanted who would be missed by few.

Three men were on a crusade to clean up society from what they considered to be a growing social problem led by psychopath, John Bunting.


John Bunting

A Nazi sympathiser, Bunting had a particular dislike for gay men and paedophiles and en-snared them into his home on the pretense of friendship and drugs before killing them mercilessly. The majority of the victims were known to the trio personally, including wives and gay partners and their neighbours.

The other two members of the murderous trio were:

Robert Wagner - the actual final killer;
Mark Haydon - third member.



During the initial murders, more than 3 people were involved, but as time progressed, the number of murderers reduced,...through an obvious process.

James "Jamie" Spyridon Vlassakis who was the son of Buntings girlfriend was involved in 4 murders and was aware of most of the crimes that took place.

Of particular note in this case was the ability of the murderous trio to get their victims to make voice recordings with ideas such as "leaving town" or writing a letter to their relatives explaining their imminent disappearance. In some cases, victims made live phone calls before their murder.

The method of killing was a restrained and horrific torture endured over an extended period.

Victims were:

1992. Clinton Trezise
1995. Ray Davies
1996. Suzanne Allen
1997. Michael "Michelle" Gardiner
1997. Barry "Vanessa" Lane (Boyfriend of Robert Wagner)
1997. Thomas Trevilyan
1998. Gavin Porter
1998. Troy Youde (Living in John Buntings house)
1998. Frederick Brooks
1998. Gary O'Dwyer
1998. Elizabeth Haydon (wife of Mark Haydon)
1999. David Johnson

R.I.P.

In most cases, the trio would collect bank cards, financial details and other identifying documents to take over and collect social security payments of the deceased. Taking the pin number of their bank cards was a common theme.

Bunting slowly took a dislike to certain men in the neighbourhood, whom were punished by the trio with murder, starting in higher frequency in 1997.

When Troy Youde raped Jamie Vlassakis repeatedly, and the trio found out, he was placed on the list to be killed.

Incredibly, despite their victims being predominantly homosexual, one of the trio, Wagner had a boyfriend, Barry Lane, a convicted sex offender who knew about the initial killings.

For Bunting, this was too much, so Barry became victim number 5. Calling him "Uncle Fester, the Child Molester", before he was killed, Barry was forced to make a live phone call to his mother saying he was moving to Queensland and that he hated her.

The bogus phone calls, tape recordings (played into relatives answering machines) and letters prevented the Police from investigating further despite the tight geographical net of the victims' locations to the vicinity of the murderers, including neighbours and the murderers own relatives.

Thomas Trevilyan who was involved in the murder of Barry Lane soon becomes a target for the trio. He becomes victim number 6.


Robert Wagner

The only female victims were killed because of their knowledge of the crimes.

To dispose of the bodies in the back shed, the trio bought black plastic barrels with HCl acid, and over time, with the number of barrels increasing disproportionately, they are moved to a bank vault in a distant property.

Following the murder of one of the trio's wife, Elizabeth Haydon, the Police get a sniff of trouble.


Mark and Elizabeth Haydon

As the Police close in on the murder of Elizabeth, they are unaware of the other 10 victims.

The barrels are later transferred to a disused bank vault in the country town of Snowtown.



The final victim is invited to the bank vault and is murdered on the premise of buying a computer. He is later cannibalised.

The three men had placed some body parts in plastic bags, and then used the wrong acid.

Hence, the bodies had been mummified and in some cases, well preserved for forensic analysis.

Following the death of Elizabeth Haydon, police investigated John Bunting and found he was renting a disused bank in the country town of Snowtown.

Police obtained a search warrant for the bank and upon entering the vault at the rear of the building, discovered 8 or so dismembered bodies in large black plastic barrels.

The police arrested the trio soon after.

Following an extended criminal trial to which the men plead not guilty, the three men were found guilty and jailed for life in 2003/2004.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Australia's largest criminal trial is underway in the Perth Supreme Court.

