Snowtown Murders – Study Notes

Overview
- Macabre discovery in May 1999: human remains of 8 people found soaking in acid in a disused bank vault; 3 more bodies found in the “House of Death.”
- Links established with other murdered victims up to 5 years earlier.
- Case demonstrates how serial homicide can be connected through missing persons, kinship, and forensic evidence.
The Perpetrators and origins
- It all started in 1991 when John Justin Bunting moved into the “House of Death.”
- Bunting befriended Robert Wagner, Barry Lane, and Mark Haydon; they lived nearby.
- John Bunting was the ringleader. Motives cited include: obesity, paedophilia, homosexuality, or drug use as grounds for killing; multiple and evolving justifications were used.
- Key members listed: John Justin Bunting (ringleader), Mark Ray Haydon, James Spyridon Vlassakis, Robert Joe Wagner.
Taskforce Chart (CHART)
- A task force named CHART was formed to investigate missing persons and connections.
- Links identified: Wagner and Bunting were known associates; Wagner accessed welfare payments for missing Barry Lane.
- Initial focus: investigate connections among three missing people; this led police to the Snowtown Bank vault.
- Locals reported unusual comings and goings, hinting at a pattern of disappearances.
Bank Vault discovery and the House of Death
- Bank vault discovered May 1999.
- Inside: six barrels containing eight decomposed bodies; tools of murder and torture; bodies preserved in acid; extreme stench reported.
- House of Death: searches of suspects’ houses with ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to differentiate disturbed vs. undisturbed ground; 3 bodies found in Bunting’s backyard.
Suspected motives
- Motives discussed as personal insult or social reasons; social security pensions continued for ‘missing persons’.
- The killers characterized as “a group that preyed on itself.”
- In cases with 3+ killers, motive often financial rather than sexual; sex probably still played a role.
Interconnectedness of victims
- Most victims were close associates of the killers.
- Bunting maintained a “spider wall” in his house to track “undesirables” in the community.
Victims timeline and profiles (overview)
- 1992–1999: victims identified by month/year sequence as they appear in the timeline.
- August 1994 – Clinton Douglas Trezise (22) becomes the first identified victim in the timeline; later identified as Barry Lane’s lover.
- December 1996 – Ray Davies (26)
- 1996–1999: additional victims listed with ages and relationships; many connected to Bunting or Lane.
- 1999: Elizabeth Haydon (37) and David Johnson (24) are among the last victims.
- General pattern: victims were often close associates, sometimes accused of paedophilia or other social taboos, and were targeted for control and financial gain (welfare/benefits).
Victims – detailed profiles
- Clinton Douglas Trezise, 22 (body found 1994)
- Lover of Barry Lane.
- Invited into Bunting’s house, bashed with a shovel; Bunting accused him of being a paedophile.
- Bunting killed Trezise; Wagner & Lane helped dispose of the body.
- Ray Davies, 26
- Mentally handicapped; former lover of Suzanne Allen; lived behind her house; accused of child abuse.
- Beaten, stabbed and strangled by Wagner and Elizabeth Harvey; buried in the backyard of the House of Death.
- Suzanne Allen, 47
- Found buried above Ray Davies; body dismembered and buried in 11 plastic bags; death kept secret while pension continued to be claimed.
- Michael Gardiner, 19
- Openly gay cross-dresser; suspected paedophile after an encounter with Wagner.
- Taken during house-sitting, strangled and placed in a barrel; left foot missing so lid could close.
- Barry Lane, 42
- Wagner’s long-term partner; convicted paedophile and transvestite named Vanessa; helped murder and dispose Clinton Trezise.
- Confessed to his mother about the murder; another group member claimed Lane abused him.
- Tortured for bank details; strangled and dismembered; found in a barrel.
- Thomas Trevilyan, 18
- Diagnosed schizophrenic; believed he was a soldier; claimed Barry Lane was abusing him.
- Helped murder Barry Lane; Bunting worried he would go “mental” and ruin everything; found hanged in a park; initially classed as suicide.
- Gavin Porter, 29
- Drug addict and drifter; shared a house with Vlassakis and Bunting.
- Bunting enraged after being pricked by a discarded syringe; attacked and strangled in his car; managed to stab Bunting with a screwdriver; found in a barrel.
- Troy Youde, 21
- Vlassakis’ half-brother; shared a house with Bunting.
- Believed Bunting was being abused; attacked in his bed; strangled after being forced to provide bank details.
- His voice was recorded to provide messages to friends.
- Frederick Brooks, 18
- Intellectually disabled son of Jodie Elliot (Elizabeth Haydon’s sister); suspected paedophile by Bunting.
- Invited to participate in a robbery; handcuffed; tortured and choked to death; his voice was recorded; Mark Haydon continued to access welfare payments.
- Gary O’dwyer, 29
- Mentally and physically disabled; no strong direct connection to Bunting/Wagner beyond neighborhood proximity; looked similar to Troy Youde; invited for drinks; bound, tortured, and strangled; found in the bank vault.
- Elizabeth Haydon, 37
- Married to Mark Haydon; told by Mark that he’d told his wife about the murders.
- Bunting murdered her in the bath; accused her of making sexual advances; Mark Haydon helped cover up the murder.
- David Johnson, 24
- Vlassakis’ step-brother; last victim; lured to the Snowtown bank; handcuffed and tortured for bank details; voice recorded; body dismembered; parts fried and eaten by Bunting and Wagner.
Identification and forensic methods
- Identifying the bodies
- Tattoos, dental records, and fingerprints used where available.
- DNA testing employed to confirm identifications.
