Murder of Allen Redston
Allen Geoffrey Redston was an Australian schoolboy from Bendigo, Australia, although he moved to Canberra, Australia at a very young age. He was kidnapped and murdered on 28 September 1966, having disappeared the previous day.[4] Redston's assailant was never caught, and it remains an infamous cold case in Canberra to this day.
Allen Geoffrey Redston | |
---|---|
The identification photo provided by police | |
Born | [1] Bendigo, Victoria, Australia | 24 August 1960
Disappeared | 27 September 1966 Curtin, Canberra, Australia |
Status | Dead |
Died | 28 September 1966 6) Curtin, Canberra, Australia | (aged
Cause of death | Asphyxiation[2] |
Resting place | Woden Cemetery 35.344°S 149.093°E |
Nationality | Australian |
Parent(s) |
|
Disappearance
On 27 September 1966, Redston was sent by his mother to buy ice cream for himself and his brother from the local shops. Redston however sent his brother away and headed to his friend's house, planning to spend the day at the Curtin Tip.[2] After waiting for a short period of time, Redston left the area and was not seen again until his body was discovered the next day.
The next day, after a search with police dogs, Redston's body was discovered among the reeds in a creek bed in Curtin. He had been bound, strangled, wrapped in carpet, and then moved to the location.[2]
Suspects
A manhunt began and quickly turned up the descriptions of two suspects: "a blond-haired youth, aged 13–15", and a young man.[5] Both men were seen with Redston earlier that day, and both were seen leaving the tip where Redston is believed to have been murdered. Two boys also came forward to report incidents earlier that year where two men with the same description had bound and attempted to murder them in similar ways. The first was tied up and thrown in a lake, however he managed to free himself and swim to safety.[6] The second was bound up similarly, but escaped with help from their friends.[5] Neither incidents had been reported until that point.
No-one was ever officially charged of the crime, however it was suspected he may have been a victim of serial killer Derek Percy. Percy claimed to be vacationing in Canberra at that time, but never admitted to the killing prior to his death in 2013.[7]
See also
References
- "Allen Geoffrey Redston". Find a Grave. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
- "Allen Redston". Australian Capital Territory Policing. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
- "Brian Geoffrey Redston". Find a Grave.
- reporters, Fairfax (24 July 2013). "Suspect in 1966 murder of Canberra boy dies of cancer". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
- "THE REDSTON DEATH MYSTERY". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926–1995). 14 October 1966. p. 8. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
- "Alan Geoffrey Redstone : I Want To Remember The Abused, Abandoned And Murdered Children Story & Experience". 30 September 2015. Archived from the original on 30 September 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
- Silvester, John (22 April 2007). "One man, so many faces of evil". The Age. Retrieved 18 July 2019.