It had been reported that Richard was wearing the collar as a joke on the afternoon he went missing, while he was kicking around the soccer ball in the park with his dad and his friend, Boris. 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. He failed to make any contact with his family, and police began to express concern that he had gone missing under duress. When using other people (sometimes transgenders, sometimes cross-dressers, and sometimes Mr B), a common ploy was to ask a lone youth if he want to go to a party where there was plenty of booze and women. The closest thing to hard evidence that police found in this sweep was what appeared to be traces of blood on the bathroom floor, which had been cleaned multiple times over with a chemical agent; and, as such, could not be tested. The Family Murders | Adelaide's most notorious unsolved serial killings In the days immediately after Neil Muir's death, Dr. Millhouse had gone on a bit of a self-described "bender." The Family Murders is the name given to the murders of five young men and boys between 1979 and 1983, with all abducted from the streets of Adelaide before being taken to another location,. Mark Andrew Langley, aged 18,[17] murdered in February 1982. [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. Just a few months later, in June of 1982, the family of missing 14-year-old Peter Stogneff would finally get some resolution. When Boris had last seen Richard, walking away from the bus stop down the street from his home, he had still been wearing the collar, and it is has been theorized that the collar itself might have been a trigger for the deviant (or deviants) that ultimately decided to abduct Richard. I think we might get closer to understanding what happened but I think lack of physical evidence pretty much rules out any more charges being laid. [4][5] In 1989, von Einem was charged with the murders of two other victims, Barnes and Langley, but the prosecution entered a nolle prosequi (voluntarily discontinue criminal charges) during the trial when crucial similar fact evidence was deemed inadmissible by the presiding judge. He was the son of Channel 9 News host Rob Kelvin, who had just recently taken over the hosting gig after more than a decade of field reporting through the station and a radio affiliate. He was seventeen years old, with a youthful, handsome appearance, and a carefree, fun-loving attitude. Dylan John Kovarskis sentenced to 20 years' jail for murder of Adelaide The victims were all young men, who had gone missing in or near the northern section of town. Some of the employees that worked at the area's bars recalled seeing the two together multiple times that weekend, and other character witnesses described Dr. Millhouse and Neil as being very close friends (intimate, even). Police spoke to Alan's friend, who had left him behind on Grand Junction Road. This site is constantly being updated as more is learned. This caller alleged that the two older men had been driving around a 1963 EJ Holden sedan. 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. Over a span of several years starting in 1979 and into the 80s five young men, aged from 14 to 25, went missing in different areas of Adelaide. This group was believed to be involved in the kidnapping and sexual abuse of a number of teenage boys and young men, as well as the torture and murder of five young men aged between 14 and 25, in Adelaide, South Australia, in the 1970s and 1980s. The Family murders are the name of the murders of five young men and teenagers who happened in Adelaide, South Australia between 1979 and 1983. While changes in Southern Australia's draconian laws had decriminalized homosexuality, there were still people eager to prey on or harass gay men and women - behavior that lingers to this day. 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. A couple of black trash bags were floating on the low tide of the river's coast. In Adelaides gay community in the 1970s and 1980s, young men were coveted for sex. Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, is perhaps most well known for its beautiful, scenic landscape, which is wedged in-between the Adelaide Foothills to the east, the coastline that runs along the west and down into the southern cape, and expanse of vast Australia that lies to the north. Unsolved - The Family Murders | Page 148 | BigFooty Forum The police came to this conclusion due to the status of his remains, which weren't nearly as decomposed as they should have been; by the time he was discovered at the end of July, he had been dead for no more than a week or two, despite having gone missing at the beginning of June. Hundreds of sordid and terrifying crimes and only one man found guilty in relation to only one victim. One victim was killed and dumped within 24 hours, another was kept alive for five weeks, and the rest were in between. The ongoing investigation featured in an episode of Crime Stoppers which went to air on 2 March 2009. The "Family Murders" *Warning: graphic content and mentions of sexual abuse ahead. However, police would reach out to all of Mark's known friends, and learned that the night prior - February 27th - he had simply wandered off into the night and had not been seen since. And Marshall is no novice at delving into the minds of evil men. Because homosexuality was still outlawed in Australia at this point, Vice officers would often detain individuals that they believed were loitering nearby known gay hotspots. It is confirmed that 5 of these victims were murdered, usually by having an object forced so far up their anus that it split the lining and they bled out. Other times he would just pick up a hitch hiker. He had school the next day, dinner was waiting, and he wanted to call his girlfriend. The father of boat crash victim Mallory Beach refused to shake hands with Alex Murdaugh 's family in court after the legal scion was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his wife and son . The Butchered Boys: This episode revisits Adelaide's notorious Adelaide Family Murders case, where six young Adelaide men were murdered during the 1970s and '80s. Four of the five murders remain unsolved. The two were hiking through the area near the South Para Reservoir when they noticed something on the ground. 