Mount Isa Murders

The Mount Isa Murders, also known as the Spear Creek Killings, took place 12 km (7.5 mi) from the small North Queensland town of Mount Isa at Spear Creek. While there have been a number of other murders, the term "Mount Isa Murders" here refers to the Spear Creek Killings. This triple murder took place in October 1978 and remained unsolved until April 2019.[1][2]

Mount Isa area in North-West Queensland, Australia

History of the area

The Mount Isa area has a history of murders and unsolved crimes. Historically, the Mount Isa area was a region of economic and social instability.[3] In the 1930s, entrepreneurs seeking economic gain from mining and farming land in the area caused significant social change.[3] The introduction of a class structure disrupted the social balance of the area.[3] These social structures were a fundamental influence on the type of crimes that were committed.[3] During the Depression and World War II, itinerant workers entered the Mount Isa area in large numbers, increasing crime rates significantly. Thefts and violent crime greatly increased.[3] It was a time of social, political and economic pressure. There were tensions between social groups, mining and farming industries, and classes.[3] This pressure is no longer so prevalent but crime rates have remained high.[4]

From 2012 to 2018, crime rates in North West Queensland have increased from 7,310 offences, to 9,842 offences.[4] Violent crime rates in far North Queensland are more than double the Queensland average.[4] In the Mount Isa area specifically, crime rates are quadruple the state average[5]. This could be explained by the relatively low socio-economic status and the high unemployment rates of the Mount Isa area.[6][7]

The Spear Creek Killings

On the morning of October 24, 1978, a passing Mount Isa local came across three bodies in the Spear Creek bushland.[1] The trio, Karen Edwards (23), Tim Thomson (31) and Gordon Twaddle (21) and their 9 month old Doberman, Tristie, were last seen leaving a caravan park in Mount Isa on October 5, 1978. Edwards and Thomson rode on a distinct red and gold 1977 BMW 100s with a homemade side car which carried their Doberman. Gordon rode a blue 1977 Suzuki GS750. Witnesses saw the three friends accompanied by an unidentified man on the same day.[1] This unidentified man became a suspect, with sightings of both him and his vehicle (a brown and white Toyota Land Cruiser) [2] in several locations around the time of the murders. He was never found or charged and his identity remains unknown.[2] Police reopened the case in March 2019, urging anyone with information to come forward.[8]

Victims

Karen Edwards and her partner Tim Thomson, along with his friend Gordon Twaddle[1] were on a motorcycle expedition through central Australia, travelling from Alice Springs towards Melbourne. They were last seen in the Moondurra Caravan Park in Mount Isa, where they appeared to have befriended another man, who police later stated was a person of interest. All three were found shot dead 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Mount Isa in North West Queensland at Spear Creek on October 24, 1978. The body of Karen Edwards was discovered by local resident, Stan Harris while on a walk at Spear Creek with his greyhounds. He found her body sprawled against a tree. The following morning, police found the bodies of Tim Thomson and Gordon Twaddle, nearby and similarly positioned.[8] All three bodies had been left to decompose in the open.[1]

Timeline of Events
  • September 30, 1978: Edwards arrived in Alice Springs where she met up with Thomson and Twaddle before they rode North.[8]
  • October 2, 1978: The trio stopped at Aileron in the Northern Territory where they camped overnight.[8]
  • October 3, 1978: The friends made four stops at Wauchope, Devils Marbles, The Three Ways and Frewena before they camped overnight in the Barry Caves. Between The Three Ways and Frewena, they met up with another male motorcyclist who travelled on with them to their campsite at the Barry Caves.[8]
  • October 4, 1978: It is believed this male cyclist continued to travel with the friends until they reached Moondarra Caravan Park, where the trio and their dog checked in for two nights. That evening, another unidentified man driving a brown and white Toyota Land Cruiser joined the friends at the campsite.[8]
  • October 5, 1978: The trio were last seen leaving the caravan park in the morning. That afternoon, the Toyota Land Cruiser returned to the caravan park and witnesses reported hearing a male voice calling for Thomson's Doberman, Tristie.[8]
  • October 6, 1978: Tristie was found abandoned at the Mount Isa Dump.[8]
  • October 24, 1978: The bodies of Edwards, Thomson and Twaddle were discovered by a local on a morning walk.[2][8]
  • October 30, 1978: The helmets, gloves, jackets, tents and other possessions of the friends were found at the Mount Isa Dump.[8]

Police investigation

The original investigation focused on linking the triple murder to other murders at the time.[9] The murder of John Tzelaidis[10] in Western Australia was originally thought to be associated with the Mount Isa Murders.[9] There is little public information on the original investigation and a suspect was never identified or charged.

