Case 166
The Family
*** Content Warning: extreme sexual violence, child victims, child abuse, LGBTQ+ victims ***
In 1979, residents of Adelaide were gripped by fear when several young men began to go missing under mysterious circumstances. 17-year-old Alan Barnes, 25-year-old Neil Muir, 14-year-old Peter Stogneff, 18-year-old Mark Langley and 15-year-old Richard Kelvin were later found dumped in the Adelaide Hills and surrounds. They had been drugged and subject to horrific sexual abuse and torture.
The group responsible for the murders was dubbed “The Family” and a desperate hunt ensued to identify the individuals involved. The roots of The Family ran deep and it was suspected that some members held prominent positions of power in South Australia. Could The Family ever be caught? And how many other young men had met a violent end at their hands?
CREDITS
EPISODE:
Research & writing – Jessica Forsayeth
Creative direction – Milly Raso
Narration – Anonymous Host
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
PREMIUM
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RESOURCES
ONLINE ARTICLES
Family murder truth may never be known – Adelaide Now
Doctor with alleged links to The Family identified as Stephen George Woodards – Adelaide Now
Revealed: the double life of a magistrate who sought young men – Adelaide Now
Von Einem supplied sex drug in jail – The Advertiser
WEBSITES
Adelaide – Wikipedia
NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES
Hacked bodies found in bags – The Advertiser
Killing may be a warning on drugs – The Advertiser
Wounds may link deaths – The Advertiser
Man, 45, in court over body in bag – The Advertiser
Body ‘may have been cleaned,’ Pathologist tells hearing – The Advertiser
Injuries inflicted while man alive: pathologist – The Advertiser
Skill used to cut body, court told – The Advertiser
Nighmare after murder: mother – The Advertiser
Many theories, few clues in string of Adelaide Murders – The Canberra Times
Von Einem is Kelvin killer – jury decides after 7.5 hours – The News
Sex death inquests re-opened – The News
Langley inquest terms broadened – The News
Sex slayings ‘similar’ – The News
Kelvin link in teen killings – The News
Von Einem Breaks Silence – The Advertiser
Von Einem’s new bid for freedom – The Advertiser
The legal team that works for nothing – new appeal for von Einem – The Advertiser
‘Lies’ claim in von Einem Appeal – The Advertiser
My friend von Einem – The Sunday Mail
DNA tests for Family murder suspects – The Sunday Mail
Police seek Von Einem Associate – The Sunday Mail
Lost diary gives South Australia police new lead into Alan Barnes murder by The Family – The Advertiser
Von Einem boys left my house alive – The Advertiser
Witness feared threats to his life – The Sydney Morning Herald
Death of boy, 15, baffles police – The Age
The Beaumonts, Kirste and Joanne: the mystery may be over – The Sydney Morning Herald
Family killing murder charge dropped – The Sydney Morning Herald
Man in court over 1979 murder – The Sydney Morning Herald
Court told rape victim thought he would die – The Age
Murderer quizzed on death of youth – The Sydney Morning Herald
Teenager’s death: Man sent for trial – The Sydney Morning Herald
Tales from the dark side – The Age
Family murders shadowy clique preyed on young – The Sunday Mail
Notorious Killer von Einem never to be released – Adelaide APP
Overseas links to family witnesses tracked down – The Sunday Mail
No rape charge for von Einem – The Sunday Mail
Alan’s killer will be caught – The Sunday Mail
Inadequate as surgeon: Doctor’s plea – The Sydney Morning Herald
Macabre Adelaide – The Sydney Morning Herald
BOOKS
Young Blood: The Story of the Family Murders – Bob O’Brien
VIDEOS
The Family ‘the most serious, outrageous series of crimes’
Retracing final steps of Richard Kelvin
COURT DOCUMENTS
Retrieved from Austlii Database:
The Queen V. Bevan Spencer von Einem – Admissibility of evidence [1991] SASC 2741 (6 March 1991)
R v Von Einem – [2009] SASC 247 (21 August 2009)