Media Releases

As the disappearance and presumed murder of teenager Karen Williams now reaches its 30-year milestone, her killer still remains free to roam the community.

On 3 August 1990 Karen Williams spent time with friends at the Opal Inn at Coober Pedy before attending a private party at nearby Sergio’s Restaurant in the early hours of the morning on Saturday 4 August 1990.

Between 5am and 6am Karen and three friends left the restaurant on foot.

They were collected by a young male and driven to the corner of Medway Drv and Lehman Pl. Her friends left the vehicle and the man drove several hundred metres along nearby Dawes St.

A short time later Ms Williams and the man were seen in a vehicle at the Caltex Service Station, Coober Pedy. They then left the service station and drove south along Hutchinson Street before turning left onto the Stuart Highway.

She has not been seen since.

In 2013, a 42-year old man former resident of Coober Pedy was arrested and charged with her murder. He was allegedly the last person to see Karen alive. In August 2016, he was acquitted by a Supreme Court judge.

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

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

Newton Silva was found dead on the side of a dirt road at Dowlingville, about 10 kilometres from Ardrossan on the Yorke Peninsula on 3 August 1988.

The 36-year old had been shot twice in the head and once in the heart.

The subsequent investigation found that he had been murdered on 15 July 1988.

Mr Silva lived in the northern suburbs of Adelaide and mixed with people who were involved in the sale and distribution of illegal drugs.

In early July 1988, in the weeks before his death, an associate believed Mr Silva had stolen $7000 in drug money from him, so he and a friend had beaten Mr Silva with a pool cue and a baseball bat causing severe injuries.

Six people were charged in relation to Mr Silva’s murder and were accused of being involved in abducting him from his Salisbury Plains flat.

Two were convicted but released on appeal. No retrial was held as a crucial witness had died in the meantime.

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 now been more than 30 years since the disappearance and presumed murder of Renata Wolanin and her loved ones are still no closer to knowing where her body has been buried.

During the early hours of 2 August 1989, Renata Wolanin walked out of her Verdale Road home at Linden Park – almost two years after marrying former US Army military policeman David Wehner.

The 41-year old has not been seen since.

Her husband reportedly told police that around 10.30pm they had a conversation about curtains and other renovations.

Wehner said he watched cricket, went to bed in the early hours of the morning and woke between 5am and 6am the next morning to find that Renata was not there.

Later that day, when Renata had not returned, Wehner began making inquiries with friends and neighbours, only to be told no one had seen her.

Renata had only just started a new job and did not arrive for work on the morning of August 2. She did not attend scheduled meetings that day and she made no calls to work colleagues.

While Wehner made contact with police at Norwood about 3.30pm on August 2, it was not until the next day he made a formal missing persons report.

Police have conducted extensive searches in the foothills close to Linden Park and Waterfall Gully, as well as excavating sections of the backyard of the couple’s home that she owned.

Wehner secured a $50,000 payout in 1992 from Renata’s estate and remained a person of interest until his death a number of years later.

A coronial inquest in 1990 heard evidence that Renata often had bruises on her face and that Wehner was involved with another woman.

A reward of up to $200,000 is on offer to anyone who provides information leading to the recovery of her remains.

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

While exactly what happened to Gordon Rogers remains an enduring South Australian mystery, the Canadian man is thought to have been murdered.

The 20-year old was last seen in the quiet fishing town of Beachport in the South-East of SA at 3.30am on 2 August 1970.

He was reported as missing at Beachport Police Station at 10.30am the same day by a friend and work colleague.

Gordon was a resident of Saskatchewan, Canada and was on a working holiday in Australia after arriving in Sydney on 28 March 1970 on a twelve month visa.

After travelling for a short time he was employed by the Woods and Forest Department as a labourer. He intended to work for them for six weeks before travelling to New Zealand.

On the day of his disappearance, Gordon had been drinking with the friend who subsequently reported him missing and had attended a party in Beachport.

The friend has said that he left the party to take his girlfriend home and asked another male to take Gordon home. That other male said he first took another female home and when he returned to the party Gordon was no longer there.

Gordon has not been seen or heard of since.

While police do not have a suspect, there are a number of people who have come to notice during the course of the investigation who are being scrutinised.

Police have conducted several unsuccessful searches as part of the lengthy investigation, including in nearby pine forests and in a septic tank within the town.

A reward of up to $200,000 is on offer to anyone who either provides information leading to the recovery of Gordon’s 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

It’s believed that David McWilliams was murdered on this day back in 1998 by criminal associates.

The 39-year old was most likely shot and possibly buried in the eastern region of country South Australia.

The motive for his murder is believed to have been to silence him from boasting about his own and others involvement in the murder of Leo Daly, a criminal associate who allegedly owed money for drugs.

The suspected murders of Mr McWilliams, Leo Daly, Robert Pendergast and 15-year old Juan Morgan remain as open investigations.

It is believed those responsible for killing Mr McWilliams are also involved in the murders of Daly, Pendergast and Morgan.

While the suspects for each of these murders are known to investigators, further information is needed to charge and prosecute those responsible.

A $200,000 reward is on offer for anyone providing information which leads to the apprehension and conviction of the person or people responsible for his suspected death or the recovery of his remains.

