Unsolved Girls that went missing from Adelaide Oval 1973

sprockets

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That "pic" is digitised copy of microfilm from newspaper.
Yes and it's a picture, and it verifies that VFA wasn't broadcast there either live or in replay, which means the witness was wrong.

"... Mr McMahon claims that late on the afternoon of August 25, 1973 he was sitting in his room watching a VFA football match on TV when he "heard a racket" out the back of the house."
 

johnymac1

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what you guys are forgetting is that at the moment the abduction actually took place, ie when the man came up to the girls, and picked up kirste, he immediately headed for the gate, this wasnt far because the girls were in the archway outside the toilet doors, at the back end of the creswell stand, the fourth quarter had begun and so everyone was watching the game, kilmartin, the lolly seller, who had just collected his pay, witnessed the man take kirste, and joanne follow, trying to stop him, he said there was hardly anyone else around, except for the three kids/people the girls were with the moment kirste was grabbed, so the idea of diligent footy-going adults intervening is, sadly, fanciful ...
by my reckoning 10 to 20 individuals saw the kidnapper with the girls that day, between the oval toilets and bonython park sightings.
including the groundsman and the young vender.
 

anquer

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Yes and it's a picture, and it verifies that VFA wasn't broadcast there either live or in replay, which means the witness was wrong.

"... Mr McMahon claims that late on the afternoon of August 25, 1973 he was sitting in his room watching a VFA football match on TV when he "heard a racket" out the back of the house."

Mr McMahon may not be an Aussie Rules stickler.
 

charlie20

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from the pictures mcmahon drew of the two children he's either lying or he's got the day wrong, he has them wearing different clothes than those which they were wearing when they vanished, so it couldnt have been the afternoon/evening of saturday august 25, it mightve been the next day, though, unless the perp/s were very well prepared with new clothes to fit two girls, then it's a bit unlikely, remember that joanne was not part of the plan, only kirste, i do, however, agree with the white van claim
 

Deni

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No disrespect to Suzie but given that Kirste was the Grand Prize to the man it is ironic that more people think of Joanne...
I totally agree with you, it's like Kirste was forgotten. I feel sorry for Kirstes parents/family, seeing Joanne plastered all over social media but not their child!!
 

Bits

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I totally agree with you, it's like Kirste was forgotten. I feel sorry for Kirstes parents/family, seeing Joanne plastered all over social media but not their child!!

Maybe they preferred that. Some people are more private than others and grieve differently.
 

Deni

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Maybe they preferred that. Some people are more private than others and grieve differently.
In the very early 70s I was about 12, a friend and myself went into Adelaide city from Elizabeth for a day out, If memory serves she was around 10 years old..

We'd wandered around and finally sat down to eat at the Coles cafeteria, which was on the second floor..
We noticed a man sitting near our table, and the only reason we noticed him was because he was smoking and it was blowing over us as we ate..
When we got up to leave he got up too, we entered the lift and so did he, straight away he put his hand on my friends shoulder and gripped it rather hard, as soon as the doors opened we rushed out and walked around the store hoping to lose him, he followed us, we ran out into the street and there were two police men standing about 10 feet away, we went to them and told them what had happened but they just told us to go home. The man had just come out of the store at that stage and we pointed him out, but they ignored us and just kept talking, so we went home..
I remember his smell, his clothing, long brown coat, brown slacks and one of those old fashioned hats the men wore back then, I remember his long drawn face...
 

johnymac1

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In the very early 70s I was about 12, a friend and myself went into Adelaide city from Elizabeth for a day out, If memory serves she was around 10 years old..

We'd wandered around and finally sat down to eat at the Coles cafeteria, which was on the second floor..
We noticed a man sitting near our table, and the only reason we noticed him was because he was smoking and it was blowing over us as we ate..
When we got up to leave he got up too, we entered the lift and so did he, straight away he put his hand on my friends shoulder and gripped it rather hard, as soon as the doors opened we rushed out and walked around the store hoping to lose him, he followed us, we ran out into the street and there were two police men standing about 10 feet away, we went to them and told them what had happened but they just told us to go home. The man had just come out of the store at that stage and we pointed him out, but they ignored us and just kept talking, so we went home..
I remember his smell, his clothing, long brown coat, brown slacks and one of those old fashioned hats the men wore back then, I remember his long drawn face...

