The Family Murders

The Family Murders is the name given to a series of five sadistic murders committed by a loosely connected group of individuals who came to be known as "The Family". 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. 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".

Four of the five murders remain unsolved.  Only one suspect has been charged and convicted for the crimes: Bevan Spencer von Einem was sentenced in 1984 to a minimum of 24 years (later extended to a minimum 36-year term) for the murder of 15-year-old Richard Kelvin.

The Family

The Family is made up of 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". The Family were not an official group, gang, or organisation. It was a group of homosexual men and transgender women who formed a network around convicted murderer and sexual sadist Bevan Spencer von Einem, based on the drugging, raping and sometimes murder of youths and young men. Murdered victims were kept in captivity by The Family for up to five weeks.

Case

Police believe that up to 12 people, several of them high-profile Australians, were involved in the kidnappings.[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.[3]

Von Einem was convicted in 1984 of the murder of Kelvin and sentenced to life imprisonment.[4][5] In 1989, von Einem was charged with the murders of 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.[6] Von Einem was also one of the last people seen with Muir following his abduction.

Apart from von Einem, three other core members are thought to be directly involved in the murders, although while DNA testing re-commenced in 2008 no further charges have been laid.[7] Suspect 1, an eastern suburbs businessman, is believed to have been with von Einem when Kelvin was abducted. Suspect 2, a former male prostitute and close friend of von Einem known as Mr B. Suspect 3. an Eastern Suburbs doctor.

A cold case review was opened in March 2008 with a $1,000,000 reward available for anyone who provides information leading to a conviction.[8] The reward carried an offer of immunity to accomplices dependent on their level of involvement. Due to changes in the Forensic Procedures Act which now allow DNA samples to be taken from suspects in major indictable offences, all the suspects voluntarily submitted to DNA testing. The ongoing investigation featured in an episode of Crime Stoppers which went to air on 2 March 2009.[5][9] The cold case review was completed in November 2010 with no charges being laid against any of the three key suspects.[4][10]

Some authorities do not recognise the term "The Family", stating that "[t]hey should not be given any title that infers legitimacy. These people have no such bond, only an association that with time probably no longer exists".[5] Others, who have examined the cases, however, argue that there were many more victims. 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]

Victims

Alan Arthur Barnes

The night before he went missing he stayed at Darko Kastellan's house in Cheltenham. The next day was a Sunday, they both planned to hitchhike to Alan's home in Salisbury. Darko's brother dropped them at a bus stop near the corner of on Grand Junction Rd and Addison Rd. Darko soon returned home. A witness saw Alan hitchhiking and saw a white Holden HQ sedan pull over to pick him up near the corner of Production Rd.

Alan was discovered 7 days later on the bank of South Para Reservoir, below the old bridge. An autopsy determined he had been murdered on Friday the 22nd, and had been washed and redressed in his own clothes. He had been kept alive somewhere for 5 days.

  • Age: 16
  • Date of abduction: June 17, 1979
  • Date of murder: June 22, 1979
  • Date body found: June 24, 1979
  • Location of body: Under the old bridge at South Para Reservoir
  • Died from blood loss due to massive anal injuries
  • Held for 5 days, tortured and beaten. Held for 5 days, tortured and beaten. Taken on Sunday 17th, murdered on Friday 22nd, found Sunday 24th.
  •  Had Noctec and alcohol in his system
  • His body had been cleaned and he had been redressed (in his own clothes)
  • Lived with family out in Salisbury but regularly spent weekends in city
  • He had recently made friends with Darko Kastellan.
  • There's no evidence he was gay. It was very likely he was straight.
  • Police at the time had reason to believe he was starting to dabble in drugs, including heroin.
  • Mr B testified in 1990 that he was in that white sedan with BVE
  • Alan worked a few days per week refilling vending machines. One of the businesses on his run was Pipeline Supplies, the business where Bevan von Einem was the accountant.
  • Gary Wayne Place testified in 1990 that in the weeks leading up to the murder Barnes was at the Gateway Hotel on North Tce with von Einem and Woodards, and then a week later with the same people at either the same hotel or a different hotel. The accuracy of this statement is disputed.
  • Alan had a pending rape charge against him (the victim was female). It never went to court but the general consensus is that it was consensual and the complainant was making an excuse to her boyfriend.

