by Bob O'Brien
Serial killers look like normal people. That’s how they are able to ply their trade. People are not always who you think they are. I remember snooping outside the window of a drug dealer one hot night when I was in the Drug Squad. The window was open and the dealer was talking to his girlfriend, a nurse, who used heroin. They were talking about drugs.
‘I wonder what people would think, if they knew I was using,’ she said.
She looked like a normal person, acted like a normal person, worked as a nurse looking after people but was a heroin user. She hadn’t become a junkie. Her appearance and body shape had not deteriorated. Many people think that drug use results in an addiction and a downward spiral with physical wellbeing deteriorating, as was happening to Neil Muir. However, many users do not become emaciated but keep their healthy appearance just as many alcoholics do. They look normal. Serial killers can look normal. They can be charming individuals.
As children, serial killers may have been chronic bed wetters as a result of domestic violence in their household. Also, there may be an addiction to either alcohol or drugs or both. Most serial killers possess average or above average intelligence, with some having superior intelligence.
With these murders our offenders were most likely to be homosexuals — violent ones at that — who had the ability to move about Adelaide without bringing attention to themselves. The generally mentioned figure is that ten per cent of the population is homosexual. Given that, with South Australia’s population of about 1.5 million, then 150,000 people in South Australia are homosexual. If fifty per cent of them are males, then 75,000 men in South Australia are homosexual. Actually, no-one knows the exact figures but, whatever the numbers are, it is still likely to be in the thousands of men. Even if one per cent of males are homosexual, then we had 7,500 men to consider. How many of that number are violent? Obviously, checking criminal records for crimes of violence involving homosexuals was one way but that would be an extremely laborious task. Police records were still being computerised in 1983 and even when they were the ability to work the database was limited.
The homicidal rampages of serial killers are thought to have a sexual component. The murders are part of an elaborate fantasy that climaxes at the time of killing. Authors believe that the killing becomes a part of a ritual, and has been described as an ‘emotional sexual orgasm — the explosion of power’.
Serial killers are sadistic. They murder and then ‘cool off’ before their need to satisfy their fantasies builds again. This explained the now-regular style of murders. There were two in 1979 — Alan Barnes and Neil Muir disappeared within two months of one another. Then, there was a longer period of two years before Peter Stogneff disappeared. Then a gap of five months before Mark Langley and then a gap of nearly eighteen months before Richard Kelvin was snatched.
Serial killers obtain satisfaction from activities such as cannibalism, necrophilia (sex with a corpse) and keeping souvenirs of their work — trophies that celebrate their activities. Were the body parts of Neil Muir that were missing, the testicle for instance, kept as trophies? Three theories were possible. One theory suggested that the testicle was eaten as a part of a cannibalistic ceremony to celebrate the occasion or the testicle was simply lost during the butchering of Neil Muir. A third theory suggested that the items were taken as trophies to remind the murderers of the occasion. The silver necklace and ingot with Mark Langley’s star-sign on it, and his blue satin shirt, were missing. Were they kept as trophies to gloat over or the items merely disposed of because they were marked or bloodied? We couldn’t discount any of these possibilities and the existence of different theories made the investigation harder to narrow down and allow us to focus our efforts in one direction.
Some authors say that serial killers are fascinated with the remains of their crimes and may visit their victims’ graves and even attend their funerals. Trevor asked me to attend the funeral of Peter Stogneff early in 1983. He was buried at Cheltenham Cemetery, which lies adjacent to Port Road. The large plot of land extends from Port Road almost to the railway line that bisects Cheltenham Parade. The flat burial ground is divided by three walkways that cross and separate the gravestones. Distant relatives of mine are buried there and I find the cemetery uninspiring. However, there were two reasons to attend the funeral. There was the remote chance that someone other than the kindred family and friends were hanging around that day but also I went to represent police and support the Stogneff family.