See that’s what Im talking about. That old guy would fit my profile of the AO suspect to a T

A single guy 50s-60s that walks into the city from surrounding suburbs. He wanders the city looking for kids alone. He sees one or two girls alone and attempts to do his thing.
As I mentioned before, hed be a single guy living by himself. He'd be more active around school holidays and most weekends. He’s most likely working a manual job in a factory setting, plenty of those companies in Hindmarsh and Mile end. (Why a manual job, because he carried an 18kg child nearly 3 km)

“I remember his smell, his clothing, long brown coat, brown slacks and one of those old fashioned hats the men wore back then, I remember his long drawn face...


the clothing suggests he was stuck in an era 50s-60s and possibly a vet of WW2 or korean conflict.
Just by chance in 1973, he was wandering past the AO and seen an opportunity.
 

megadeth86

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See that’s what Im talking about. That old guy would fit my profile of the AO suspect to a T

A single guy 50s-60s that walks into the city from surrounding suburbs. He wanders the city looking for kids alone. He sees one or two girls alone and attempts to do his thing.
As I mentioned before, hed be a single guy living by himself. He'd be more active around school holidays and most weekends. He’s most likely working a manual job in a factory setting, plenty of those companies in Hindmarsh and Mile end. (Why a manual job, because he carried an 18kg child nearly 3 km)

“I remember his smell, his clothing, long brown coat, brown slacks and one of those old fashioned hats the men wore back then, I remember his long drawn face...

the clothing suggests he was stuck in an era 50s-60s and possibly a vet of WW2 or korean conflict.
Just by chance in 1973, he was wandering past the AO and seen an opportunity.

I always thought the most likely scenario was that he was a hardcore fan of one of the two clubs playing that day. Then his urges overtook him during the game, he spied a couple of girls alone and then the football took a back seat. But your suggestion is certainly very possible as well.
 
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I always thought the most likely scenario was that he was a hardcore fan of one of the two clubs playing that day. Then his urges overtook him during the game, he spied a couple of girls alone and then the football took a back seat. But your suggestion is certainly very possible as well.
The walk past is only possible after 3/4 time - that was when the gates were opened and you could walk in or out as you please
 

johnymac1

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I always thought the most likely scenario was that he was a hardcore fan of one of the two clubs playing that day. Then his urges overtook him during the game, he spied a couple of girls alone and then the football took a back seat. But your suggestion is certainly very possible as well.
anything is possible. I dont see our guy standing up on the Adelaide Oval hill with 5 mates by his side.
And I dont see him treking to the footy with family in tow

In the late eighties I spent about 20 hours in the area, trying to retrace the kidnappers escape route.
I spent alot of that time, trying to work out where he was headed and where his car was parked if any.
Sitting on a bench I would watch the world go buy.
Keep in mind the gates at SANFL grounds were flung open at 3/4 time, so anyone could wander in. (and allow the loosing sturt supporters to leave)
 

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97F92C7D-B619-434B-990D-96F26248B5AC.jpeg

Directions from Adelaide Oval to Vine St, Prospect.
a journey on the train could start at North Adelaide Train Station, to Dudley Park Train Station.
 

megadeth86

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View attachment 1082546
Directions from Adelaide Oval to Vine St, Prospect.
a journey on the train could start at North Adelaide Train Station, to Dudley Park Train Station.

No, I didn't think of him watching the game with 5 mates by his side but a lot of hardcore fans watch games by themselves, for various reasons...

I had thought the perpetrator was seen in the Thebarton area then the sightings stopped?
 

johnymac1

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No, I didn't think of him watching the game with 5 mates by his side but a lot of hardcore fans watch games by themselves, for various reasons...

