Media Releases

Marilyn Qualmann went missing on Sunday 21 September 1975 from her home on Moorook Road, Moorook (via Kingston-on-Murray).

The last confirmed sighting of the 14-year old was at about 9am on that day by her sister.

There were suggestions that Marilyn had simply run away from home, but investigators believe something more sinister happened to the teenager.

She was reported missing the next day and has not been seen since. She is suspected to have been murdered.

A reward of up to $1,000,000 remains on offer to anyone who either provides information leading to the recovery of their remains or information leading to a conviction in the case.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

The shooting murder of Bora Altintas at Brompton in 1998 received widespread media attention, but his killer remains on the run.

The 30-year old was shot near a phone booth next to a fish and chip shop on Torrens Road at around 11.29pm on September 21, 1998.

He was hit by four bullets fired from a high-powered handgun.

Mr Altintas had been driven to the location from his home address by an associate after having a heated phone conversation with another male.

It is suspected that Mr Altintas had gone to the location to meet the person he’d argued with to continue a discussion involving the supply/distribution of illicit drugs.

It is suspected that the person he met was either directly involved in the shooting or at least witnessed it.

His murder followed a previous attempt on his life in December 1996, when a shotgun was fired at him in his car.

Mr Altintas had an extensive criminal record and criminal associates. At the time of his murder he was on home detention bail and was awaiting trial on two counts of selling heroin.

Police are yet to charge anyone with the crime.

A reward of up to $200,000 is on offer to anyone who provides information leading to a conviction in the case.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

It’s been 45 years since the fateful night that saw a visit to the local pub for Heironim Mydlak turn into a night of violence that would ultimately rob him of his life.

In the early hours of 20 September 1975 the 69-year old was walking home after a few drinks at the Mansfield Park Hotel when he was assaulted and robbed.

He was hit over the head with an object that could have possibly been a bottle, knocking him unconscious.

Sadly, he died seven days later after never regaining consciousness.

During the investigation two persons of interest were identified however no charges were ever laid against them. Both of these persons are now deceased.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

 

When Helen Joyce Courtney suddenly disappeared she was living at Ingle Farm with her husband.

The aged care nurse is believed to have gone missing around 20 September 1991 and was first reported missing by her mother on 24 September 1991. Her husband then reported her missing on 26 September.

He claimed to have last seen the 33-year old at 2pm on Friday 20 September 1991 when she dropped him off at a crash repair business on Bridge Road, Pooraka, and continued driving towards Adelaide to shop in the city.

Her Mitsubishi Colt was later impounded by the Adelaide City Council after being covered in parking tickets in Franklin Street, Adelaide at the bus terminal.

The vehicle first received a parking ticket at 1.48pm on 20 September 1991 – before the time her husband said she dropped him off at Pooraka.

The normally messy car was oddly meticulously clean – with the most likely scenario being that whoever killed Ms Courtney deliberately placed the car in that location after cleaning it, most likely after using it to transport her body to an unknown location.

She is suspected to have been murdered and her body has never been found.

While investigators have a suspect in the long-running case, no one has ever been charged.

In 2008, detectives excavated a large area of the backyard of her former home at Ingle Farm but did not find any gravesite or remains.

A reward of up to $200,000 is on offer to anyone who either provides information leading to the recovery of her remains or information leading to a conviction in the case.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

During August our unsolved weekly crime segments asked for information to help identify a man wanted over a home invasion at Ascot Park while the occupants slept inside, and also called for information about the theft of 17 pieces of artwork from a Macclesfield home. We appealed to anyone with information about a fatal board collision at Swan Reach to come forward and asked for the public’s help to catch a man caught on camera smashing his way into a Goodwood business.

As well as having 4,121 views of unsolved crime videos on our Facebook page during the month, we reached an estimated 29,965 users and attracted 475 new followers.

We used our social media platforms to profile the anniversary of unsolved cold case murder investigations, including the 1990 disappearance and suspected murder of Karen Williams in Coober Pedy, the murder of retired chef Franco Murat at his Prospect Road home in 1999 and the disappearance of Kirste Gordon and Joanne Ratcliffe who were last seen at Adelaide Oval in 1973.

Our month-long focus was on missing persons in support of National Missing Persons Week.