In 2018, detectives from the Cold Case Investigation Team along with the Mount Isa Criminal Investigation Branch launched a review of the unsolved triple homicide.[9] This included a review of the information provided by witnesses over the years.[9] In March 2019, a new appeal was made by police, urging anyone with information regarding the murders to come forward.[8] These appeals led to almost 50 leads in the span of a week.[1][8] Police revealed that while some of these contained information they already had, there were some new leads.[8]

Conviction

On Friday 12 April 2019, the Homicide Cold Case Investigation Team arrested 63 year old Goulburn man and former prison guard, Bruce John Preston, on three counts of murder.[11] Preston was known to the victims, and was originally interviewed by police in 1978, when they found him in possession of Edwards' distinct red and gold motorcycle with sidecar.[2] Preston had the motorcycle cleaned, the wheels changed and parts removed. In 1978, he was convicted of theft of the vehicle and fined $300.[11][12] Despite this progress in the 2019 investigation, police continue to look for any further information regarding the killings, and are offering indemnity from prosecution for any accomplice who can provide insight.[12]

Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell stated that little was known regarding Preston's motives.[12] Preston's lawyer appeared in court on behalf of the accused in April 2019, stating that his client denied being in Mount Isa at the time of the murders and would be appealing the charges.[12] His claim contradicted by an earlier statement in an interview prior to his arrest when he stated that he was in Mount Isa when the three friends went missing.[13] Preston remained in custody and was not permitted to apply for bail.[13] The crown prosecutor in the case denied bail based on remarks made by Preston which indicated he might take his own life to avoid a prison sentence: "I am not going to prison. I'd rather walk out into the street and blow my head off before I go to jail."[13] Preston made this comment during a recorded phone conversation with his wife while in police custody.[13]

Circumstantial evidence

The friends were last seen entering a brown Toyota Land Cruiser. At the time, Preston's father owned a car similar to this description.[13] Preston was also on a motorcycle trip across Australia at this time.[13] Witnesses saw a man matching Preston's description with the victims the night prior to their murder and he was found in possession of Edwards' distinct red and gold motorcycle.[11][13] He was charged with theft at the time but maintained that he had found the motorcycle.[11][13]

Victim statements

The following are excerpts from family members of the victims in 2019, following the :

"Tim was a kind and gentle and much loved brother and always obliging when asked for help in any way... He loved his dog and old motorcycles in equal parts...Tim invited me to go on the trip through the centre of Australia with him and Gordon and Karen but I was unable to go otherwise I would probably not be writing this letter. My parents were shattered by the murders and I still feel a numbness that I don’t think will ever disappear." - Statement from David Thomson (Tim Thomson's brother)

"I write this statement for my brother Gordon Twaddle who was murdered in Australia. This horrible event has played on my mind for 40 years and I feel for the families of these three friends who were cold bloodily murdered. Gordon my brother was not only my best friend but we had a common interest in motorcycling which created a very strong bond between us. I also knew Tim as a friend but unfortunately had never met Karen but knowing the two boys I am sure she was a lovely person. It was that interest in motorcycling that found him in the wrong place at the wrong time. I feel that a result and conviction of the person (persons) responsible for these murders would bring some peace of mind and form some closure but it will never take away the pain of knowing how their lives ended far too soon in such a horrible way. Finally, I would like to thank the Australian Police for continuing to investigate this case over such a long period of time. I trust that you may now have a solid case to convict this person (persons). - Statement from John Twaddle (Gordon Twaddle's brother)

Other murders in northern Queensland

The Murder of Frederick and Phillis Mabb, 2009

In 2009, an 82 year old man was found murdered in his Mount Isa home, and his wife (71) was found seriously injured.[14] She sustained significant head injuries and was placed in an induced coma at Mount Isa Base Hospital.[14] She later died in hospital. The suspect, Donald Tommy George, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2012, with a mandatory non-parole period of 20 years.[14]

