Aust serial & mass killers 2a

Assessment 2A - Group 1.

Australian Serial & Mass Killers Barry – Rachel - Kiasha - Kirsten- Bek (Harvard Referencing)

Introduction

Online resources Google Scholar The Biography.com News.google.com/newspapers abc.net.au/archives news.com.au/national theage.com.au/articles au.news.yahoo.com youtube.com wikipedia.org wikia.com/wiki Sydney Morning Herald The West Australian Newspaper The Aust. Dictionary of Biography

IVAN MILAT One of Australia's well known serial killers was Ivan Robert Marko Milat. Known as the ‘Backpack Killer’, Milat was convicted of seven murders of backpackers in Australia. From the age of 17, he was in trouble with the police, but no one ever suspected he would magnify his petty crimes which varied from housebreaking, car thefts and armed robberies to being the Backpack Killer convicted of seven murders in 1996. Milat was also suspected of many more killings but insufficient evidence was not forthcoming to prosecute. (bio. 2014, para. 3).

Modus Operandi The first of Milat's victims to be discovered were British backpackers, Caroline Clarke and Joanne Walters, their bodies found in the Belangalo State Forest. Then the bodies of Simone Schmidl, Anja Habschied and Gabor Neugebauer. The wide range of methods employed by Ivan included torturing, strangulation, shooting and decapitation as well as the sexual assault of both male and female victims. (bio. 2014, para. 7,8,10).

Media Portrayal Ivan Milat was portrayed by the media as the ‘Backpack Murderer.’ This was due to the discovery of several new bodies. The chief investigating Superintendent Small was forced to admit to the media that the police were looking for a serial killer, this only confirming what many already believed. (bio. 2014, para. 13).

Legal punishment In 1996, Ivan was initially charged with the attack on a star witness, Mr Paul Onions, who was one of the first persons to escape the claws of Milat, then subsequently charged with the seven murders where he pleaded not guilty to all charges. Ivan performed poorly in his defense. After 15 weeks the trial was over, Milat pronounced guilty on all counts. (bio. 2014, para. 21).

Where are they now?

Ivan Milat was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for the attack on Paul Onions, and seven consecutive life sentences for each of the murders. He was then incarcerated in the maximum-security wing of Goulburn Prison. In July 2001 his initial appeal against his sentence was denied and in 2007 his final appeal was also denied. He remains never to be released and is still incarcerated in the maximum-security wing of Goulburn Prison, NSW. (bio. 2014, para. 28).

Can be viewed at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsOXcCtR0kA Ivan Robert Marko Milat. [Internet]. 2014. The Biography.com website.

Available from: http:/www.biography.com/people/ivan-milat-17169710 [Accessed 09 Aug 2014].

MARTIN BRYANT Martin Bryant is a mass murderer most notorious for the “Port Arthur Massacre”.

On the 28th of April 1996, Martin B. Bryant shot dead David & Sally Martin in their guesthouse before heading to Port Arthur's Historic Site. (Pyke 2013, para. 36).

Modus Operandi Bryant entered the Broad Arrow Café toting a large duffle bag and sat down for lunch. Once he had finished his meal he removed a semi-automatic rifle from his bag and began shooting indiscriminately at the patrons and staff (Crabb 2012, para. 1). Bryant then continued his rampage in the car park, replacing the magazine and shooting at civilians as he fled in his vehicle (bio. 2014, para.7).

Media Portrayal Bryant was said to be a difficult child, detached from his family and often bullied at school (bio. 2014, para. 3).

When he had completed schooling he qualified for a disability pension due to an incredibly low IQ (The Age 2006, para. 17). Bryant did however end up securing a job as a handyman and gardener for a rich heiress named Helen Harvey. Harvey befriended Bryant and left him as the sole beneficiary to her estate when she died in a car accident in 1993 (bio. 2014, para. 4).

Legal punishment Martin Bryant killed 35 people that day and injured a further 19 (bio. 2014, para. 3). Bryant was apprehended on the 29th of April 1996 and pled guilty to all charges (The Age 2006, para. 15).

He received 35 life sentences, spending the first 8 months of his incarceration in almost complete solitude.

(Wikia – Criminal Minds n.d., para. 9).

Where are they now?

Martin Bryant is currently 47 years old (Wikipedia 2004, para. 1), having served 18 years of his jail term to date. Due to repeated suicide attempts during his incarceration Martin Bryant now resides in the psychiatric wing of Tasmania’s Risdon Prison (bio. 2014, para. 10). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL2eLtOyHAg Martin Bryant. [Internet]. 2014. The Biography.com website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/martin-bryant-235987 [Accessed 21 Aug 2014].

