Unsolved The Family Murders

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Out of Sight - The Untold Story of Adelaide's Gay Hate Murders

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Unsolved - The Family Murders - MEDIA

This thread may be used to post the Family Murders media related content. To include press and gathered photographs from various sources. Please feel free to post but as this is a no discussion thread, comments will be deleted or moved at discretion. WHO'S WHO VICTIMS AB - Alan Barnes 16yo...

www.bigfooty.com

 

[bunsen burner]

Let’s refresh on what we know and what we don't:

There are said to be up to 10 people who made up The Family. Police are sure Bevan von Einem was the main man along with one other guy.

In Adelaide during the 70s, as homosexuality was still illegal there was an underground movement. This included gay beats all around the city - that grassy parkland surrounding the city - well there was and still are a lot of gay beats around there used for cottaging.

At the gay beats were gay dudes looking for consensual sex and gay prostitutes, often boys who were drug addicts and from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The "gay scene" at the time were procuring these young men and often taking advantage of them. One witness claims it was sort of an ownership deal, gay dudes parading around their young gay partners as if to say "he's mine". Sort of s**t you get in US prisons.

In this gay scene were also lots of drugs including mandrax and rohypnol. Around this scene literally hundreds of young boys were getting date raped. It was sort of a scene where these people all knew each other and lots of them were doing it. Some were going to the extent of picking straight male hitchhikers and date raping them, and some were going to the extent of abduction, holding against will, sadistic torture, and murder.


TBC

 

[bunsen burner]

There are 3 main suspects:

Suspect 1

What we know for sure

- An eastern suburbs businessman. Live in Eastern suburbs very close to his business
- His business is/was on a main Eastern suburbs shopping strip
- His business is/was a 2 storey building
- In one of the rooms upstairs was just a matras on the floor (not evidence was founf when examined)
- He visited von Einem the night von Einem was first questioned
- He visited von Einem in prison soon after convistion
- Police monitored him when we was a suspect. Every day he came to work at the same time, then locked up for lunch at 12pm, went cruising the gay beats, came back at 1pm after lunch, then when closing his shop instead of going home which was close by, he went cruising the gay beats again. Pretty much all day, everyday he was looking for dick.
- At the time of murders he lived with suspect 2
- He was still in Adelaide as of a few years back running same business
- Suspect 1 was referred to as "Mr R" in court.

What we can speculate

- His shop is/was on one of Melbourne St North Adelaide, Magill Road Maylands, The Parade Norwood
- To be able to leave his shop everyday for lunch suggests he sells high end goods that are slow moving. You can't leave a newsagent, chemist, bakery, florist, fashion store at lunch time. I would suggest antiques, art, gemstones, maybe even a music store like a piano store. Or maybe an adult shop.
- He was with von Einem when Richard Kelvin was abducted. Police believe this to be the case but ultimately there is no proof
- He was with von Einam and Alan Barnes after Barnes was abducted. Witness "Mr B" claims he was there when Barnes was out cold and suspect 1 arrived after von Einem had called him to join in.

What is unclear

- Is suspect 1 still in Adelaide and is he still running his shop?
- What does R stand for in Mr R? First name or second?

 

[bunsen burner]

Suspect 2

What we know for sure

- His name for starters: Stephen George Woodards
- He's an Adelaide doctor who now lives in Bondi NSW
- At the time of the murders he was living with suspect 1
- At the time he was also the lover of a high profile Adelaide lawyer
- Police know Woodard and his lover were drugging and raping dudes
- Supplied von Einem a plethora of date rape drugs
- He was charged in 2011 on 5 counts of raping a dude under 17


www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/doctor-with-alleged-links-to-the-family-identified-as-stephen-george-woodards/story-e6frea83-1226074925805

What we can speculate

- In 1982 he committed the rapes in St Peters. Is this where he was living with suspect 1? It's very close to those 3 shopping strips I suggested.

What is unclear

- Who was his high profile lawyer lover?

 

[bunsen burner]

Suspect 3

What we know for sure

- A close friend of von Einem and suspect 1 and a former male prostitute.