Neil Frederick Muir

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. Millhouse was charged and went to trial but was acquitted. He then moved away from Adelaide and the murders continued. Millhouse would have likely known von Einem. It is hard to say how involved Millhouse was in the murder, if at all.

  • Age: 25
  • Date of abduction: August 27, 1979
  • Date body found: August 28 1979
  • Location of body: Mutton Cove on the shore of the Port Adelaide River
  • Injuries and Mutilation

o   Died from blood loss due to massive anal injuries

o   Muir's body was cut in 4 sections - just above the knees, immediately above the hips, and at the neck.

o   His organs had been removed and never located

o  His scrotum had been cut open, the testicles cut off, the head of the penis cut off, and the penis shaft had been neatly cut down the midline.

o  Disarticulation of hands and fingers

o  Skin bearing tattoos had been removed but were found with the rest of the parts

  • His remains had been tightly packaged in garbage bags and thrown off the jetty at Mutton Cove
  • Unable to do toxicity test because internal organs missing
  • Heroin addict
  • Suspected prostitute
  • Of no fixed address
  • Regularly frequented the gay haunts but was thought not to be gay
  • Muir was 18 when he met 15 year old Sarah Novak and 26 year old Bevan von Einem.
  • Was involved in procuring boys for BVE


Neil Fredrick Muir, aged 25,[12][13] murdered two months after Barnes in August 1979. His remains had been dissected and neatly cut into many pieces, placed in a garbage bag and thrown into the Port River at Port Adelaide.[14][15] Skin bearing tattoos had been removed and most of the body parts were placed in another garbage bag before being placed within the abdominal cavity. The head was tied to the torso with rope passed through the mouth and out through the neck.[15] A post-mortem examination revealed that Muir had died of massive blood loss from an anal injury, likely caused by the insertion of a large blunt object[16] and Noctec was found in his blood.

Peter Stogneff, aged 14,[17] murdered in 1981. His skeletal remains were found in October 1982 later by a local farmer at Middle Beach, 50 km north of Adelaide. Stogneff's body had been cut into three pieces in a similar fashion to Muir.[8] Little more could be determined as the remains had been accidentally burnt by the farmer while clearing his property of scrub.[11][18]

Mark Andrew Langley, aged 18,[17] murdered in February 1982.[19] His mutilated body was found in scrub in the Adelaide foothills nine days after his disappearance.[20] Among the mutilations was a wound that appeared to have been cut with a surgical instrument that went from his navel to the pubic region and part of his small bowel was missing.[14] The hair around the area had been shaved as it would have been in an operation in a hospital. The post-mortem revealed that Langley had died from a massive loss of blood from gross injuries to his anus, similar to Barnes.[16][21] The sedative-hypnotic drug Mandrax, popular in the 1970s disco scene, was found in Langley's blood.

Richard Dallas Kelvin, (born 4 December 1967) aged 15,[22] murdered in 1983. The son of popular local Nine Network news presenter Rob Kelvin, he was abducted a short distance from his North Adelaide home.[14][23] His body was found on 24 June 1983, by a family who was searching for Moss rocks near a dirt airstrip at Kersbrook. Kelvin was held captive for over five weeks[23] and a post-mortem examination revealed that he had died of massive blood loss from an anal injury,[24] likely caused by the insertion of a large blunt object. Analysis of Kelvin's bloodstream revealed traces of four hypnotic drugs,[11][25] including Mandrax and Noctec. Trace evidence, including hair and fibres from von Einem's home, was found on Kelvin's body and clothing.[11]

Suspects

Bevan Spencer von Einem
  • Born 1946
  • Age in 1979 - 33
  • Convicted of murder of Richard Kelvin
  • Lived in Paradise with his Mum during the time at 13/3 Rowney Ave and 7 Day St.
  • Worked as an accountant at Pipeline Supplies of Australia which was on South Rd in Regency Park
  • In 1991 he was charged with the murders of Alan Barnes and Mark Langley on the basis of evidence provided by co-suspect Mr B. Police dropped the charges because Mr B's credibility became more and more into question - he was saying BVE was responsible for the Beaumonts and the Adelaide Oval abductions.
  • Had a sexual relationship with victim Neil Muir approximately four years before Muir's death
  • According to Mr B, BVE's favoured place to cruise for hitchhikers was from the cnr of King William St and North Terrace, over the City Bridge, through North Adelaide where King William changes into O'Connell St, and then a right turn up Main North Rd to The Big Scotsman Motel on the corner of Nottage Terrace. He would cruise that route up and down, looking for victims.