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. Veale Gardens had a thriving male prostitution scene, many of which were underage. The convicted killer and notorious head of "The Family" ring who picked up hitchhikers and schoolboys to drug and offer to South Australia's elite to sexually abuse has broken his 20-year silence, to blame his victim, and to claim innocence over other murders. 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. This conflict has endured because Alan's bloodstream also showed signs of alcohol consumption, which Alan had participated in that same weekend. Police first treated Richard as a runaway; an unfortunate symptom of the times. That was believed to have been Neil's cause-of-death, same as Alan Barnes. The Family Murders: 'Dissected' - Amazon.com.au Richard walked him down the road to the nearby O'Connell Street bus stop, arriving without incident, and waited there for his friend's bus to arrive. George gave police a description of the older man that had picked him up and driven him to the house in question, but he could not remember his name, nor the name of the two women at the house they had traveled to. This is an analysis of the information provided by Wendy Roles and Greg McInerney in the book The Family Murders: Dissected The Timeline 25 Aug (Sat) Michael B sees band-aid on Neil's leg at the methadone clinic during the day. Due to the state of the young man's remains, it was believed that Alan had been detained against his will for several days. Among those voices, he described, was a higher-pitched voice, which sounded almost feminine. 4 had horrific injuries with clear signs of torture, abuse and confinement lasting up to 5 weeks. A post-mortem examination revealed that Barnes had died of massive blood loss from an anal injury, likely caused by the insertion of a large blunt object. Bevan von Einem had a network of around 25-30 people. Although there were in excess of 150 youths and young men who were drugged and raped, often by multiple men, this section focuses on the five young men who didnt come home. The jury visits spot where Richard Kelvin's body was found, northeast of Adelaide. That Monday - August 27th, 1979 - Neil Muir was seen alive for the last time. '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. Some of the victims were brutally tortured, or horrifically mutilated or cut up. The final two - Mark Langley and Richard Kelvin - had disappeared just blocks away from one another. A Breakdown of a series of murders that took place in Adelaide, South 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. It's 1983, and a 15-year-old boy named Richard Kelvin is in a laneway in North Adelaide. Most were later described as being worthless, but a few piqued the interest of Investigator O'Brien. Nine days after Mark Langley went missing, his body was discovered in the Adelaide Foothills, close to Mount Lofty in the area known as Summertown. Because Neil's transient lifestyle led to him becoming known as a bit of a vagabond, his sexuality was not exactly common knowledge. This case includes mysterious attacks, brutal murders, and a dark conspiracy surrounding a secret group of elites that preyed on the young in the city. Unlike the other murder victims, however, Mark's body showed an odd sign of surgical precision. 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". And, with the recent discovery of the chemical cocktail found in Richard Kelvin's system, they had a pretty decent foundation for their investigation. The Adelaide Festival of Arts (also known as just Adelaide Festival) started in 1960 and led to something of a "cultural revival" in the area. This group was believed to be involved in the kidnapping and sexual abuse of approximately 150 teenage boys and young men, as well as the torture and murder of 5 young men aged between 14 and 25, in the city of Adelaide, South Australia, in the 1970s and 1980s. It wasn't until the next day, Sunday (February 28th), that Mark's parents began to grow concerned. He would literally go on to write the book about this terrifying saga, called "Young Bloods," which - if you're interested - is one of the best resources for this case. These people have no such bond, only an association that with time probably no longer exists". This ultimately resulted in a victory for Dr. Peter Millhouse's attorneys, earning the man an acquittal and his freedom. In August of 1979, Neil was living alone in an apartment on Carrington Street, right in the middle of Adelaide itself. He is 50 metres from his beautiful family home. Criminologist Alan Perry of the University of Adelaide, has argued that the murders were part of widespread series of kidnappings and sexual assaults of boys that might number several hundred victims in South Australia from about 1973 to 1983.