Richard Dallas Kelvin, (born 4 December 1967) aged 15,[23] murdered in July 1983. The Family Murders Of Adelaide. After doing away with his old, dried-up crops, the farmer was looking over his land when he came upon the now-charred remains of young Peter Stogneff. Some were involved in the abduction of victims who were murdered, some were involved in the rape of murdered victims, and some were involved in murder. This section explores his social network. The last victim was the son of our local television newsreader. Some of the victims were brutally tortured, or horrifically mutilated or cut up. And at least one witness - a security guard that lived just down the street from the Kelvins - recalled some more details succinctly. With these results, police were able to successfully link Richard's disappearance and death to at least two prior cases: Alan Barnes and Mark Langley, who had been similarly drugged and sexually assaulted before their deaths. However, when Neil Muir's body was discovered, his internal organs had been removed and were gone entirely, leading to police being unable to test his blood levels. Whatever it was, it looked like a human body but was somehow twisted and contorted in an inhuman nature. Due to changes in the Forensic Procedures Act, which later allowed DNA samples to be taken from suspects in major indictable offences, all the suspects voluntarily submitted to DNA testing. He had been sexually assaulted and went on to report this bizarre, terrifying incident to police. von Einem is serving life imprisonment. The older man in the driver's seat reached into the backseat and pulled out a beer from a cooler, offering it to George. Hours would begin to pass, and Alan would fail to return home at all that Sunday. However, instead of charging them with any known crimes, the officers proceeded to throw the three men into the nearby Torrens River. Police had still not linked the two cases - Barnes and Neil Muir - but while being questioned about the first murder, von Einem inquired about the second without any provocation. The severing of Neil's limbs and the mutilation of his body was originally believed to have been part of an effort to dispose of his body. Alan Barnes was a teenager growing up in this environment, who seemed to live on the bubble between childhood and adulthood in the winter of 1979. He was last seen while hitchhiking being picked up by a white HQ Holden sedan carrying three or four people. The very next day - August 28th, 1979 - a couple of fishermen were heading out to the Port Adelaide River, on what was supposed to be a regular workday for them. He then moved away from Adelaide and the murders continued. Of only one victim. Rumours of high-society involvement and cover-ups. 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. Mr B - The Family Murders Mr B Mr B was named by South Australian police in 2008 as one of the three main suspects who were involved in the murders alongside Bevan von Einem. Sadly, this dark and tragic saga was just beginning. Later on, Ian would recall the argument cropping up around cigarettes, but that just proves the point of how nonessential it was. If you recall, M.E. Like most of the victims targeted by this unknown subject, Richard Kelvin was a young and athletic young man, who seemed destined to have a long and rewarding life. Bevan von Einem was an apex predator. Was Dr Millhouse involved in Neil Muirs murder. He had good grades at school, was well-liked by just about everyone, had a stable of trusted friends, and played soccer for a local Lockley club on the weekends. Unfortunately, Richard Kelvin would never make it home. It was speculated that a foreign object had caused the internal perforations, leading to the belief that the killer had been a sexual sadist whose only intent was to cause physical pain. He had school the next day, dinner was waiting, and he wanted to call his girlfriend. [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. It's 1983, and a 15-year-old boy named Richard Kelvin is in a laneway in North Adelaide. The Family Murders (Part Two: The Family) Unresolved The Family Murders Part Two: The Family As the families of five young men mourned, investigators began to circle around their top suspect, Bevan Spencer von Einem. This was commonly found in the drug Noctec, which was an over-the-counter pharmaceutical used to aid people with sleep problems, which had been given to Alan sometime before his death. 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.). In Adelaides gay community in the 1970s and 1980s, young men were coveted for sex. Unlike the other murder victims, however, Mark's body showed an odd sign of surgical precision. The ongoing investigation featured in an episode of Crime Stoppers which went to air on 2 March 2009. The Kelvins, though upset at the duration of time that had already passed, understood why the process was so delayed but were hopeful that their son would return home to them, safe and sound. Alan lived with his parents, both English immigrants, in Salisbury: a northern suburb of Adelaide. Description. This was about 300 metres from his family home. Unfortunately, from there, the trail would go cold for over a year at which point, another victim had already become ensnared in this tragic saga. 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. For obvious reasons, he didn't tell his parents, setting out that morning with his backpack and heading off like any other day. Alan and his friend bid adieu to one another, with his friend assured that Alan would be okay; Grand Junction Road was always busy and teeming with life, and it wasn't like he was leaving Alan in the middle of the night. He then explained to the investigator that he was a former lover of Neil's, from roughly four years beforehand, and had run into the man just days before his eventual murder. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS. 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. Trevor Peters lived two doors away from one of the transgender suspects and mixed in the same circles as a number of suspects. 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. Police were now back, right where they had started. 