Mr R
  • His name is currently under suppression
  • Age in 1979 - approx 33
  • Often referred to as "the business man"
  • Still runs his business in an inner city money suburb.
  • Was living with co-suspect Stephen George Woodards at the time
  • SAPOL believe he was heavily involved
  • Would arrive at the Alberton transgender house to abuse young men and boys that BVE had already drugged and raped.
  • SAPOL believe he was in the car when Kelvin was abducted and was in the car shortly after Barnes was picked up
  • Mr B testified in 1990 that he was in BVE's car when they by chance saw and picked up Alan Barnes hitch-hiking. BVE gave Barnes some alcohol and sedatives and then went and called Mr R who arrived shortly after. Mr B conveniently claimed he then left BVE and Mr R with a now unconscious Barnes, but not before BVE invited him to come along and "do some surgery".

Mr B
  • His name is currently under suppression
  • Age in 1979 - 23
  • Born in the UK in 1956
  • Former child prostitute
  • He met Bevan von Einem in 1979 (possibly earlier)
  • He currently lives in Adelaide
  • Has lived in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. At some stage between 1983 and 1985 he spent time in Brisbane.
  • SAPOL believe he was heavily involved
  • Two days after Alan Barnes was found he called police and told them it was BVE.
  • Mr B made a lot of statements about BVE from day one. He told police in the original investigation about how he and BVE 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 BVE.
  • Testified against BVE in 1990 (in case re Barnes and Langley) and claimed he was in BVE's car when they picked up Barnes. He then testified that BVE drugged Barnes then called Mr R who arrived shortly after to join in. He conveniently claimed he then left BVE and Mr R with a now unconscious Barnes, but not before BVE invited him to come along and "do some surgery". SAPOL believe otherwise.
  • Mr B always claimed he left just before BVE murdered people. "I was there, didn't like it, left, then met up with BVE two weeks later to pick up and rape dome more dudes". Police think he was a lot more involved that he made out. One police officer thinks this guy has serial killer like qualities.
  • In 1990 (State v BVE re Barnes and Langley) Mr B testified;

o   On a number of occasions he was present when the accused had picked up young men who were hitchhiking and given them alcohol and tablets.

o   On one occasion he had seen the accused with a naked youth in the bedroom of a home to which the youth had been taken.  The youth had a torch and an instrument similar to a large stainless steel crochet hook in his anus.

o   He had been with the accused when the accused had given Barnes a lift in his car.   He said that the incident took place while Barnes was hitchhiking near the northern parklands.  Barnes said he wanted a lift to Salisbury.  While in the car Barnes was given some drinks and tablets.  He was asked if he wanted to go to a party and he said "Yes". The accused (BVE) drove back towards North Adelaide and stopped at a cafe.  Later he stopped and made a telephone call.  He told Mr B. that he had rung a man named Mr R and that he had arranged to meet Mr R near the toilets on the River Torrens bank, adjacent to the City bridge.  Mr B. said the accused met and spoke to Mr R at this location.  When the accused returned to the car he said to Mr B. "Do you want to come with us and do some surgery on this guy?" In response to a question from Mr B. the accused said that Mr R was going to come along. Mr B. said he left at this stage and walked up to the city. Throughout the time that they were in the vicinity of the toilets Barnes appeared to be unconscious in the rear seat of the vehicle.

  • A statement from Mr B's sister, which was read to the court, said he had admitted to her that he was present when Barnes was killed.
  • The glaring hole in Mr B's story: Alan Barnes was abducted on the Sunday afternoon on Grand Junction Rd. Mr B claims in was on the Friday night on Main North Rd. It's speculated he changed the date and time to give himself an alibi - the nightclub on North Terrace.