[11]. Australia's murder capital: Why can't Adelaide bury the myth? There are also notorious unsolved disappearances in Adelaide, including the Beaumont children. The "Family Murders" - Amateur Sleuth 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. The information is easy to navigate and easy reference. So, they believed that this crime might have been perpetrated by someone that Neil owed money to, who wanted to cover up their tracks afterward. Police didn't believe that this voice was Richard, as he was a teenager with a deep voice that had already cracked. While police pounded the pavement to find out what had happened to Richard Kelvin, the young man's life was slowly coming to an end. Referred to as a "Randy Mandy" among the era's deviants, Mandrax was a sedative that had just become popular worldwide with the branding "Quaalude." They began probing those that knew Alan and might have taken issue with something he did or said in the weeks before his death; in particular, those that drove a white sedan. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 25, and most were found to have suffered brutal violence, sexual assaults, and/or body mutilation before their death The Family Murders is a well known and notorious series of crimes that occurred in Adelaide, Australia. Some showed signs of prolonged captivity, while death came quick to others . Witnesses would later recall having seen the two at some of the area's gay bars and clubs (which I referenced just a moment ago). Over the next year or so, the case would stagnate. The victims were found in random locations throughout the state, their bodies neatly cut into pieces. Add onto that abductions, drug-lacing, mutilations, victims held in captivity for weeks, and death by sado-masochism. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the case is how did von Einem find accomplices willing to be involved in such crimes? However, what wasn't up for debate was the fact that Alan had been violently tortured for hours before his death, with his death ultimately coming from blood loss due to an anal injury. For obvious reasons, he didn't tell his parents, setting out that morning with his backpack and heading off like any other day. This meant doing away with large plots of dried-out farmland in a prescribed burn to prepare for the upcoming spring bloom. For that reason, this crime remains technically unsolved to this day. The male and female drove off but returned At about 6pm on a Sunday afternoon, Richard walked his friend to the bus stop on O'Connell St, North Adelaide. However, they were able to learn from a witness that a young man matching Peter's description had been spotted at Tea Tree Plaza the morning of his disappearance, and had been in the company of an adult male. Noctec was found in his blood, suggesting he had been drugged. Victims - The Family Murders Mr B made contact with police two days after Alan Barnes was found. Mark's remains had also clearly been thoroughly washed before being dumped, just like Alan Barnes. This was about 300 metres from his family home. Over time Trevor kept diary records of his conversations with that suspect as well as another suspect. At this point, the idea of a random killer hadn't even crossed investigators' minds. Even though he was nearly an adult at this point - and had a fair amount of independence in his life - this disappearance was deemed very out-of-the-ordinary. The area around the scar had even been shaved away, implying that this a methodical decision by someone with surgical experience perhaps someone trying to rectify a mistake. Boris left on a bus, and Richard started making his way back home a trip that was no more than four-hundred meters. If you recall, M.E. When Dr. Millhouse's trial eventually commenced in the latter half of 1980 - more than a year after Neil Muir's murder - the prosecution continued to rely heavily upon their circumstantial evidence and witness statements, failing to establish any motive for the crime or provide any definitive evidence. 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. As the 1970s entered their homestretch, Alan was beginning to enter the phase of his life where he experimented with drug and alcohol usage. The Family Murders is one of Australia's most captivating true crime stories. After taking the pills, George's memory began to blur. The Family werent an official club or group, rather a loose collection of people with Bevan von Einem at the centre. He was also found to be wearing clothing that did not belong to him, and his original clothing was missing entirely. Rather than have to read the whole site, or miss updates in the case because you dont know they exist, this section will show time-stamped updates so you can keep up to date with developments. 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. [14] The hair around the area had been shaved as it would have been in an operation in a hospital. Five murders and over 150 rapes. According to his family, this was right in-line with Richard's odd sense of humor. In a word, no. They admitted that he'd faced some issues with other kids at his school, but he was otherwise happy and had just gotten a serious girlfriend. Little is known about the unidentified man, but Roger James had his ankle broken when he was plunged into the river that May, and was only able to escape with the help of a friendly onlooker. Neil Fredrick Muir, aged 25,[12][13] murdered two months after Barnes in August 1979. Banquet: A Marvelous Book about "The Family Murders" in Adelaide [16][22] The sedative-hypnotic drug Mandrax, popular in the 1970s disco scene, was found in Langley's blood. Now, with Mark Langley, police were able to confirm the presence of the drug Mandrax in his system. Bevan von Einem was no exception he also preferred youths between the 15 and 19 year old age group. He was able to exploit and manipulate enablers, helpers and participants over a long period of time. It was broad daylight, and both were assured that Alan would easily be able to find a ride to take him the few miles home. [6] Von Einem was also one of the last people seen with a fourth victim, Muir, following his abduction. Mr B - The Family Murders But he then set off again, likely headed towards the distant Rundle Mall, where he was due to meet up with his friend, Daniel, that day. Detective O'Brien was the unfortunate one tasked with notifying the Kelvins that Richard's body had been found; which he describes in his book as one of the most heartbreaking duties he's ever had to endure. 