WILLIAM MACDONALD Was known as the ‘Sydney Mutilator’ and was classed as Australia’s first true serial killer. His real name was Allan Ginsberg. Between 1961 & 1962 he terrorised Sydney with a string of gruesome murders before being captured while working as a porter at Melbourne’s Spencer Street railway Station on 13th May 1963.

Modus Operandi MacDonald would select his male victims at random (mostly homeless men) and lure them to a dark place, lane way, or bring them back to his home, where he would violently stab them dozens of times about the head and neck with a long bladed knife and then sever their genitals. He admitted to the mutilation and murder of five male victims. He pled not guilty to all charges.

Media Portrayal MacDonald was portrayed in the media rather sensationally as Australia’s first serial killer, and the public followed his trial with intense interest. In an interview, Dr John McGeorge described William MacDonald as “a very dangerous man”, with “an insane desire to kill”. (Sydney Morning Herald, January 26, 1964.)

Legal punishment The trial began in September 1963, generating intense interest around the nation. MacDonald pleaded not guilty on the grounds of insanity and testified in great detail to the gruesome murders. The jury ignored overwhelming evidence for insanity in announcing a 'guilty' verdict. He was sentenced to five consecutive life sentences.

Where are they now?

MacDonald was imprisoned at Long Bay Hospital, part of Long Bay Correctional Centre. where he was certified insane and transferred to a secure mental hospital, possibly Callan Park. (details were not released to the media or public.) He was returned to Long Bay Correctional Centre, where he has the dubious honour of being the longest serving inmate in the New South Wales prison system. He is now in his 90's. His papers are marked "never to be released".

Sources: Sydney Morning herald Article: “Mutilator Certified insane: Minister Advised” Published January 26 1964 http://news.google.com/newspapersid=G0YVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rJYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6986%2C1244522 http://murderpedia.org/male.M/m/macdonald-william.htm

JOHN BUNTING John Justin Bunting (b. 4 September 1966 in Inala, Queensland) is one of Australia’s serial killers from Adelaide, South Australia. Responsible for ‘Bodies in the Barrel Murders’, Bunting was charged with the Snowtown murders of twelve people between 1992 &1999.

Modus Operandi John Bunting was driven to murder by his hatred for paedophiles and homosexuals. He became the ringleader of a 'degenerate sub-culture' of murderers, whose victims were people they already knew. He and his associate, Wagner, would prey upon the weak so they could steal their welfare payments.

Media Portrayal John Bunting was well-known as the 'Bodies in the Barrel' murderer and received great media exposure to the extent that a one-hour documentary was produced showing graphic displays of his work. His crimes led to the longest and most expensive investigations and criminal trials in South Australia's history.

Legal punishment One of Australia’s most well-known serial killers was John Bunting. He was convicted of the 'Bodies in the Barrel' murders at Snowtown in South Australia. After six days of deliberations, the jury in the infamous Snowtown bodies-in-the-barrels murder trial in South Australia, John Bunting was found guilty on eleven of twelve counts of murder; he was sentenced to eleven life sentences.

Where are they now?

John Bunting and Wagner, his accomplice, are currently serving eleven consecutive sentences of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for his role in the murder of 11 victims of the Snowtown murders. Their files are marked, never to be released.

Video can viewed at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_YJ8OlpqnI

ERIC COOKE The story of Eric Cooke, also known as ‘The Night Caller’, still to this day lingers across Perth, after leaving behind a trail of destruction and devastation. Cooke encountered multiple run in’s with the law, concerning charges of breaking and entering, stealing, hit and run incidents, and finally arson. Cooke was frequently in and out of jail leading to his first kill, Penea Berkman, on 30th January 1959 (Estelle Blackburn, January 21, 2013). He continued to viciously attack and kill several more victims, before he was arrested and convicted of murder after confessing to one of the killings. His trial lasted only six days, at which he was sentenced to death (The Western Austrlian, January, 2013).

Modus Operandi Most of his victims were killed in their homes. Cooke used knives, scissors and even axes to mutilate his victims. He was, however, also involved in multiple hit and runs. He was not always successful, with a number of victims being able to fight him off. He then turned to firearms, shooting and killing three people and injuring others. Cooke also went on to strangle to death a social worker, then dragged her body twenty four metres and left her in a neighbouring yard (Estelle Blackburn, January 21, 2013).

Media Portrayal The “West Australian’ newspaper was the first to break the news of Cook's arrest, and during and after his trial the media exposure was extensive, since Perth had never before witnessed such a case in these times (The Western Australian, September 10, 1963). His sentence was plastered all over the media: 'Death by hanging', and as people were interviewed in the streets, there was hardly a kind word to be spoken. The people of Perth welcomed the sentence.

Legal punishment After his long life being in and out of jail, causing multiple hit and runs, break and enters, thefts and murders, Eric Cook was finally sentenced to death. He was executed on 26th October 1964 at 8am ( Hugh Collins, 1993), before which he confessed his guilt before God and the public. He was the last person to die by capital punishment in Western Australia.