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. He was able to exploit and manipulate enablers, helpers and participants over a long period of time. That Monday - August 27th, 1979 - Neil Muir was seen alive for the last time. The first of which was a very specific call alleging that two men - named Doug and Mark - were responsible for abducting Richard Kelvin. On the final weekend of August 1979, Neil was spotted at both the Duke of York and Buckingham Arms ("The Buck"), two local gay bars that I referenced at the top of the episode. A cold case review was opened in March 2008 with a $1,000,000 reward available for anyone who provided information leading to a conviction. He also happened to be a relative of Robin Millhouse, South Australia's former Attorney General who would become a Supreme Court Justice in 1982. [8] Little more could be determined as the remains had been accidentally burnt by the farmer while clearing his property of scrub.[11][19]. 's had discovered the chemical compound chloral hydrate in the system of Alan Barnes, who also had an above-average level of alcohol in his system: roughly four times the legal limit, which was unusually high for a teenager. A day or two prior, at least. Between 1979 and 1983, a series of heinous murders shocked Adelaide. The jury visits spot where Richard Kelvin's body was found, northeast of Adelaide. 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. Over the next year or so, the case would stagnate. [21] Among the mutilations was a wound that appeared to have been cut with a surgical instrument that went from his navel to the pubic region and part of his small bowel was missing. The son of popular local Nine Network news presenter Rob Kelvin, he was abducted a short distance from his North Adelaide home on 5 June. However, they quickly began to narrow in on the one avenue of the investigation that seemed most enticing to them at the time: Neil's dependency on drugs and alcohol. Neil Muir was someone that you could describe as a transient. For a week, his loved ones had been bracing themselves for the worst, but this was a confirmation of everything they had been fearing for the past several days: Alan had been violently murdered, and had spent his final hours in agony. While working for Major Crimes, Investigator O'Brien received an anonymous tip that Richard Kelvin was being held against his will in a caravan in the Adelaide Foothills. [3], Von Einem was convicted in 1984 of the murder of Kelvin and sentenced to life imprisonment. Alan's friend made it back to his house within minutes, but unfortunately, Alan was not so lucky. He was seen in the presence of individuals who would become relevant later on, but - at the time - were simply believed to have been his friends. A man who donned a balaclava and stormed a man's Adelaide CBD unit, stabbing him within nine seconds, will spend 20 years behind bars. [6] Von Einem was also one of the last people seen with a fourth victim, Muir, following his abduction. Australian police launch appeal to solve string of notorious killings stretching back to 1966, The Advertiser - Doctor found not guilty of Family murder of Neil Muir dies in NSW, Kimberly Riley & Jeremy Britt-Bayinthavong, Paul Skiba, Sarah Skiba, and Lorenzo Chivers, June & Jennifer Gibbons (The Silent Twins). The fishermen probed the bags - a mystery just waiting to be unearthed - and quickly discovered that the bags held human remains. 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. Due to the state of the young man's remains, it was believed that Alan had been detained against his will for several days. At the time of the murder, Dr. Millhouse - a gay man in his mid-forties - lived alone in northern Adelaide, and drove a ten-year-old Holden sedan. 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. Allegations would even surface that indicated Dr. Millhouse had been one of the people in the area that supplied Neil with prescription drugs, but that would remain an allegation for the foreseeable future. However, the medical examiners in Adelaide concluded definitively that Alan had died several hours before this happened. Mark had likely hitched a ride with someone, and his friends trusted that he would make it home. When this young man woke up the next day, he was surprised to find himself both at home and in significant pain. This website was built on publicly available information contributed by many people who have an interest in this case. That was believed to have been Neil's cause-of-death, same as Alan Barnes. View description Share. Police first treated Richard as a runaway; an unfortunate symptom of the times. Dylan John Kovarskis murdered Nathan Russell in 2021 . It was at around this time - the end of August - that Investigator Rod Hunter finally got around to interviewing Bevan Spencer von Einem, the man implicated by an anonymous caller in the murder of Alan Barnes. Police got the number one offender. [4][10], Some authorities do not recognise the term "The Family", stating that "[t]hey should not be given any title that infers legitimacy. 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 notoriety brought with it a poor reputation, however, and by the late 1970s, Mandrax had become a regulated prescription drug throughout Australia. However, that was very circumstantial evidence at best, and anything but definitive. The two were hiking through the area near the South Para Reservoir when they noticed something on the ground. The skeletal remains of one victim bore marks to reasonably indicate a similar experience and outcome. But he decided to instead head to a local mall, named Tea Tree Plaza, where Peter and his friends often hung out on the weekends. Because of this lack of clarity, police were unable to press forward with any charges for the offenders, and George's story would become buried by more pressing police concerns in the coming weeks and months. Police were called out to the scene, and an extensive search of the area commenced. But now, they needed to find a suspect. 