- Police already had an idea of missing persons and potential matches in the barrels.
- DNA identification and kinship analysis
- Kinship approach used; Australia was just developing a convicted criminal DNA database at the time.
- DNA could be extracted from the barrel bodies and tested.
- Kinship analysis specifics
- Requires DNA from a relative (preferably parents).
- Child’s DNA is typically 50% from each parent: ext{Child DNA} = frac{1}{2} ext{Mother} + frac{1}{2} ext{Father}
- PCR used to amplify fragments from multiple genomic locations; compare DNA profiles to identify relationships.
- Example (simplified): father A, mother B; Victim 1 shows DNA markers C and D consistent with a parent-child relationship; Victim 2 shows A and D consistent with parent-child relationship. (Pedigree-like illustration is shown in the source material.)
- How DNA linked killers to the scene
- Multiple glove pairs found in the bank vault; DNA identified inside/on gloves; amplified via PCR; DNA profile matched with alleged killers; victim DNA also present on gloves.
Other items found in bank vault
- Knives; bloodstained saw; double-barrel shotgun; coils of rope; rolls of tape; cloths; pincers; pliers; clamps.
- A Variac metallurgy tool used for electric shocks.
Behavioral notes from the killings
- Descriptions of acts as “excited killers”: sparklers placed in male genitals and lit; toes crushed with pliers.
- Killers described the activity as if they were playing in a toy shop; they listened to the band Live during most killings.
Court case and sentencing
- One killer’s perspective: Wagner stated the motive as action against paedophiles and protection of children; he claimed authorities did nothing; he justified taking action.
- John Bunting chose not to speak at sentencing; he was reading a book at that time.
- Verdicts (Total victims identified as 12):
- John Bunting: Guilty of 11 murders; 11 consecutive life sentences without parole.
- Robert Wagner: Guilty of 7 murders; 10 consecutive life sentences, min. 26 years.
- James Vlassakis: Guilty of 4 murders; four life sentences, min. 26 years (note: the min term indicated is 26 years in the source).
- Mark Haydon: Guilty of assisting in 7 murders; 25 years jail, min. 18 years.
- Suzanne Allen: Jury unable to reach a guilty verdict for Suzanne Allen; possibly died of natural causes; judge noted lack of remorse and incapacity for rehabilitation.
Post-verdict updates and parole status (updates)
- Barry Haydon: applied for early parole in 2017; denied; denied again in 2021; released May 2024 under strict supervision.
- Robert Wagner: applied for non-parole period in 2019; dismissed.
- James Vlassakis: parole eligibility in 2025.
Final word and broader context
- Bunting and Wagner will spend the rest of their lives in prison.
- Snowtown is infamous for the wrong reasons; the Snowtown Murders remain a difficult and disturbing case to view and study.
- The case is frequently cited in discussions about crime scene forensics, DNA evidence, and the social dynamics that enable serial killing.
Connections to foundational principles and real-world relevance
- Forensic science: DNA evidence, PCR amplification, and kinship analysis played a central role in linking suspects to the scene and identifying victims.
- Law and criminology: The CHART task force illustrates how missing-person cases can be triangulated into a murder investigation with inter-agency coordination.
- Ethics and public policy: DNA databases and kinship-based ID raise questions about privacy, consent, and civil liberties in post-crime investigations.
- Psychology and sociology: The “spider wall” and the dynamics of a close-knit group that preys on its own members highlight how group dynamics can enable brutal acts.
Key terms glossary (from the notes)
- House of Death: residence where some victims were kept and killed.
- CHART: task force established to connect missing persons and murders.
- Kinship analysis: forensic method using relative DNA to establish biological relationships; relies on parent-offspring DNA sharing.
- PCR: Polymerase Chain Reaction; technique used to amplify DNA segments for analysis; follows exponential growth: N = N0 2^n where N0 is the initial copy number and n is the number of cycles.
- DNA profiling: method of identifying individuals by comparing DNA across multiple loci; in this case, used to link killers to gloves and confirm victim identities.
Summary of significance
- The Snowtown Murders illustrate how a combination of social history, victimology, forensic biology (DNA), and forensic archaeology (GPR, preservation state) can uncover a serial killing network.
- The case also demonstrates challenges in criminal justice, such as determining guilt for all suspects, the use of kinship in DNA identification, and the long-term implications for victims’ families and public perception.
Cross-references to foundational principles
- Forensics: DNA collection, contamination avoidance, and interpretation of DNA mixtures.
- Statistics and genetics: relatedness and inheritance patterns underpin kinship analysis.
- Criminology: motivations, group dynamics, and the role of social networks in criminal activity.
Quick recall prompts
- When was the Snowtown bank vault discovered? May 1999.
- How many total victims were identified in the case? 12 victims.
- Which technique helped link the killers to the scene and identify victims? DNA analysis via PCR and kinship analysis.
- Who was the ringleader? John Justin Bunting.
Connections to the broader topic on the exam
- You may be asked to explain how DNA evidence contributed to the case, including the concept of kinship analysis and the use of PCR.
- You might be asked to discuss the ethical considerations of DNA databases and kinship-based matching in criminal investigations.
- You could be asked to describe the timeline and key players, as well as the outcomes of the major verdicts and parole updates.
Equations and numerical references (LaTeX)
- Copy number growth in PCR cycles: N = N_0 2^n
- Child-parent genetic inheritance (simplified model): ext{Child DNA} = frac{1}{2} ext{Mother} + frac{1}{2} ext{Father}
- Relatedness reference: parent-child relatedness r = 0.5