I stood at the back watching the service and looking around for anything unusual. Nothing extraordinary happened on the day but I realised my limitations a week later. An envelope arrived at Major Crime addressed to me. I opened it and found a picture of me at the Cheltenham Cemetery looking very serious and trying to pick anything unusual. I was photographed by police surveillance who were also sent to the funeral service by Trevor — so much for my observation skills! On reflection, I think that I only had an average score for observation from my test during my detective training course.
Both Trevor and I went to Centennial Park to the funeral of Richard Kelvin on 9 September 1983. We stayed in the background as much as possible. I never asked Trevor about surveillance but I knew the police officers in the plain van would be there somewhere in the distance with their binoculars and telescopic camera lens.
Experts describe serial killers as: psychopathic sexual sadists, who torture and kill for pleasure; crime-spree killers; organised crime members of the Mafia or street gangs; custodial poisoners; or asphyxiators such as doctors and nurses who have control over people. The fifth category is psychotics whose crimes result from psychotic delusions. Terrorists, who are politically motivated, could be added to this list.
Other experts separate the crime-spree rapist who kills and the sexual sadist. They distinguish between killers who murder after a sexual assault to stop the victim identifying the killer from those who kill for pleasure. A hedonistic killer may kill for sexual pleasure or the excitement of a novel experience while those seeking power and control, where domination over the victim is important, want any sexual activity as part of that domination. All of these factors were considerations we had to take into account.
The sexual sadist kills as a part of his sexual gratification and this category of serial killer has been written about the most. Christopher Worrell of Truro infamy initially killed to stop a victim identifying him to police but, most likely, he moved to killing for pleasure as he picked up more girls, even though the secondary aspect of identification would have been in the back of his sick mind. While some academics put people in boxes, in real life it is never that simple.
There are five stages to a serial murder. They are:
1. Fantasy;
2. Stalking;
3. Abduction;
4. Killing; and
5. Disposal.
The fantasy stage occurs as the killer starts thinking about killing. He fantasises about what he is going to do and the intensity of the deviant mind-games increases to the stage when stalking of a victim commences. Once a victim is found, that person is stalked and then abducted before being killed and disposed of as an object which is no longer useful.
Other experts add three phases to the process of serial killing. Between the stalking of a victim and the abduction there may be a wooing phase, in which the victim is seduced or their defences are lowered. Richard Kelvin was abducted but what about the other boys? Were they forced into a car or were they seduced into a situation where they could be controlled?
In the Totem Phase, the preservation of the intensity of the murder is maintained by the keeping of bits of a body. Genitals are cut off or even limbs severed. The Totem Phase reminded me of what I already knew about the keeping of trophies and maybe even the missing lower legs of Peter Stogneff fitted into this idea. Peter’s lower limbs, however, may have been lost to a fox fossicking for food. And, finally, after the disposal of the body, there may be bouts of depression before depraved fantasies start to build ag
ain. Experts have presented eight phases of serial killers that police need to consider:
1. Fantasy;
2. Stalking;
3. Wooing;
4. Abduction;
5. Killing;
6. Trophies;
7. Disposal; and
8. Depression.
Also, serial killers have been classified by whether they are organised or disorganised offenders, based on the crime scene. Offenders may leave a crime scene tidy, reflecting that they are organised and planning is involved. The organised offender may use restraints to control and have power over the victim, commit sexual acts with live victims and use a vehicle. The disorganised offender is likely to leave evidence at the scene, perform sexual acts with the victim after death and not use a vehicle. We did not have crime scenes where the boys were killed. This indicated that we were looking for someone who was organised, methodical and had access to a vehicle. We could not ignore the possibility that the killers had just moved to Adelaide and were now part of the community. They could move on just as quickly, or they could be established members of Adelaide’s society of one million people.