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-19/claremont-serial-killer-accused-bradley-edwards-faces-hearing/10823398

23 years since Sarah Spiers, Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon were abducted from the Claremont night club area and killed, the trial of Bradley Edwards (pictured) got underway today with a commital hearing examining what evidence will be admissable in the judge-only trial scheduled for 8-9 months starting in July.

In late 2016, Mr Edwards, a phone company technician with Telstra, was arrested and detained on charges of murder and sexual assault.



After two decades of rampant speculation and an unsolved crime against these women, today we finally learn what happened through the nature of the evidence collected by the Police that may be used against him.

The Claremont Serial Killer (CSK) struck fear through Perth for all the wrong reasons. Around 6,000 men were investigated for the crimes including my friends and work associates.

My girlfriend went to school with Ciara Glennon and was present at the Continental Hotel on the night of her disappearance in 1997.


Ciara Glennon R.I.P.

Ciara was an A-grade student who became a lawyer and was a stickler for perfection. She had recently returned from London and the 28yo woman was unaware of the dangers posed by the CSK.

Perth seemed like a familiar friendly playground compared to the UK.

Her family were utterly devastated following her disappearance, and her father has mourned her loss publically on many occasions.

The evidence presented today appears to contain the disclosure of previous arrests where the accused' DNA was not collected.

Due to a "not guilty" plea, the prosecution need to present their case against Mr Edwards and the Perth community will learn about the nature of his alleged behaviour.

Discussion of "propensity" evidence against him included the nature of his violent porn collection, his previous convictions for attacking women and his alleged stalking and a fetish for womens underwear.

Mr Edwards defence lawyer argued today that this evidence is prejudicial to his client and that he is not on trial for the other issues.

Propensity evidence or character evidence can appear as a "trial within a trial".

Whilst trying to prove his innocence on the counts of rape and murder, Bradley Edwards now has to prove his innocence on other issues within the same trial of which he is not charged.

Therefore, it will be up to the the judge to decide what is or isn't allowed to be committed as evidence for the upcoming trial in July.

My understanding is that Mr Edwards was captured by Police after his brother gave a DNA sample to ancestry.com which was a partial match to the crimes at hand.

The first victims body was never found so he will almost certainly be found not guilty on that charge.

Trial of the century in Perth.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Day 3. Directions Hearing for pre-trial presentation of evidence and argument of allegations.

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-20/accused-claremont-serial-killer-blitz-attack-story-on-computer/10829144



The accused' defence team has argued that some of the offences that Bradley Edwards has been charged with deserve a separate trial.

They want Mr Edwards to have a separate trial for the alleged Huntingdale offences.

Those offences relate to an alleged break-in in February 1988 involving an 18-year-old woman. The State alleges Mr Edwards attacked the woman while she slept after unplugging the phone line and closing her parents' bedroom door.

The defence argued that this style of "night prowling" is substantially distinct from the crimes commited 8-9 years later.

State Prosecutor Carmel Barbagallo SC argued it was merely a progression for Mr Edwards as a 19yo evolving towards a murderous 28yo.

The Introduction of Pornographic Evidence.

State revealed that pornographic material was found in the possession of the accused. The nature of that material was of "extreme deviance".

The State revealed that the accused had acquired sexualised material in image and video format from over 4,000 pornographic websites, of which 8% was graphic and violent BDSM.

Ms Barbagallo specifically introduced a violent pornographic film from 1973 titled "Forced Entry" found on the accused computer.

The defence has argued that the movie, despite being vile in content, is simply paid actors.

The State described the contents of the film as disgusting in the extreme and very relevant to the murders committed.

The defence then argued that having BDSM porn on your computer does not make you a rapist.

The judge asked "What is the significance that only a small percentage of the pornography was BDSM material?"

Defence: "It contradicts the State's submission that he had an obsession with this material, particularly over other types of pornography."

The State said "It can not be coincidental that pornographic material on his computer matched aspects to the alleged crimes."

State: "The BDSM pornography is extreme."

Judge: "I am prepared to accept that."