Dr Stephen George Woodards
  • Born 1949
  • Age in 1979 - 29
  • A doctor that specialises in Physiotherapy
  • Mark Langley had been cut open with surgical instrument and part of his bowel missing. SAPOL speculate his captors had to remove something they had placed and lost in his rectum. SAPOL suspect Woodards did the work.
  • Now living in Bondi and working as a doctor in Maroubra, Sydney.
  • His lover was Richard Brown
  • Lived on Second Ave, St Peters
  • He was known as "Dr Steve" and had a reputation for drugging young men at pubs and then "helping the drunk person leave the premises and give them a  lift home".
  • He was charged in 2011 on 5 counts of raping a male under 17. The charges didn't stick because it couldn't be proven that the victims were under 17 at the time.

Richard Dutton Brown
  • Age in 1979 - 30
  • Died in 2010 aged 62
  • He was appointed to the Magistrate's Bench in 1979 as a 30 year old
  • Often referred to as "the high profile lawyer"
  • At the time he was in a relationship with co-suspect Stephen Woodards

Denis Edward St Denis
  • Age in 1979 - 35
  • Born 1944
  • Died 30/11/2002 aged 58
  • BVE's hairdresser friend
  • Had a salon at 60 Knightsbridge Rd, Hazelwood Park. He and his Mum Dot lived at the back.
  • His nickname was "Pussy"
  • He was born Dennis Ronald Edwards and was aka Tucker or Frank Denis
  • BVE went to his salon and had his hair dyed the day after Kelvin went missing
  • Allegedly rented a unit with BVE in Lambert St, Joslin. Both lived with their mothers and needed a place to take young men/boys. There was also one in Tenyson St, Medindie
  • Diaries of one of his friends (Trevor Peters) were found that document suspicious discussions between BVE and St Denis, as well as the witnessing of photos of an unconscious Alan Barnes
  • Kelvin was in captivity for 5 weeks and in that time his car had been cut. SAPOL believe this was St Denis

Mr L
  • Born circa 1947
  • Boyfriend of Mr R
  • Purchase his upmarket house in 1972. Mr R lived there with him during the time of the murders
  • Mr R and Mr L still live together in the same house

Donald John Storen
  • Born 1949
  • It's unclear what involvement he had but he has been outed as a suspect.
  • Jailed in Lombok, Indonesia from 2006-2010 for underage sex offences with four boys aged 13 - 15.

Lewis Turtur
  • Born 1953
  • Age in 1979 - 26
  • He is a transvestite/drag queen. Has not had an operation. Use the name Lana when he cross dresses.
  • Transgender who shared a house in Alberton with Firman and Miss K
  • Often referred to as "the brother of an Olympian"
  • Allowed BVE to regularly come by with guys he had drugged so he could rape them (BVE that is). BVE would supply Turtur with mandrax for letting him use their house
  • SAPOL believe one or more of the transgenders  were in BVE's car when Kelvin was abducted
  • Moved to Sydney soon after. Still lives there.
  • SAPOL don't think he/she was heavily involved but think they may have known where the boys/men were being held
  • In the 1990 court case (State v BVE re Barnes and Langley), Turtur gave evidence that the accused had given one youth an enema and on another occasion he had seen a torch light showing from under the bed clothes when the accused was in bed with a youth.

Prudence Charmaine Firman
  • Age in 1979 - 24
  • Born Gregory Francis Acton, 1955
  • A post-op transgender. Had sex change op in 1982
  • Born 5/05/1955
  • Died 10/10/2008 aged 53
  • Lived at the Alberton share house with Turtur and Sarah Novak
  • Moved to Sydney with Turtur and Sarah Novak after the Bevan von Einem trial
  • Returned to Adelaide and lived at 46 Shipsters Rd, Kensington Park with Sarah Novak. Next door to Trevor Peters whose diaries were found by his brother after his death. This diaries spoke about the Family and named the names that are named here. A link to this article can be found under Denis St Denis.
  • She is one of the "girls" who were used by BVE to lure males into his car.
  • Between Langley and Kelvin she picked up a boy with BVE. He was drugged. Firman had sex with him before he blacked out and the BVE did his thing. She was charged with rape but was acquitted because it couldn't be proven that it wasn't consensual
  • Was living back in Adelaide by 1989 and was convicted of dealing heroin