What we can speculate

- This guy is the witness known as "Mr B". Made a lot of statements about von Einem from day one. Told police in the original investigation about how he and von Einem were picking up hitchhikers, drugging them, and raping them. He's a dodgy guy but police believe his information to be true. He told them stuff that over time matched up with what they discovered about von Einem.
- "Mr B" always claimed he left just before von Einem murdered people. "I was there, didn't like it, left, then met up with von Einem 2 weeks later to pick up and rape dome more dudes". This guy had to be more involved that he made out. One police officer thinks this guy has serial killer like qualities.

 

[bunsen burner]

Other people

Gary Wayne Place: witness who testified in 1988

Derrance Stevenson – Gay lawyer murdered in 1979. His 19 year old boyfriend was convicted but some doubt he is guilt.

Gino "Luigi" Gambardella: Chiropractor, friend of von Einem, was picking up and sexually assaulting blokes in 70s. Left for Europe when he was being investigated. Not considered a Family suspect. Police trying to locate him in Europe to get info on the Family.

Mother Goose: Robert Symonds, Adelaide bookmaker.
www.abc.net.au/news/2011-06-07/mother-goose-sex-trial-starts-in-adelaide/2749578

Ric Marshall
au.news.yahoo.com/video/sa/w...e-e4528df1b80e/serial-pedophile-labeled-evil/

Peter Liddy
www.adelaidenow.com.au/paedo...rs-prison-attack/story-e6frea6u-1226219014614


I have no idea if any of the above are in The family. Just a lot of sexual assaults back in the 70s.

 

[Ghostwriter]

You've done some good work there BB, i'll sleep and re-read tomorrow.

 

[bunsen burner]

You've done some good work there BB, i'll sleep and re-read tomorrow.

Unless you get murdered up teh arse.

 

[Paul Kersey]

Blows my mind they haven't got these campaigners.

 

[bunsen burner]

Blows my mind they haven't got these sillys.

I think the police know who most of them are, certainly suspect 1, 2, and 3. I'm quite certain the police are almost 100% sure these 3 were involved. And then it gets greyer as the move towards the periphery of who was in the family, who wasn't, and what roles they all played.

They don't know where the victims were kept whilst they were abused, and even if they found out now it would be too late to get forensic evidence.

von Einem looks like he's going to stay silent for ever. Mr B has spilt his guts on von Einem and Suspect 1 but the problem is: a) he's a shady character, b) he only goes as far as "I left von Einem and suspect 1 with the victim and left". To cough up any more info would be to incriminate himself, c)he'd know where the victims were detained but again would likely risk incriminating himself so can't say

Police also got DNA from all the suspects in 2008. Nothing became of it.

They also went and interviewed peripheral characters who were from around that scene at the time. I suspect people have provided little bits of info that only serve to confirm to police what they already know.

Suspect 2 has been outed as Stephen George Woodards. His name has been suppressed until recently when he was charged with 5 counts of 1982 rape on a 14 year old boy. All of a sudden he was outed.

I suspect part of the DNA testing of suspects is to see if these guys have committed any other crimes, and if so make it easier for them to circumvent the suppression order and have them outed. Putting them out in the open may trigger someone to come forward with info.

Suspect 1's name has been suppressed since 1990.

 

[childeric]

Let’s refresh on what we know and what we don't:

There are said to be up to 10 people who made up The Family. Police are sure Bevan von Einem was the main man along with one other guy.

In Adelaide during the 70s, as homosexuality was still illegal there was an underground movement. This included gay beats all around the city - that grassy parkland surrounding the city - well there was and still are a lot of gay beats around there used for cottaging.

At the gay beats were gay dudes looking for consensual sex and gay prostitutes, often boys who were drug addicts and from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The "gay scene" at the time were procuring these young men and often taking advantage of them. One witness claims it was sort of an ownership deal, gay dudes parading around their young gay partners as if to say "he's mine". Sort of s**t you get in US prisons.

In this gay scene were also lots of drugs including mandrax and rohypnol. Around this scene literally hundreds of young boys were getting date raped. It was sort of a scene where these people all knew each other and lots of them were doing it. Some were going to the extent of picking straight male hitchhikers and date raping them, and some were going to the extent of abduction, holding against will, sadistic torture, and murder.