The interesting thing about understanding serial killers is trying to find out why a person is selected as the next victim. Is it something about their smile, their clothes, their hair or the way that they carry themselves? I was sure that the killers would have seen Richard Kelvin wearing that dog collar around his neck when he was at the bus stop in O’Connell Street just before he was abducted. If our serial killer was a homosexual sexual sadist then fantasies involving Richard and the dog collar could have been a real turn on. On top of all this, Trevor had spoken to the police psychologists and they said that if we had a serial killer or killers stalking the streets, then they would kill again.
While Lee Haddon had worked in the belief that Neil Muir had been murdered by someone close to him, Trevor worked in the belief that a stranger to the victims was involved. He worked on the homosexual angle. Trevor believed the killer was a violent homosexual who picked up Mark Langley after he walked off from his friend’s car. As the police psychologist, Ray Dowd, indicated with Neil Muir, the killer might be a homosexual who had strong sexual fantasies.
When Trevor and Paul Maddern were working together on the Mark Langley case, they were spending a lot of time on the banks of the River Torrens near where Mark went missing. Trevor and Paul went to areas which we learned later were called ‘the beats’. Homosexuals used the beats as meeting places.
The beats were areas around the city of Adelaide where men would meet with the idea of having sex, to relieve tension or satisfy their fantasies. Invariably, the beats were near toilets where sex could be practised. If the police spoke to them about their presence in the area, the men could honestly say they were going to the toilet.
‘Number One beat’ was underneath the King William Road Bridge along the River Torrens to the bridge near the Adelaide Zoo. King William Road is an extension of King William Street, which stretches through the centre of Adelaide. The wide street splits the city into two and, as it heads north, the road crosses the River Torrens over an attractive, wide concrete bridge. The road then runs past Adelaide Oval and curves into North Adelaide, where Adelaide’s gentry live, specialist doctors practise and Rob and Betteanne Kelvin lived. Mark Langley disappeared near Number One beat.
The toilets built behind Jolly’s Boathouse, which is now a popular Adelaide restaurant overlooking the still waters of the river, were part of the beat. The lively chatter from the patrons of the restaurant changes to quieter words in the darkness of the night amongst the trees and shrubs of the riverbank. Homosexuals come together in the vicinity of the boathouse, meeting on the grassy banks or the lower or higher walking path. The paths, supported by free-stone retaining walls, have occasional seats set back in recesses, allowing quiet meetings to happen.
Other beats exist around the city of Adelaide. Another popular one is at Veale Gardens off South Terrace, Adelaide. An access road runs behind the gardens. It stretches 500 metres to the restaurant, ‘Pavilion on the Park’, which is hidden from the city by the Glenelg tramline and shrubs between the restaurant and King William Street. Half-way along the access road there are more toilets, which are the focal point of the beat.
The beat on Unley Road was between South Terrace and Greenhill Road. The shabby toilets have since been demolished because of concerns about contact between the beat’s visitors and those using the BMX bike track that had been built just south of the toilets. The planners thought they were doing a good job. The kids needed a bike track, there was room in the parklands and there were toilets nearby for the kids to use. The planners obviously didn’t know that the area was a beat. Their understanding changed over the years and the toilets were bulldozed.
Another beat was on Glen Osmond Road also between South Terrace and Greenhill Road. Picnickers sit on the soft grass and use the playground and barbecue facilities during the day. At night, the area is used for other reasons. Homosexuals who want to met other men go there, including married men who seek pleasure and excitement different from that provided by their wives — and, just perhaps, people visiting the beats were serial killers.
Chapter 6
New Leads
By this stage of the investigation we had some police with different viewpoints, others who were out and about at all hours of the night in some pretty unsavoury places but we only had a few other leads — nothing concrete. What we needed was one crucial piece in the jigsaw that could open our eyes to the solution.
Another lead now came into Major Crime. The caller on the telephone was anonymous, as so many are. Obviously, many people want to give information without getting involved. Involvement may mean that the person has to give evidence in court or they may have a grudge against someone and they don’t want them to know they are ‘dobbing’ them into the police. Others want to pass on information that is false.