Where are they now?

Death by Capital punishment, hanging

-

Place of death: Fremantle - Australia

Eric Cooke was the last person to be hanged in Western Australia after he was alleged to have murdered at least seven people. After his execution, the death sentence was then removed as a form of criminal Punishment.

The West Australian, January 21, 2003, Available From: https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/fullcoverage/eric-edgar-cooke/#page1 Collins, H 1993, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Viewed 21 August 2014, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cooke-edgar-eric-9817 Video can viewed at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIBVBnhY7iE

Unfortunately, the serial and mass killers featured here are just a few of the many murderers who have been convicted. There are many more unsolved cases/ 35,000 people are reported missing every year in Australia – that’s one person every 15 minutes. People go missing for various reasons and it can greatly affect those around them in myriad ways. Families' loved ones are lost, bad debts get left behind, and businesses left in distress.

Many of these missing persons are suspected of meeting foul play. For those serial killers who have been brought to justice, we can only hope this brings some peace to those involved whose lives have been changed by the devestating affects of their criminal acts.

Other Australian Serial Killers: • Catherine Birnie, David Birnie, Gregory Brazel, Bandali Debs, Paul Denyer, Peter Dupas, Leonard Fraser, John Wayne Glover, Caroline Grills, Paul Steven Haigh, Matthew James Harris, Thomas Jeffries, Eddie Leonski, Martha Needle, Martha Rendell, Lindsay Robert Rose, Arnold Sodeman, Robert Wagner, Robert Lindsay Wright, Christopher Worrell, James Miller.

Other Australian Murderers: Dante Arthurs, Raymond John Bailey, Adrian Ernest Bayley, Valmae Beck, Sian Kingi, Lindsay Beckett, Leslie Camilleri, James Beauregard-Smith, Kenneth Brown, Bevan Spencer von Einem, Keith Faure, Melbourne underworld killings Christopher Dale Flannery, Andrew Garforth, Ebony Simpson, Sef Gonzales, Maddison Hall, Edward "Ned" Kelly, Aaron Sherritt, Henry Keogh, Julian Knight, Katherine Knight, Keli Lane, Martin Leach, Robert Arthur Selby Lowe, Sheree Beasley, Francesco Mangione, Craig Minogue, William Patrick Mitchell, (Bill Mitchell), Bradley John Murdoch, Michael Murdoch, Gary Murphy, Les Murphy, Michael Murphy, James Ryan O'Neill, Anthony Perish, Ronald Ryan, Joseph Schwab, John Sharpe, Anu Singh, Neddy Smith, John Travers.

Referencing: Ivan Milat Ivan Robert Marko Milat. [Internet]. 2014. The Biography.com website, viewed 16 August 2014, <http:/www.biography.com/people/ivan-milat-17169710> News.com.au, viewed 16 August, 2014, <http://www.news.com.au/national/the-day-i-met-serial-killer-ivan-milat/story-fncynjr21226684817076> Dailymail.co.uk, 16 August 2014, <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2633599/Trophies-serial-killer-new-photographsinside-Ivan-Milats-house-Australias-worst-murderer-marks-20-years-prison.html> Crimelibrary.com, 16 August 2014, http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/milat/discovery_1.html Martin Bryant <http://www.biography.com/people/martin-bryant-235987#synopsis> Crabb, A 2012, 80 Days that changed our lives: The Port Arthur Massacre, viewed 18 August 2014, <http://www.abc.net.au/archives/80days/stories/2012/01/19/3412072.htm> Pyke, P 2013, My time with mass killer Martin Bryant, viewed 18 August 2014, <http://www.news.com.au/national/my-time-withmass-killer-martin-bryant/story-fncynjr2-1226738815697> The Age 2006, Shedding light on Port Arthur killer, viewed 18 August 2014, <http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/03/28/1143441154819.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap3> Wikipedia 2004, Martin Bryant, viewed 18 August 2014, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Bryant> Wikia – Criminal Minds n.d., Martin Bryant, viewed 18 August 2014, http://criminalminds.wikia.com/wiki/Martin_Bryant William MacDonald http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=G0YVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rJYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6986%2C1244522 The Sydney Morning Herald, January 26, 1964. http://www.documentingreality.com/forum/f240/william-mutilator-macdonald-10782/ John Bunting Snowtown - a Harrowing Ride in Adelaide [online]. Inside Film: If, No. 140, Apr/May 2011: 4.

Availability: <http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=951307328735760;res=IELLCC> ISSN: 1447-2252. [cited 07 Sep 14].

Eric Cooke The West Australian, January 21, 2003, Available From: https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/full-coverage/eric-edgar-cooke/#page1 Collins, H 1993, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Viewed 21 August 2014, <http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cooke-edgar-eric-9817>