Case 163
Joanne Ratcliffe & Kirste Gordon
On August 25 1973, 12,000 South Australian National Football League spectators packed into Adelaide Oval, as the North Adelaide Roosters took on the Norwood Redlegs. During the game’s third and penultimate quarter, 11-year-old Joanne Ratcliffe was given permission by her parents to escort 4-year-old Kirste Gordon to the toilet. But the girls never returned.
When a concession vendor witnesses a man dragging two girls out the oval’s southern gate, the search for Joanne and Kirste takes a sinister turn.
CREDITS
EPISODE:
Research & writing – Elsha McGill
Creative direction – Milly Raso
Narration – Anonymous Host
SPECIAL THANKS:
Casefile would like to give a special thanks to Suzie Ratcliffe for her assistance with this episode.
MUSIC:
‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com
Audio production – Mike Migas
Scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn
OTHER:
Logo and website design – Paulina Szymanska
RESOURCES
BOOKS:
The Cruel City: Is Adelaide the Murder Capital of Australia – Stephen Orr
The Missing Beaumont Children – Michael Madigan
Searching for the Beaumont Children – Alan J Whiticker
NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES:
Accessed via Trove.nla.gov.au:
Fears held for safety of missing SA girls – The Canberra Times, August 27 1973
Reward offered for missing girls – The Canberra Times, August 28 1973
No links with Beaumonts – The Canberra Times, August 29 1973
Man sought in SA – The Canberra Times, August 30 1973
Boy ‘Saw Man Forcing Girls – The Canberra Times, August 31 1973
New lead in case of missing girls – The Canberra Times, September 7 1973
$10,000 Offer – The Canberra Times, September 27 1973
Parents file claim – The Canberra Times, October 12 1977
Psychic ‘sees’ missing children – The Canberra Times, March 28 1990
Accessed via Newspapers.com
Missing girls: 12 quizzed – The Age, August 28 1973
Hunt for girls: $5000 reward offered – The Sydney Morning Herald, August 28 1973
Caller demands $25,000 ransom for missing girls – The Age, August 28 1973
Police seek man who spoke to girls – The Sydney Morning Herald, August 29 1973
Escaped patient sought – The Sydney Morning Herald, August 30 1973
Man in hat took girls – The Sydney Morning Herald, August 31 1973
Dressed models of girls go on show – The Sydney Morning Herald, September 1 1973
Hopeful new lead on abducted children – The Sydney Morning Herald, September 17 1973
Accessed via State Library of South Australia
The Evil of Arthur Brown Article – The Sunday Age, July 8 2001
Death closes the case on serial killer child suspect – The Courier Mail, July 23 2002
Secrets taken to the grave – The Australian, July 23 2002
After 29 years, Kirste’s parents have a place to grieve – The Advertiser, August 6 2002
Adelaide oval abductions: Third girl tells: he targeted me – The Sunday Mail, August 6 2006
Joanne Ratcliffe’s sister breaks her silence and reveals her life in the shadow of the unknown – The Sunday Mail, 23 July 2007
Beaumonts link: Von Einem named suspect in police report – The Sunday Mail, September 23 2007
Major Crime dismisses prisoner’s murder claims – The Advertiser, April 17 2012
Hope of breakthrough for Ratcliffe family: New clue in oval abduction mystery – The Advertiser, August 15 2012
Major crime appeal for help – The Advertiser, August 26 2013
Von Einem Ratcliffe link – The Advertiser, August 25 2013
My child will never know her Aunty Jo – The Advertiser, August 25 2013
New oval abduction claims – The Advertiser, September 1 2013
Search revived after 41 years – The Herald Sun, September 18 2014
Ace in the hand on solving crime – The Advertiser, September 18 2015
To receive information which made it clear that some evil, opportunistic predator had targeted our young daughter was absolutely gut-wrenching – The Advertiser, May 25 2016
Still waiting for you to come home – Women’s Day, August 7 2017
Abductees sister links cases – The Advertiser, January 24 2018
Welcome to the Edge of Darkness – The Herald Sun, August 18 2019
Mum of missing girl dies as hunt goes on – The Advertiser, March 14 2019
Families put grief aside to find missing loved ones when police resources dry up – ABC News, April 6 2019
Accessed via Noarlunga Library Local History Collection
Girls – 4, 11, missing; wide hunt – The Sunday Mail, August 26 1973
New lead to missing girls – The Advertiser, August 27 1973
ONLINE ARTICLES:
On the 40th anniversary of the disappearance of Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon, family reveal new connections to murderer Bevan Spencer von Einem – The Advertiser
Rewards boosted in high-profile South Australian missing children cases – ABC News
Clue’ in mysterious 1973 Adelaide Oval abduction case of Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon – The Advertiser
Cold case breakthrough: Property owned by accused paedophile’s grandfather linked to the disappearance of two children 41 years ago’ – The Daily Mail
Search for Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon moves to SA mid north – ABC News
Playing cards featuring murder victims given to SA prisoners in bid to solve cold cases – The Advertiser
It’s been 43 years since their daughter disappeared – Mammamia
New leads suggest 44-year-old Adelaide Oval abduction could still be solved – Lucy’s Life
Sister of abducted girl calls for urgent DNA retesting of evidence in long-term missing children cases – News.com.au
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