Other August 2020 results included:

• 1,877 calls and 527 online reports received;
• 1,197 information reports were taken and 1,173 actions issued to police for investigation;
• 35 apprehensions for a range of offences;
• 14,382 people visited the Crime Stoppers SA website, resulting in 39,033 page views;

If you have any information about suspicious activity or an unsolved crime then call our free hotline on 1800 333 000 or go to www.crimestopperssa.com.au

Rewards are available and you don’t have to get involved.

Share what you know without having to say who you are.

Past and present employees of Integrity Care are encouraged to take advantage of a special phone-in opportunity tonight, and speak with police investigating the death of Annie Smith.

The call comes after Major Crime detectives today searched the offices of Integrity Care and a house at Huntfield Heights for electronic and documentary evidence surrounding the death.

While Integrity Care is under investigation, many people working at the business are not responsible for – and may not have known about – the neglect Annie suffered.

Police believe some employees were concerned about operating practices, and are urged to do the right thing and speak to investigators by phoning Crime Stoppers SA tonight on 1800 333 000.

The investigation has already received excellent cooperation from the public, with 78 calls to Crime Stoppers with information around Annie’s life.

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. You don’t have to say your name or get involved.

Channel 9 Adelaide Managing Director, Mr Sean O’Brien, has been announced as the newest Ambassador for Crime Stoppers South Australia, joining a number of other top-level South Australian business and industry leaders.

Crime Stoppers South Australia Chair, Ms Sharon Hanlon, said Mr O’Brien’s appointment further strengthened support from Channel 9 Adelaide, which renewed its commitment as major media partner in 2018 for an additional 3-year period.

“Sean has been a long-standing supporter of Crime Stoppers and we are very excited at taking that to the next level through his involvement as one of our Ambassadors. Being able to tap into Sean’s strategic insight, significant media experience and his extensive business relationships will be critical to our growth and sustainability,” Ms Hanlon said.

“Crime Stoppers SA is a charity that has to self-fund its own operations, rewards and crime prevention campaigns, and our hope is that Sean and our other recently-announced Ambassadors will encourage businesses to work with us so we can continue to provide people with platforms to anonymously share what they know about unsolved crime and suspicious activity without saying who they are,” she said.

In welcoming his appointment, Mr O’Brien said he was looking forward to building on awareness about Crime Stoppers SA and its efforts to help solve and prevent crime in the community.

“Too many people are still unaware that Crime Stoppers SA is a charity governed by a small but hard-working group of professionals who volunteer their time and share their expertise because they want to make a difference. Crime – and the fear of crime – impacts on the entire community and ultimately the confidence of the state, which is why we need to get as many individuals, businesses and government behind this critical crime-solving organisation,” Mr O’Brien said.

“I am honoured to become an Ambassador. Channel 9 Adelaide places great importance on actively contributing to a safer community through our long-standing partnership with Crime Stoppers as their major media partner, and this is a way that I can personally build on that commitment.”

In May 2020 Andrew Marshall, President of the Master Builders Association, Philip Morton, Managing Director of Morton Philips, Jodie van Deventer, CEO for the Committee for Adelaide and Martin Haese, CEO at Business SA were announced as the inaugural Crime Stoppers SA Ambassadors.

Mr O’Brien has been the Managing Director of Channel 9 Adelaide since 2013.  This is his second stint at Nine, previously having worked as Sales Director from 2001-2009.  Between roles at Nine, he was the General Manager at FIVEaa and Nova 919. He has over 30 years sales and business leadership experience in the Media Industry as well as with Telethon SA, Down Syndrome SA and White Ribbon Australia.

This latest announcement follows the release by Crime Stoppers SA of its half-year results up to 30 June 2020, which saw nearly 10,000 calls received in the first 6-months of 2020 and more than 2,800 online reports. Over 6,000 information reports were taken from the community and nearly 6,500 actions issued to police for investigation, resulting in seizure of 20 firearms, closure of 5 clandestine labs and arrests of people for murder, armed robberies and violent assaults. In addition, more than 127,500 cannabis street deals and nearly 2000 methamphetamine deals were stopped from reach South Australian streets in the same period.

Crime Stoppers in South Australia has a long-term partnership with SA Police as well as Police Credit Union – which recently renewed its commitment as a major funding partner for another 3-year period.

 

 

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