Bodies In The Barrels: Australia's horrific Snowtown Murders
Bodies In The BarrelsContent warning: This article contains descriptions of torture that some readers might find distressing. For help and support, please visit our Advice and Support webpage.
The case of the Bodies in the Barrels – otherwise known as The Snowtown Murders – is a harrowing story of a series of gruesome serial killings. Taking place between 1992 and 1999, the murders are a disturbing tale of torture and dismemberment.
Crime+Investigation’s upcoming new series, Bodies In The Barrels, is set to dive deeper into the case. The show will feature interviews from investigators who were first on the scene, and offer key details on how those responsible were jailed.
Before the series begins on Sunday, 3rd August, read on to learn more about what the team at Crime+Investigation has discovered about this disturbing case.
What were the Snowtown Murders?
The Snowtown Murders were a series of serial killings committed in the small town of Snowtown in Adelaide, South Australia. The killings took place between August 1992 and May 1999 and were committed by three men. A fourth culprit was tasked with getting rid of the bodies.
The murders also go by the name of the Bodies in the Barrels murders due to most of the victims' remains being found within barrels stashed in an abandoned Snowtown bank vault.
Eight bodies were found in the acid-filled barrels in the vault, whilst two more bodies had been buried in a yard. Two more bodies were later discovered and linked to those responsible. This brought the total number of killings between 1992 and 1999 to 12.
The perpetrators
The four men responsible for the killings were as follows:
- John Bunting
- James Vlassakis
- Robert Wagner
- Mark Haydon
Bunting was the ringleader of the group, while Wagner and Vlassakis assisted. Haydon was not involved in the actual killings, but he did help to dispose of the bodies.
Two other people, Elizabeth Harvey and Jodie Elliott, were also involved. Harvey was the mother of Vlassakis. She was aware of the murders and took part in one of them. Elliot was Harvey's sister, and was obsessed with Bunting.
The murders and the motives
Bunting selected particular people to become victims. He chose those he believed were paedophiles as well as homosexuals, drug users, obese, and/or transgender people.
Bunting relied on rumours and questionable evidence when it came to picking out those he thought were paedophiles. These were all individuals whom he highly despised and felt needed to be punished. Interestingly enough, most of the victims were family members or friends of the group.
As well as killing people he hated, Bunting’s motivations were also financial. The group took the bank details and social security numbers of their victims. They would also impersonate the deceased so that their pensions could be collected.
Astonishingly, the group managed to collect around $97,200 this way. However, this has always been considered the secondary motive of the murders.
The victims
The 12 victims of the Snowtown murders were as follows:
- Frederick Robert Brooks: age 18. Son of Jodie Elliot.
- Thomas Eugenio Trevilyan: age 18. Ex-partner of John Bunting’s ex-girlfriend, Suzanne Allen.
- Michelle Gardiner: age 19. A transgender woman who lived with a cousin of Robert Wagner’s wife.
- Clinton Douglas Trezise: age 20. Friend of the group.
- Troy Youde: age 21. Half-brother of James Vlassakis.
- David Johnson: age 24. Stepbrother of James Vlassakis.
- Ray Allan Peter Davies: age 26. A mentally disabled man who had a relationship with John Bunting’s ex-girlfriend, Suzanne Allen.
- Gary O’Dwyer: age 29. A physically and mentally disabled neighbour of John Bunting.
- Gavin Allan Porter: age 29. A friend of Vlassakis’ with schizophrenia.
- Elizabeth Haydon: age 37. Mark Haydon’s wife and aunt to Frederick Brooks.
- Vanessa Lane: age 42. A transgender woman and Robert Wagner’s ex-partner.
- Suzanne Allen: age 47. John Bunting’s ex-girlfriend.
The victims were often tortured brutally before they were killed. This included strangulation, severe beatings, receiving electric shocks, having their toes crushed, and even mutilation. Frederick Brooks’s murder was particularly harrowing, as he had a lit sparkler inserted into his urethra and bleach injected into his testicles.
Trial and conviction
A suspicious number of missing persons reports over the years, combined with information from James Vlassakis, who became an informant, led to the discovery of the bodies in the barrels.
Each member of the group received a different conviction, which were as follows:
- Bunting: Convicted on 11 counts of murder. Received 11 life sentences with no possibility of parole.
- Wagner: Convicted on 10 counts of murder. Received 10 life sentences with no possibility of parole.
- Vlassakis: Pleaded guilty to four counts of murder due to his testimony exchange. Convicted on 4 counts of murder. Sentenced to 4 life sentences with a minimum non-parole period of 26 years.
- Haydon: 25 years in prison with an 18-year minimum sentence
The aftermath
The town of Snowtown continues to deal with the aftereffects of the high-profile case. This was a double-edged sword for the community. Some embraced it and even made money by selling murder related merchandise. However, many others consider it an event that tarnished the town forever.
There was even a debate as to whether Snowtown would be renamed 'Rosetown', though this did not happen. Only one of the victims was murdered within Snowtown, but it would forever become associated with the most heinous crimes in Australia’s history.
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