The introduction of violent erotica allegedly written by the accused, Mr Bradley Edwards.

The State then revealed violent erotica written by the accused in 2015 depicted strikingly similar attributes to a rape committed in Karakatta cemetary in 1995 of which Mr Edwards has reportedly been linked to through DNA evidence.

State: "It's the theme that runs through these stories. There are features of abduction and sexual assault in a "degrading, demeaning, awful way"."

"This material, we say, is very unusual material to have in one's possession."

Judge: "One would hope so".

State: "What is the chance of the very man that is accused of abducting women, sexually assaulting them, murdering them having this material on his electronic storage devices if he is not the offender?"

"The fact that he has it in his possession is important."

State: "Many storage devices were found in the house and interrogated by police. Your Honour has been provided with the "most fullsome of those stories"."

Judge: "I have read them."

State: "They are written in first person by a male who is committing the offences. The overwhelming common features include abduction and attempt to sexually assault unconscious woman, drugging the women."

"Overwhelmingly the theme is women being sexually assaulted while pleading for it to stop, they are being detained against their will and they also often involve sex assaults with an implication that the women will not be leaving."

"Some of the stories have in them behaviour above and beyond what is degrading."

The judge retired to consider the admission of the above evidence of propensity.

The accused Mr Edwards will re-appear March 20 2019.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Australia's version of the Zodiac killer, the Claremont Serial Killer (CSK) is currently facing trial after being arrested in 2016.

Now we have a podcast:

The Claremont Serial Killings: Episode 1

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/claremont-serial-killings/claremont-the-claremont-serial-killings-podcast-ng-b881120532z

For 20 years, there were no clues, no suspects, no ideas and one thing was certain, no progress in catching the killer.

I arrived in Perth in 1996 one week before the killings began, and have experienced the anguish of the broader Perth community as the case went cold.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Claremont Serial Killings: Episode 2

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/claremont-serial-killings/claremont-the-claremont-serial-killings-podcast-episode-2-tears-taskforce-and-a-suspect-ng-b881130177z

Before the upcoming trial of CSK suspect, Bradley Edwards, in July 2019, a Perth journalist provides a unique summary into the long history of this case.

Included is an interview with a previous suspect who was simply offering women lifts in his car after the killings.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Update on the Claremont Serial Killer Trial .

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-20/porn-evidence-ruled-out-of-alleged-claremont-serial-killer-trial/10919684

Judge ruled that pornography and violent erotica written by the accused is inadmissible in the trial due to the dates involved.

"During today's hearing, it was also revealed about 580 witnesses are set to be called in the nine-month trial."

[Meclazine for Israel]

Claremont Serial Killings: Episode 3

https://thewest.com.au/news/claremont-serial-killings/claremont-the-claremont-serial-killings-podcast-episode-3-the-wrong-man-ng-b881137616z

Three women have now gone missing from the trendiest night spot in Western Australia.


The Continental Hotel in the upmarket suburb of Claremont

They simply vanished into the thin air of millionaires row in Perth leading to one of the longest running serial killer investigation cases in the world.

Some thought it was a taxi driver. Others thought it was a suave gentlemen who enticed the women into his car.

The deafening silence of the truth of what befell his victims has remained......for 20 years.

In 1998, one year after the discovery of Ciara Glennon's body, Police started chasing the wrong man causing a significant departure in finding justice for the victims' families.


Map of the Claremont Nightclub scene in 1997 with Ciara Glennon's last known movements.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Claremont Serial Killings: Episode 4

The arrest of a suspect after 20 years brought both relief and curiosity to the Perth community in late 2016, 20 years after three young women went missing.

https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/claremont-serial-killings/claremont-serial-killings-podcast-episode-four-out-now-ng-b881147123z

This podcast contained a little exaggeration from the other speaker on some facts that are impossible to determine.

[Meclazine for Israel]

A 41 year old unsolved cold case from Mt Isa has just had a significant development.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-12/cold-case-arrest-spear-creek-triple-murder/10996428

I dont know anything about this, but it will unfold with interest.