The call related to a light coloured 1963 EJ Holden sedan driven by two men, Doug and Mark. The male caller said that these two abducted Richard Kelvin. The car was described by the caller as being in good condition, fitted with a tow bar and with two mirrors on the front guards of the car. Thousands of these vehicles were built but, twenty years later, they were becoming scarce. Also, the car was said to be in good condition. That would have been unusual for a car that old. With the details about mirrors and tow bar and with the first names of two men, we were hopeful that someone would know the car and its occupants. We publicised this information with the help of the morning paper, The Advertiser, which was distributed throughout the State. The full-page spread on page thirteen called out ‘CAN YOU HELP?’ ‘WANTED’ was on the next line with ‘REWARD’ further down. The full-page spread showed a photo of Richard Kelvin, the distinctive T-shirt he was wearing and two photos of the type of car we were looking for.
Just to organise this type of publicity takes a lot of work. We received calls about people who had those names and vehicles, and who fitted this description but we had no success. This lead led nowhere and, as time passed, Trevor and I became more and more suspicious about the accuracy of the information.
When Trevor and I were investigating the Monteith murders, the killing of an elderly couple near Murray Bridge some time later, we released the description of the offenders’ vehicle. The vehicle used was quite common. It was a white Holden one-ton ute. Again, there were thousands around. However, the large storage box on the back of the vehicle immediately behind the cabin was unusual. It was large and had a sloping lid. We received calls about that vehicle almost straight away and we arrested one of the murderers within two days of the information being released. The vehicle that was heard during the abduction of Richard Kelvin was believed to have a loud exhaust. This didn’t fit with a vehicle being in good condition. We were starting to wonder — was it a false lead?
Another telephone caller suggested that Richard Kelvin had been used as a real-life player in a video. What the caller w
as talking about were ‘snuff movies’: films that show a person actually being murdered. We had discussed the possibility of snuff movies and speculation was rife that this type of film existed, although no one actually had seen one. We contemplated whether or not the boys were filmed as real-life actors in a hideous play of death and abuse. We could not ignore the possibility. Investigations were made in that direction.
Enormous difficulties surrounded this type of enquiry. Films can appear to be so real that a viewer cannot tell whether or not the person was actually killed or it was an act. Therefore, snuff movies might not even exist and people who see them only think that they are seeing a real movie. Also, we believed that the control of real snuff movies is kept so tight that only those in the inner sanctum of groups interested in this type of ghoulish film get to see it. If such films exist, they would be smuggled into the country and not openly distributed. They could easily come in the video jacket of another film. The checking of individual videos does not happen, as Customs has a major focus towards drugs, weapons and other illegal items. Also, snuff films could be imported via the internet. We did not find any snuff movies, although I am sure that there would be some out there in this crazy world of ours.
More than likely any snuff movie would have been kept by the serial killers for their own enjoyment — to relive the moment. The Investigation Support Unit of the FBI in America can tell of cases in which the cries of victims were tape-recorded and the deaths of others were filmed. However, the films and tapes were not sold or copied. They were kept for the killers’ own pleasure and recall.
Another video we tried to locate was supposedly called Black and Blue. The film was supposed to show a young boy wearing a dog collar around his neck being led around on all fours. We weren’t sure whether it related to a snuff movie or it was a video that related to ‘S & M’ — sadistic and masochistic behaviour. If a video showing this type of behaviour was around, it could have all sorts of implications. Such a video would excite people with those tendencies toward having power and control over others. If we could find the video, we might find the people who were into this type of behaviour. If a film of this type came into the country legally and had an R-rating, then the video shops renting might have some records of the people who hired it. However, a check with film distributors, censors and video outlets produced no results. We were back to square one with that lead and more time was lost. But we couldn’t ignore the possibility of snuff movies and Black and Blue. When Richard Kelvin wore that dog collar to the bus stop it would have produced a second glance from most people and perhaps an excited stare from those into power and control.