Snowtown murders
| Snowtown murders | |
|---|---|
| Cause of death | Homicide |
| Other names | The bodies-In-the barrels murders |
| Killings | |
| Victims | 12 |
|
Span of killings
|
August 1992–May 1999 |
| Country | Australia |
| State(s) | South Australia |
|
Date apprehended
|
21 May 1999 |
The Snowtown murders (also known as the bodies-in-barrels murders) were a series of homicides committed by John Bunting, Robert Wagner, and James Vlassakis between August 1992 and May 1999 in South Australia. A fourth person, Mark Haydon, was convicted for helping to dispose of the bodies. The trial was one of the longest and most publicised in Australian legal history.
Only one of the victims was killed in Snowtown, which is approximately 140 kilometres (87 miles) north of Adelaide, and none of the eleven victims nor the perpetrators were from the town. Though motivation for the murders is unclear, the killers were led by Bunting to believe that the victims were paedophiles, homosexuals or "weak". In at least some instances, the murders were preceded by torture, and efforts were made to appropriate victims' Centrelink social security payments and bank funds.
Although initially the notoriety of the murders led to a short-term economic boost from tourists visiting Snowtown, it created a lasting stigma, with authorities considering a change of the town's name and identity.
Several individuals were involved in the murders: John Bunting, Robert Wagner, and James Vlassakis were all charged with the killings; additionally, Mark Haydon pleaded guilty and provided testimony in exchange for a lesser sentence.
John Justin Bunting (born 4 September 1966 in Inala, Queensland) was found to be the leader of the perpetrators. When Bunting was 8 years old, he was beaten and sexually assaulted by a friend's older brother. As a teenager, he is reported to have "enjoyed weaponry, photography and anatomy". As a young adult, he developed a strong hatred of paedophiles and homosexuals. At age 22, he worked at an abattoir and reportedly "bragged about slaughtering the animals, saying that's what he enjoyed the most". Bunting moved to a house in Salisbury North, South Australia in 1991, and there he befriended his neighbours Mark Haydon, Robert Wagner and his girlfriend Vanessa Laney.
Robert Joe Wagner (born 28 November 1971 in Parramatta, New South Wales) was befriended by Bunting in 1991. Bunting encouraged Wagner to assist in the various murders.
...
Wikipedia