TBC

Not wishing to get off thread, but does anyone remember a series of killings of gays in the ACT in the 1970s?

Some guys who were possibly academics were beaten to a pulp and thrown in the lake by someone who was hanging around a "beat"

It was suspected that cops were involved

 

[Gough]

Suspect 1: An eastern suburbs businessman who is believed to have been with von Einem when Kelvin was abducted. The man he was living with at the time of the murders is also a "person of interest."
Suspect 2: An Adelaide doctor. The man he was living with at the time is also a "person of interest."
Suspect 3 A close friend of von Einem and suspect 1 and a former male prostitute.

Sounds like Suspect 1 is also known as Mother Goose. probably not after the below research.

That guy lives across the road from a good mate of mine, every time I see him a shiver runs up my spine, something about him is very wrong indeed.

 

[grizzlym]

That guy lives across the road from a good mate of mine, every time I see him a shiver runs up my spine, something about him is very wrong indeed.

They're all very wrong.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

January last year there was another story of someone claiming to know what happened to the 3 Beaumont children who were abducted from Glenelg beach Australia day 1966. There was a thread on the Port off topics board and posts ended up talking about Von Einem who many believe were involved with these. Last year I posted the following;

About 8 years ago my mate from uni footy days and who occasionally posts on big footy, Weatherchap, bought the book Young Blood – the story of the family murders, by the junior detective on the Richard Kelvin case, Bob O’Brien . In the early 90's about 8 of us ex croweaters, who knew each other from uni and/or uni footy days ended up in Sydney thanks to State Bank recession we had to have. footyhead knows this group of my mates.

We all read the book as we passed it on from one to the other, and I remember 4 or 5 of us were talking about it at the pub one day and how upset it made us and the general consensus was - there but for the grace of god go I as all us in the late 70's early 80's were in that age group that von Einem and his crew went after. 20+ years the overwhelming feeling was still one of anger.

Adelaide being Adelaide I was one degree of separation from this. My cousin lived on the same street as Mark Langely and she went out with him for a while. Another cousin was in the same class as Peter Stogneff for a few years. I remember both being greatly affected when they discovered the bodies. My dad's cousin was a forensic scientist who worked for the government. He discovered traces of Mandrax in Kelvin's system. This evidence was passed on to the cops who went through a long laborious task of checking all the prescriptions for Mandrax and matched a von Einem prescription.

In the final chapter of his book, O'Brien details how the senior detective believes that von Einem was either the kidnapper or involved in the kidnapping of the Beaumonts and the Radcliffe-Gordon cases. Whilst its a joining the dots exercise rather than hard evidence, its hard not to come to the same conclusion.

When von Einem was locked up the disappearance of multiple young people seemed to stop. The Bunting body in the barrels murders is an appalling case, but these deaths happened to people who knew each. The killings were "contained" within the immediate group. The random multiple deaths appears to have stopped when von Einem was locked up.

The prick has now passed his non-parole period so who knows he might get out in the next few years. The bastard got off on and an inadmissible evidence technicality in 1990 about being prosecuted for the other murders.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

another post from that thread.

The "Law" man?
The "Radio" man? (Whose wife allegedly committed suicide when she found out he was involved).

God it's been so long they are the only ones I can remember.

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/predators/adelaide/murders_3.html

By now the zealous press was convinced that the murders were the work of a group of surreptitious Adelaide homosexuals in very high places throughout the community; politicians, judges, religious leaders and the like, who paid handsomely for kidnapped young men who they drugged and kept alive for their pleasure. When the victim was no longer any use to them the procurers disposed of the bodies.

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/predators/adelaide/murders_3.html

It was a scary time to be a young male in Adelaide...

 

[moses]

another post from that thread.

Utterly chilling

 

[Phantom21]

another post from that thread.

I enjoyed your post.(as in the information, not the sadness)

I felt that the attention of the media may have stopped anyone else from committing those crimes.

If I am not mistaken there was crimes in WA committed by a taxi driver abducting and killing women, this stopped once it was in the media.