[Meclazine for Israel]

A dingo took someones baby.

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-19/queensland-toddler-attacked-by-dingo-on-fraser-island/11031828

[Meclazine for Israel]

The Claremont Serial Killer trial is underway:

Day 1 started this morning in what is expected to be the most criminal trial in Australian history.

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-25/bradley-edwards-accused-claremont-serial-killer-trial-begins/11725188

Bradey Edwards has plead not guilty.

[DINGO Joe]

A dingo took someones baby.

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-19/queensland-toddler-attacked-by-dingo-on-fraser-island/11031828

I have an ironclad alibi.

[Meclazine for Israel]

The prosecution announced the first details of the injuries suffered by the young women killed by the Claremont serial killer.

Strikingly similar, the woman had diamond shaped flesh wounds made by a sharp instrument and bones removed from their neck.

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-25/bradley-edwards-accused-claremont-serial-killer-trial-begins/11725188

The trial continues.

I am allowed as a member of the public to go and watch it. Might pop down tomorrow and take a squiz.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Claremont serial killer trial: Day 3.

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-27/claremont-serial-killings-trial-bradley-edwards-wife-witness-row/11741572?pfmredir=sm

Edwards first wife brought her future lover into their matrimonial property as a boarder because Edwards had little money to pay the mortgage.

After Edwards spent too much time on the computer at night arguing on politicial forums, she soon drifted her affections towards their new male boarder.

Edwards caught the pair making out on the end of the bed.

Bradley Edwards was unresponsive.

After leaving the matrimonial property with her new lover some months later, his wife then rang him to tell him she was pregnant with her new man.

Bradley Edwards was unresponsive (in 1996).

The following day, the 2nd victim was murdered.

Bradley Edwards was unresponsive (in court yesterday).

[Meclazine for Israel]

Claremont serial killer trial: Day 4

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-28/claremont-serial-killings-trial-edwards-ex-girlfriend-testifies/11746168

The sex life and relationships of the accused, Bradley Edwards, were spelled out today in detail.

Looks like the 2nd wife was onto him and was investigating his bank statements.

He had a girlfriend who was 48 when he was 27 in between his marriages.

This is going to be a movie.

[Meclazine for Israel]

First week trial recap.

https://thewest.com.au/news/claremont-serial-killings/claremont-serial-killings-trial-podcast-the-missing-hours-ng-b881397772z

Bradley Edwards has no alibi for the times the girls disappeared.

To make things worse, the people Bradley Edwards was supposed to meet were in fact meticulous diary keepers and had an astonishing memory of him not showing up to a special dinner the night Ciara Glennon disappeared.

Bradley Edwards has already plead guilty to a rape ( in Claremont cemetary) of a 17yo girl he abducted in Claremont late at night.

https://omny.fm/shows/the-claremont-serial-killings/the-missing-hours/embed

[Meclazine for Israel]

Claremont serial killer trial: Week 2, Day 6

Audio description:

https://omny.fm/shows/the-claremont-serial-killings/a-man-in-uniform

Latest theory. His wife having salacious sordid sexual affairs in his home whilst he was present led Bradley Edwards down a psychological path of becoming a serial killer.

Bradley Edwards has already confessed to sexual assault and night stalking in womens clothes prior to this relationship, so this really set him off.

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-03/accused-claremont-killer-bradley-edwards-threat-to-kill-flatmate/11756752?pfmredir=sm

[Meclazine for Israel]

Claremont serial killer trial: Week 2, Day 7

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-03/claremont-serial-killings-trial-told-of-telstra-car-in-cottesloe/11761280

With more twists and turns than the Monaco Grand Prix, a witness confesses to the court that in 1990, 6 years before the killings started, she thought she was going to die when the accused grabbed her from behind and put a cloth in her mouth and attempted to drag her into a toilet in an office.

Bradley Edwards was arrested and charged and found to have zip ties in his pocket.