Sarah Leanne Novak
  • Age in 1979 - 22
  • Born 20/04/1957
  • Died 16/12/2014 aged 57
  • A post-op transgender
  • Original name was Stephen Stanton
  • Started sex change process at 15 in 1972
  • Met Neil Muir around this time.
  • Lived next door to Trevor Peters  at 46 Shipsters Rd, Kensington Park with Prue Firman
  • Grew up in Mile End
  • Also believed to have lived in Archer St North Adelaide with Pru.
  • Was close with BVE and Neil Muir. Often lured boys for BVE.

Noel Terrence Thomas Brook
  • Age in 1979 - 23
  • Born 1956
  • Died 17/01/1998  aged 42
  • Transgender
  • He is a transvestite/drag queen. Has not had an operation
  • Known as DiDi
  • Aboriginal. Sometime referred to as Maori, or half-Maori. Is aboriginal.
  • Lived in Hope Valley - on direct path between Stogneff's house and Tea Tree Plaza (TTP)
  • Sometimes raped unconscious boys that BVE brought back to the transgender house (after BVE had finished with them)

See also

References
  1. Von Einem: Lawyers in new bid to re-open Kelvin case 27 October 1996
  2. "Reward Doubled to Solve Family Murders". The Sydeney Morning Herald. 28 October 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  3. Hunt, Nigel (1 April 2008). "Shadowy clique preyed on the young". The Advertiser. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  4. Hunt, Nigel (26 October 2008). "$5m reward bid to solve Family murders". News.com.au. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  5. Hunt, Nigel (29 March 2008). "DNA tests for Family murder suspects". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  6. "Murder case abandoned". The Canberra Times. 2 February 1991. p. 10. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  7. Dowdell, Andrew (18 July 2015). "Doctor found not guilty of 'Family' murder of Neil Muir dies in NSW". The Advertiser. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  8. Malkin, Bonnie (28 October 2008). "Australian police reopen notorious 1970s Family murders case". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  9. Family Murders – Adelaide Crime Stoppers 2 March 2009
  10. Hunt, Nigel (5 December 2010). "Family murder truth may never be known". The Advertiser. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  11. "The Butchered Boys". Crime Investigation Australia. Series 1. Episode 16. Crime & Investigation Network.
  12. "Neil Fredrick Muir". Crime Stoppers. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  13. "Body in bag: jury acquits doctor in Adelaide". The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 October 1980. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  14. Brown, Malcolm (25 May 1999). "A deadly serious State". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  15. Dowdell, Andrew (18 July 2015). "Doctor found not guilty of 'Family' murder of Neil Muir dies in NSW". The Advertiser. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  16. "Sex murder 'could have been prevented'". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 March 1988. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  17. Hunt, Nigel (8 February 2014). "Lost diary gives South Australia police new lead into Alan Barnes murder by The Family". The Advertiser. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  18. O'Brien, Bob (2014). Young Blood: The Story of the Family Murders. HarperCollins. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-4607-0370-0.
  19. "Mark Andrew Langley". Crime Stoppers. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  20. "Murderer quizzed on death of youth". The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 July 1987. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  21. "Fresh look at teenage sex murders". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 July 1987. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  22. "Many theories, few clues in string of Adelaide murders". The Canberra Times. 14 August 1983. p. 2. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  23. "Richard Kelvin". Crime Stoppers. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  24. "Sex assault victim tells of ordeal". The Canberra Times. 31 March 1990. p. 10. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  25. "Record 24-year non-parole period for boy's killer". The Canberra Times. 10 November 1984. p. 10. Retrieved 3 January 2017.

Further reading
  • O'Brien, Bob (2002). Young Blood: The Story of the Family Murders. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-732-26913-5.
  • Orr, Stephen (2011). The Cruel City: Is Adelaide the Murder Capital of Australia?. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-742-69294-4.
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