The Murder of Scott Maitland and Cindy Masonwells, 2012

In July, 2012, Mount Isa couple Maitland and Masonwells were murdered by Cairns mechanic Peter MacGowen after a disagreement over restoration to their panel van.[15] Maitland was shot in the back of the head, and Masonwells was stabbed. Their bodies were dumped near a dam in Copperload, Cairns. MacGowen was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment, and his appeals were dismissed.[15]

The Murder of Kyle Coleman, 2014

In February 2014, Mount Isa teenager Coleman (17), left on a camping trip with his friend James Coleman (no relation) (21). James returned home some days later, but earlier than expected, and without Kyle. A few days later, James took his own life.[16] In a statement released by the coroner Stephanie Williams, there was no concrete evidence to suggest that James had intentions to harm Kyle, and the coroner proposed that it was likely Kyle died of a shooting accident. Investigating officers, however, believed James' statements to be misleading and untruthful, with his subsequent suicide suggesting his guilt.[16]

The murder of Michael McCabe, 2015

25 year old North Queensland man, McCabe, was murdered in 2015. His badly battered body was found decomposing in a creek bed in a national park near Townsville. Three people stood on trial for their alleged involvement in McCabe’s murder, one charged with murder, another with unlawful assault occasioning bodily harm whilst in company, and the third charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder.[17] All three pleaded not guilty in front of the Townsville Supreme Court.[17][18] The autopsy report documented fractures believed to be from blunt force trauma with blows to the skull potentially caused by a rock. On May 15, 2015, a 45 year old Townsville man who underwent a separate trial was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty for the murder.[18] Witness statements suggested that the motive behind McCabe's murder might have been a $10,000 debt he owed to the Rebels Motorcycle Club.

The Murder of Toyah Cordingley, 2018

Cordingley, a 24 year old Cairns woman, was found murdered on Wangetti Beach in far North Queensland in October 2018.[19] Detectives believe the young woman was attacked on October 21, 2018 while walking her dog.[19] Media outlets have released speculation that a suspect has fled the country. Police have not provided any further information other than revealing the investigation is ongoing.[19]

References
  1. Murray, Lucy (2019-03-23). "'I still feel a numbness': Families' 40-year wait for answers in cold case triple murder". ABC News. Retrieved 2019-04-16.
  2. "Man charged over cold case Spear Creek murders". ABC News. 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
  3. Perkins, Diane (July 1993). "Crime in the North West" (PDF). History Department, University of Queensland.
  4. "Queensland Crime Statistics". Mount Isa. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  5. Statistics, c=AU; o=Commonwealth of Australia; ou=Australian Bureau of. "Australian Bureau of Statistics web site". itt.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  6. Wilson, Paul; Lincoln, Robyn (1992-11-01). "Young People, Economic Crisis, Social Control and Crime". Current Issues in Criminal Justice. 4 (2): 110–116. doi:10.1080/10345329.1992.12036561. ISSN 1034-5329.
  7. Caldwell, Felicity (2018-11-15). "Queensland has the worst unemployment rate in the nation". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  8. North, Melissa (1 April 2019). "New Leads in Spear Creek Murder Cold Case". North West Star.
  9. myPolice. "Police Launch New Appeal for 1978 Triple Homicide". QLD Police News.
  10. "HOMICIDE – JOHN TZELAIDIS – DAMPIER". Crime Stoppers Western Australia. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  11. Lynch, Nicholas McElroy, Robyn Wuth and Lydia (2019-04-12). "Goulburn man arrested for Qld cold case murders". Goulburn Post. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
  12. Lynch, Melissa North and Lydia (2019-04-12). "A man has been charged with the Spear Creek murders". The North West Star. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
  13. Bunch, Aaron (3 June 2019). "Mount Isa Triple Murder accused denied bail". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  14. Smiley, Stephen (25 April 2012). "Man jailed over Mount Isa double murder". ABC News.
  15. Nancarrow, Kirsty (29 August 2014). "Brandon Peter Macgowan Found Guilty of Double Murder". ABC News. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  16. Margolis, Zara (2016-04-07). "Missing teen shot and killed by friend, inquest told". ABC News. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
  17. Wainwright, Sophie (24 July 2018). "Michael McCabe Allegedly Murdered and Dumped in Creek Bed, had a "target on his head"". ABC News.
  18. Rafferty, Sally (15 May 2019). "Michael McCabe's Killer Sentenced to Life Behind Bars". ABC News.
  19. Vukovic, Dom (9 December 2018). "Toyah Cordingle Key Suspect in Murder Flees the Country". ABC News.
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