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). One such case is the Family Murders of Adelaide, Australia. Needing to get away from his friends and clear his head, Mark decided to get out and walk away. The name of the group stems from an interview a police detective gave on 60 Minutes,[1] claiming the police were taking action "to break up the happy family". Neil Muir's body had been so badly mutilated that he still barely resembled an entire being. Alan Arthur Barnes, aged 16, murdered in 1979. Mark had driven there with his family, as they were attending the party alongside him, but he would leave with a couple of friends afterward to hang out and cruise around the city with the young adults trying to squeeze out every bit of the Adelaide summer that they could. The Family Murders - Wikipedia A day or two prior, at least. Eventually, Peter's parents discovered the plot among Peter and his friend to skip school, and conveyed this information to the police - who were just as alarmed as they were. 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. Any person complicit in the abduction, rape and murders of the five victims, plus any person who visited the place of captivity when a victim was knowingly present, plus any person involved in the abduction, spiking and raping of teenage boys or young men with other members of The Family. Hours would begin to pass, and Alan would fail to return home at all that Sunday. [8] The reward carried an offer of immunity to accomplices, dependent on their level of involvement. Neil Muir was last seen in Hindley St, Adelaide in the company of Dr Peter Leslie Millhouse at 3pm on the day he was murdered. This screening also revealed that the young man had been drugged with Mandrax ("Randy Mandys"), which had resulted in him losing consciousness. Analysis of Kelvin's bloodstream revealed traces of four hypnotic drugs,[11][26] including Mandrax and Noctec. The 'Family murders' involved the killing and torture of five young men from the 1970s to the mid-1980s. 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. It was there that they found his backpack hidden in the garage, which ultimately led to calls to all of his friends. Richard and Boris remained at the park for a bit longer, kicking around the soccer ball and chatting, before eventually, Boris decided to make his way home. Because of this prime location, Adelaide has become one of the country's most populated areas, and more than a million Australians live in the city itself; which is split in half by the Torrens River, which runs through the center of Adelaide. The Family Murders is one of Australias most captivating true crime stories. It is estimated that over 150 youths and young men were abducted, drugged, and then raped. Subsequent efforts to reach Alan through his friends had failed, and none of them had seen him since the weekend. 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 vividly remembered hearing a young voice shout out (which we can assume was Richard) and a group of voices screaming in protest, almost in unison. When police had arrived at the crime scene, they assumed that whoever had tried to dump the body of Alan Barnes had failed, in some way. 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. I first heard of the murders in an episode of an Australian television program called . The Family murders: Bevan Spencer von Einem's shocking jailhouse This reported sighting led police to the notion that a group of people might have been acting in-tandem to abduct Richard, for reasons that appeared nefarious. SA convicted murderer Bevan Spencer Von Einem during the jury's tour of North Adelaide dumping spot of Richard Kelvin's body. Millhouse would have Peter intended to skip school and meet his uncle (similar age) in Rundle Mall. 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. Darko's brother dropped them at a bus stop near the corner of on Grand Junction Rd and Addison Neil Muir was last seen in Hindley St, Adelaide in the company of Dr Peter Leslie Millhouse at 3pm on the day he was murdered. 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? Only one suspect has been charged and convicted for a crime. His head had also been removed from the rest of his body, but was placed in its own separate black trash bag and connected with a rope tie to the rest of the remains. That evening, as Mark drove around with his friend Ian and Ian's girlfriend, Paula, an argument broke out. He loved music - both playing it and listening to it - and had a good rapport with his friends, whom he hung around constantly. An accountant by profession, he was convicted in 1984 for the murder of 15-year-old Adelaide teenager Richard Kelvin, the son of local television and radio personality Rob Kelvin. 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. But the rumors that he engaged in sex work were mainly perpetrated by those that knew him from his regular haunts: members of Adelaide's gay community, who regularly saw Neil at the gay-friendly bars they frequented. He was found wearing most of the clothing he had last been seen in, minus an undershirt and without the chains he often wore around his neck (which contained his zodiac sign, Cancer). Progressive ideas began to spread out from Adelaide, but even then, progress itself was rather slow to catch on throughout large chunks of South Australia. Between 1979 and 1983, a series of heinous murders shocked Adelaide.