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. Unfortunately, that Thursday, Peter never arrived at the mall to meet his friend. Our locations section shows where all the events happened and where all the players lived. Neil Muir had suffered the same type of anal injuries as Alan, implying that a large, bottle-shaped object had been used to intentionally injure him, which caused a large amount of blood loss. In the days immediately after Neil Muir's death, Dr. Millhouse had gone on a bit of a self-described "bender." His family knew this but accepted that there was little they could do to curtail this behavior; letting Alan grow and develop at his own pace as his adolescence came to an end. Because very little physical evidence had been left behind, it was hard to tell whether or not these crimes belonged to the same spree, or were simply copycats. His body had been severely mutilated and dumped in the South Para Reservoir, northeast of Adelaide. He failed to make any contact with his family, and police began to express concern that he had gone missing under duress. 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". The information is easy to navigate and easy reference. Oh, that reminds me. Although each attack and mutilation appeared different, police investigators soon began to link the horrific murders to one another. With tattoos, long hair, and a gruff demeanor, Neil looked like your average rock musician, and his transient lifestyle seems to support that. Gay people (in particular, gay men) began to become more comfortable in their own skin, and no longer had to suppress their sexuality in public. There were signs that he had been tortured and beaten by a sexual sadist, who had likely kept Alan drugged with a chemical compound named chloral hydrate. The Family Murders is one of Australia's most captivating true crime stories. Five young men were mysteriously abducted in different . He told officers what the two had been up to that weekend: hanging out on Saturday and into Sunday morning, before splitting up. This argument would carry on for a few minutes, while the trio was parked along War Memorial Drive, overlooking the Torrens River. According to some witnesses in the area, screams had been heard at around the time that Richard had disappeared, some time between 5:30 and 6:30 PM that Sunday. Meanwhile, as police struggled to answer these basic questions, the trial against Dr. Peter Millhouse remained a thing of the past. Mark Langley was an 18-year-old with the entire world in front of him: an athletic and good-looking young man, who quickly endeared himself to others. In addition to the driver, there appeared to be a couple of other occupants inside of the car that they, unfortunately, could not recall many details of. Over time Trevor kept diary records of his conversations with that suspect as well as another suspect. After taking the pills, George's memory began to blur. This site is constantly being updated as more is learned. However, unlike many of the others, it was believed that Richard had been held captive for an extended period of time, enduring torture and sexual abuse for weeks leading up to his death. He was seventeen years old, with a youthful, handsome appearance, and a carefree, fun-loving attitude. Analysis of Kelvin's bloodstream revealed traces of four hypnotic drugs,[11][26] including Mandrax and Noctec. Writing, research, hosting, and production by Micheal Whelan, Producers: Maggyjames, Ben Krokum, Roberta Janson, Quil Carter, Peggy Belarde, Laura Hannan, Damion Moore, Amy Hampton, Scott Meesey, Steven Wilson, Scott Patzold, Marie Vanglund, Lori Rodriguez, Jessica Yount, Aimee McGregor, Danny Williams, Sue Kirk, Victoria Reid, Sara Moscaritolo, Thomas Ahearn, Marion Welsh, Seth Morgan, Sydney Scotton, Alyssa Lawton, Kelly Jo Hapgood, Patrick Laakso, Meadow Landry, Rebecca Miller, and Tatum Bautista, Original music created by Micheal Whelan through Amper Music, Other music created and composed by Ailsa Traves, Young Bloods: The Story of the Family Murders by Bob OBrien, Crime Stoppers (South Australia) - Alan Arthur Barnes, Crime Stoppers (South Australia) - Neil Fredrick Muir, Crime Stoppers (South Australia) - Peter Stogneff, Crime Stoppers (South Australia) - Mark Andrew Langley, Crime Stoppers (South Australia) - Richard Kelvin, The Sydney Morning Herald - Adelaides Duncan case: letting some light shine in, The Sydney Morning Herald - Boys murderer refused High Court appeal, The Sydney Morning Herald - Macabre Adelaide (1), The Sydney Morning Herald - Macabre Adelaide (2), The Sydney Morning Herald - Murderer quizzed on death of youth, The Age - Men fled as Duncan died, court told, The Sydney Morning Herald - The Beaumonts, Kirste and Joanne: the mystery may be over, The Sydney Morning Herald - Witness feared threats to his life, The Age - Court told rape victim thought he would die, The Sydney Morning Herald - Family killings murder charge dropped, The Age - Lock up your sons in the worlds murder capital, The Weekend Australian - How Mother Goose ducked pedophile net, The Advertiser - Police seek von Einem associate, Perth Now - DNA tests for Family murder suspects, The Advertiser - $5M reward bid to solve Family murders, The Sydney Morning Herald - Reward doubled to solve Family murders, The Telegraph - Australian police reopen notorious 1970s Family murders case, The Sydney Morning Herald - Aussie pedophile deported from Indonesia, The Advertiser - Focus on three key suspects, The Advertiser - Revealed: The double life of a magistrate who sought young men, ABC News - Mother Goose sex trial starts in Adelaide, The Advertiser - Mother Goose claims he was set up by gay ex-prostitutes, The Advertiser - Doctor with alleged links to The Family identified as Stephen George Woodards, The Advertiser - Sex-case doctor Stephen George Woodards free to practise, ABC News - Mother Goose acquitted of sex charges, The Advertiser - Paedophile Peter Liddy fears prison attack, ABC News - Former TV entertainer sentenced for sex offences, The Advertiser - Lost diary gives South Australia police new lead into Alan Barnes murder by The Family, The Daily Mail - Will $13million reward solve the murders of 18 children?
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