I thought the state government is making sure that von Einem is never getting out? I can only imagine the sick crimes he is committing in prison.

Do people who commit crimes such as theft (grand theft etc) vehicular manslaughter get placed in the same prison as this monster?

 

[half_back_flank]

I thought the state government is making sure that von Einem is never getting out? I can only imagine the sick crimes he is committing in prison.

Do people who commit crimes such as theft (grand theft etc) vehicular manslaughter get placed in the same prison as this monster?

Same prison, but definitely different sections.

As far as I know, all pedophiles are segregated from the rest of the prison population because once their crimes become known, they are targeted by the other inmates.


Reading this though, I struggle to comprehend (if true) how you could bring yourself to give him special treatment.

 

[Phantom21]

Same prison, but definitely different sections.

As far as I know, all pedophiles are segregated from the rest of the prison population because once their crimes become known, they are targeted by the other inmates.


Reading this though, I struggle to comprehend (if true) how you could bring yourself to give him special treatment.

I never said he should be given special treatment.

I believe he is actually not human and definitely not animal. He is an abomination.

If the Omen was a true story, von Einem's name is Damien and his mother is a jackal. It would be interesting to know how this monster was raised. It would never excuse his evil, but give insight to evil.

 

[half_back_flank]

I never said he should be given special treatment.

I believe he is actually not human and definitely not animal. He is an abomination.

If the Omen was a true story, von Einem's name is Damien and his mother is a jackal. It would be interesting to know how this monster was raised. It would never excuse his evil, but give insight to evil.

I never said you did. I was talking about the prison officers.

 

[Phantom21]

I never said you did. I was talking about the prison officers.

Its sick they have done this.

They one day have to answer to someone.

I would never be made a prison officer as I would kick the crap out of this guy to release steam ever so often.

ok maybe not. But I would never show mercy or compassion.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Amazing to think that Richard Kelvin's old man Rob has gone from reading sport at Ch 9 Adelaide in 1983 to being the weekend main news reader to the co-anchor of weekday newreader for approx 20 years before retiring in 2010. He would have had to read stories about these scumbags and maintain his composure or heard his co-anchor read them. I don't know how he did it.

re von Einem's jail time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bevan_Spencer_von_Einem

Verdict
After 7½ hours of deliberation, the jury returned to give their verdict. Bevan Spencer von Einem was found guilty of the murder of Richard Kelvin and was automatically sentenced to life at Yatala Labour Prison with Mr. Justice White imposing a non-parole period of 24 years. Under South Australian law, a third of the non-parole period could be taken off for good behaviour in prison. Based on this reckoning, von Einem could conceivably have been eligible for parole in late 1999.

The Attorney-General of South Australia immediately appealed the leniency of the non-parole period, and on 29 March 1985 the Court of Criminal Appeal in South Australia increased the non-parole period to 36 years, a record at the time in that state. The earliest von Einem could be released on parole was therefore on 31 October 2007.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bevan_Spencer_von_Einem

but he has been done for stuff inside prision as well as the above wiki page listing preferrential treatment. Mentioned below is that in 2007 then premier Rann said the law would be changed ensure he never leaves prison alive.

I have no idea if the legislation was ever passed?? Any lawyers out there know or someone who has followed this case closer than me??

Recent events
[edit] 2009

On 24 June 2009, von Einem was sentenced to a further 3 months for the possession of child pornography.[9]
On 27 May 2009, von Einem plead guilty to possessing child pornography – the first time he has ever confessed to a crime.[10]
[edit] 2008

On 28 October 2008, it was announced police hope one of four suspects in the notorious Family sex murders will come forward to help solve the case after the State Government doubled a reward to $1 million. This announcement comes just days after Major Crime detectives interviewed von Einem from his prison cell.[11]

On 18 September 2008, it was announced that prosecutors have dropped allegations that von Einem wrote stories of child pornography in his jail cell.[12]

On 6 June 2008, it was announced that prosecutors have dropped one charge of producing child pornography, however von Einem is still facing charges of possession.[13]