I had thought the perpetrator was seen in the Thebarton area then the sightings stopped?
that's what I thought too. Given the police went door to door in that area, is a good indicator that they thought the guy lived there too
 

anquer

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Not sure what that pic is telling us Anquer. VFL and VFA were entirely separate leagues back then. VFL was played on a Saturday and VFA on a Sunday. According to the pic VFL was replayed on the Sunday morning and the witness says he was watching VFA.

View attachment 1065351

Yes and it's a picture, and it verifies that VFA wasn't broadcast there either live or in replay, which means the witness was wrong.

"... Mr McMahon claims that late on the afternoon of August 25, 1973 he was sitting in his room watching a VFA football match on TV when he "heard a racket" out the back of the house."


SATURDAY

ADS7
6PM - News, Sport, Weather

ABS2
5PM - Sporting Round-Up
6PM - Football Stop Press: Results of today's league matches
6:35PM - Football Scoreboard: Results from today's local and interstate football
7PM - News

NWS9
5:30PM - Football Inquest Part One: Final Statistics on today's games
6:00PM - News
6:30PM - Football Inquest Part Two: Comments from league club representatives
9:20PM - League Football Replay: North Adelaide v. Norwood

Why have you circled VFL Collingwood vs Hawthorn replay on ADS7 the following morning, Sunday?
 

sprockets

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SATURDAY

ADS7
6PM - News, Sport, Weather

ABS2
5PM - Sporting Round-Up
6PM - Football Stop Press: Results of today's league matches
6:35PM - Football Scoreboard: Results from today's local and interstate football
7PM - News

NWS9
5:30PM - Football Inquest Part One: Final Statistics on today's games
6:00PM - News
6:30PM - Football Inquest Part Two: Comments from league club representatives
9:20PM - League Football Replay: North Adelaide v. Norwood

Why have you circled VFL Collingwood vs Hawthorn replay on ADS7 the following morning, Sunday?
It was two months ago, I can't remember. Why do you keep questioning and putting up bogus tv programs when we proved back then that VFA wasn't broadcast into SA, which proves McMahon's recall was wrong?
 

anquer

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SATURDAY

ADS7
6PM - News, Sport, Weather

ABS2
5PM - Sporting Round-Up
6PM - Football Stop Press: Results of today's league matches
6:35PM - Football Scoreboard: Results from today's local and interstate football
7PM - News

NWS9
5:30PM - Football Inquest Part One: Final Statistics on today's games
6:00PM - News
6:30PM - Football Inquest Part Two: Comments from league club representatives
9:20PM - League Football Replay: North Adelaide v. Norwood

Why have you circled VFL Collingwood vs Hawthorn replay on ADS7 the following morning, Sunday?

It was two months ago, I can't remember. Why do you keep questioning and putting up bogus tv programs when we proved back then that VFA wasn't broadcast into SA, which proves McMahon's recall was wrong?

In the above quoted TV Guide for that day there was no VFA broadcast into SA?
 

anquer

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I have walked or ridden the escape route about 7 times now, its always been around midday though. Maybe I should retrace their steps at a time closer to the actual abduction time.
View attachment 1082546
Directions from Adelaide Oval to Vine St, Prospect.
a journey on the train could start at North Adelaide Train Station, to Dudley Park Train Station.

Two sightings in this case reported to police soon after and readily available to the general public...
About 17:10. Port Road outside Southwark Hotel then around the corner in Phillip Street, Thebarton.
About 18:00. North Parade, Torrensville.
 
Last edited:

johnymac1

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Two sightings in this case reported to police soon after and readily available to the general public...
About 17:10. Port Road outside Southwark Hotel then around the corner in Phillip Street, Thebarton.
About 18:00. North Parade, Torrensville.
I didnt know of the torrensville address. Im going to check it out!
Phillip Street, Thebarton, was where I thought the offenders house was. just a feeling only, I dont have any facts to back it up
 

johnymac1

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Gone cold?
with regards to the theory, they headed to a Vine street address. Its a very densely populated area.
Surprisingly there were few sighting closer to vine street.
Iam pretty sure all of the Police search in 73, was concentrated to the west of Bonython Park.
 
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