If you have information that might assist please call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

In response to rising violence against nurses and midwives at South Australian hospitals, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (SA Branch) has partnered with Crime Stoppers and health care sites across the State to create a safer working environment for health care staff.

Frontline health care workers have been lauded by the community as heroes for their efforts in responding to COVID-19 and the bushfires earlier in the year. Sadly, they are also increasingly the victims of assaults from patients and non-patients alike.

These incidents not only occur while nurses, midwives and personal care workers are providing care but also as they arrive at and leave their workplace. Following several serious assaults taking place in car parks, including one incident last year which left a nurse with stab injuries to her neck, these areas are considered particularly high-risk.

A key part of the initiative is the placement of prominent signage, displaying Crime Stoppers contact details in high-risk areas, providing a practical resource to encourage people to take a proactive role in community safety.

Crime Stoppers CEO Mark Day said everyone has a responsibility to keep their eyes and ears open to identify and put a stop to those wanting to harm others.

As the nation’s most trusted information receiving service, Crime Stoppers provides people with the opportunity to share what they know about unsolved crimes and suspicious activity without saying who they are.

“We know from recent national research that 81% of Australians believe the option to remain anonymous is incredibly important,” Mr Day said.

Since inviting health care sites to register to participate in the initiative, over 40 of them have taken advantage of the program as a way of deterring and resolving crimes around their facilities.

“This initiative reinforces ANMF (SA Branch)’s commitment to the implementation of practical and effective measures to address violence in the workplace and ultimately keep nursing and midwifery staff and the wider community safe,’’ ANMF (SA Branch) CEO/Secretary Adj Assoc Professor Elizabeth Dabars AM said.

“We acknowledge that signage alone is not a solution to fixing the issue of violence facing health professionals, however, it is a practical step that may deter criminal activities.

“While we welcome SA Health’s commitment to the early implementation of anti-violence policies as part of our recent Enterprise Bargaining Agreement, the reality is health care workers are facing the risk of physical harm every time they go to work. Our members urgently need action now and not more timelines for implementation plans to be enacted,” Ms Dabars said.

The organisations participating in the Crime Stoppers initiative are taking steps towards making their work sites safer by showing they take any criminal activities seriously and that they are fostering a culture of reporting suspicious behaviour.

“We know that often a criminal will stake out an area before attacking a person, and that is why it is important for everyone using car parks and at-risk areas to be on the lookout for a car or any person acting suspiciously – even if no obvious crime has been committed,” Mr Day said.

“An average of 25 crimes are solved each and every week in South Australia thanks to information provided by the community to Crime Stoppers, and we hope that people will share what they know to make sure our nurses and frontline health staff stay safe,” he said.

“We also want people to step up when an unknown attacker has been caught on CCTV and share what they know to hold that person to account, because rarely are these crimes committed in isolation. Maybe you’ve heard someone in your social circle talking about involvement in an attack, perhaps they have property that isn’t theirs, maybe they match the description of a suspect – that’s when contacting Crime Stoppers can make all the difference.”

If someone sees a crime occurring or needs police assistance, they should call 000 in an emergency or 131 444 to have police attend. For anyone who has information about an unsolved crime or suspicious behaviour they can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or share what they know at www.crimestoppers.com.au

ANMF (SA Branch), in partnership with Crime Stoppers, will be working with sites across SA to roll out the implementation of this initiative.

Can you help catch the killer of Adelaide man, Mark Williams?

At about 1.40am on Sunday 28 July 2002 Mark was hit by two shotgun blasts through the front window of his Moorhouse Ave unit, most likely as he pulled back a curtain to see who had knocked on the front door.

Sadly, he died at the scene.

The 37-year old lived alone at his unit and suffered from a number of medical conditions.

He enjoyed riding his bicycle and in the fifteen months prior to his death had spent two periods of about six months each riding his bicycle around the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

He had returned to Adelaide on 9 June 2002 after his bicycle was stolen in Broome, Western Australia.

Police have a suspect, as well as another person who is believed to also be involved in the plot to kill the invalid pensioner.

Investigations have revealed that Mark knew the suspect for only a short period of time before his death, and while police most have a likely motive, it has not been revealed for operational reasons.

Mark was not linked to any criminal or drug activity and had no known enemies.

One key piece of information provided was the sighting of a silver car seen leaving Moorhouse Ave at speed shortly after the shots were heard.

Investigators believe other people may know what happened and are asked to come forward and contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestopperssa.com.au

A reward up to $200,000 is on offer to anyone who provides information and assistance that leads to the conviction of the person or people responsible for his death.

You don’t have to say who you are or get involved.

It is now 29 years since the unsolved poisoning death of Brian Underwood.

At about 4pm on Thursday, 25 July 1991, the 46-year old sales manager and father of two collapsed at his workplace in Carrington street Adelaide.

Mr Underwood was treated at the scene and conveyed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in a critical condition.

He died later that evening about 6.30pm and a post-mortem revealed a lethal dose of potassium cyanide.

Police subsequently found a forged receipt for potassium cyanide in the possession of a woman who was formerly employed at Mr Underwood’s workplace.

She remains a person of interest.

Testing has determined that he was targeted by someone who had access to his workplace.

A reward up to $200,000 is on offer to anyone who provides information and assistance that leads to the conviction of the person or people responsible for his death.

No one has ever been charged over his death.

1800 333 000
www.crimestopperssa.com.au