On 4 May 2008, it was announced that an Adelaide chiropractor who fled Australia while being investigated for involvement in the Family Murders is now being sought in Europe by Police. He was a former associate of von Einem.[14]
On 27 April 2008, it was announced that police are set to travel overseas to interview several key witnesses as part of their new investigations into the Family murders.[15]

On 13 April 2008, it was announced that police conducting fresh investigations into the unsolved Family murders will quiz transvestites who have information that could assist the inquiry. Some are former associates of von Einem and are likely to provide valuable information into the inquiries.[16]

On 30 March 2008, it was announced that key suspects in Adelaide's notorious 'The Family' murders are being DNA tested as part of a new inquiry into the sex killings. Although von Einem is the only member of 'The Family' who was convicted, police are now reviewing the cold case.[17][18]

On 28 March 2008, the ABC reported that the child pornography found in von Einem's cell has been determined to not have been written by von Einem and that fingerprints do not match. Defence lawyer Sam Abbott said he expects the Director of Public Prosecutions to drop the most serious charge of producing the material and, if not, he will argue there is no case to answer. It was also announced that von Einem has been excused from attending his court hearings so he can avoid an "unpleasant" three-hour drive with other inmates.[19][20]

On 25 January 2008, The Advertiser reported that von Einem will not answer charges of possessing child pornography for at least another two months.[21]
[edit] 2007

On 7 December 2007, the ABC reported that von Einem has been granted a further adjournment before answering charges of possessing child pornography.[22]

On 1 November 2007, the ABC reported that after 24 years behind bars, von Einem is now eligible to apply for parole. However, South Australian Premier Mike Rann has vowed to enforce new legislation to ensure von Einem never leaves prison alive.[23]

On 11 August 2007, The Australian reported that detectives are calling for information to establish the identity of a young man seen in the Seven Network's news archive, showing police searching a storm water drain in the days after the Beaumont Children's disappearance. The man bears a striking resemblance to a youthful Bevan Spencer von Einem.[24] On 13 August 2007, the Seven Network followed this with a story that the man standing next to the von Einem lookalike in their archived film matched the police sketch of the suspect seen with the Beaumonts at the beach on the day of their disappearance.

On 27 July 2007 it was announced that von Einem had been transferred from the maximum security B-Division of Yatala Labour Prison to Port Augusta Prison.[25]

On 14 June 2007, the ABC reported that von Einem has been charged with producing and possessing child pornography, with police alleging that he handwrote three fictitious stories describing sexual acts between a child and a man. His lawyer believes a handwriting analysis will clear von Einem.[26]

On 4 February 2007, the ABC reported that von Einem had been charged over commercial dealings during his incarceration, including selling hand-painted greeting cards.[27]
[edit] 2006

On 26 November 2006 it was revealed that von Einem had been prescribed Cialis by a prison doctor in 2003.[28]
On 12 November 2006, the Sunday Mail reported that von Einem was receiving preferential treatment by some prison officials at Yatala Labour Prison which included home cooked meals for him and the use of a mobile telephone.[29]

On 29 October 2006, The Australian reported that von Einem had been selling hand-painted greeting cards to prison officers for $20 each.[30]

On 29 January 2006, the Sunday Mail reported that von Einem is currently being investigated for allegedly raping an inmate several times at Yatala Labour Prison.

 

[Phantom21]

I dont think Rob Kelvin, ever read the stories from memory I think it was passed on to the other news reader. Nevertheless, must have been painful to hear stories about the monster that did unspeakable evil to his son.

Monsters, true monsters must never ever get released.

 

[NSWCROW]

I remember a story in the old Adelaide " THE NEWS " about how Von Einem had a " Golden Harp " in his cell

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

The prick has now passed his non-parole period so who knows he might get out in the next few years.

As you've mentioned in later posts, that seems like an extremely remote possibility. It sounds like he's been in trouble (to put it mildly) pretty regularly while he's been imprisoned. The ones who get out as early as possible are the Peter Dupas type fake 'model prisoners'. However messed up von Einem is (and he seems extremely messed up), I guess one thing you can give him is he doesn't seem to be faking rehabilitation.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Has the footage that shows somebody who may be Von Einem at the scene of the Beaumont disappearance ever been released? Sounds spooky