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At about 1.30am on Tuesday 26 August 2008, Benjamin Young returned to his home at Luhrs Road, Payneham South.

The 26-year old parked in the driveway and was shot walking to the front door.

He staggered across Luhrs Rd before collapsing and dying in front of a block of units in the quiet, suburban street.

Mr Young had been a full member of the Finks MC but had left the Club in March 2008.

At the time of his death, Mr Young was involved in a number of business enterprises including brothels, racehorses, property development and industrial premises.

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 39 years since Peter Stogneff was abducted and murdered.

No one could have predicted back in 1981 that a teen boy planning to spend a day off from school would become one of South Australia’s most notorious murder investigations.

The 14-year old had originally arranged to meet his cousin in the city.

But a change of plans saw his cousin not make the trip into Rundle Mall, so whether Peter actually made the journey into the city remains a mystery.

On Thursday 27 August 1981, he was reported missing by his parents.

It was 10 months later that a remote property, 50km north of Adelaide would confirm the worst about what happened to the missing teenager.

As part of efforts to clear land adjacent to Middle Beach Road, Two Wells, a local farmer was bulldozing bushes and boxthorns. He returned to the bushes on 20 May 1982 and set them alight, with the fires burning for about two days.

On 22 June 1982, the farmer returned to the area and located a human skull that had become exposed amongst the debris. He returned home and contacted the police the following morning, with the skeletal remains identified as being Peter.

Information received during the investigation indicated that Peter may have been seen with a male adult at Tea Tree Plaza on the day of his disappearance.

That male has never been identified.

Police believe this murder is associated with other high profile killings commonly referred to in the media as the “Family Murders”.

A reward of up to $1,000,000 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.

During July we received more than 250 calls from people wanting to share information about drugs and illegal firearms in the community.

We also saw people sharing what they know about the major crime investigation into the death of Kensington Park woman Ann Marie Smith, assaults that occurred at Anstey Hill and Adelaide, a fatal crash at Shea-Oak Log and an aggravated robbery at Woodcroft.

Our unsolved weekly crime segments asked for information to help identify a person who broke into a Flinders Park home, a man caught on CCTV suspected of starting a grassfire at the Noarlunga Interchange, a person caught on camera breaking into the Lyndoch Hotel and help to solve the unprovoked stabbing of an elderly man out on his daily walk at Findon.

People watched our unsolved crime videos 4,418 times on our Facebook page in July, we reached an estimated 37,956 users and attracted 224 new followers.

We profiled unsolved cold cases, including the 1997 murder or Corrina Marr at her Collinswood home, the disappearance and suspected murder of Gail King and the 2002 suspected murder of Port Lincoln woman Susan Goodwin.

Our mini-campaign focus for the month was on human trafficking, with our social media and website helping to spot what the signs are and explain how everyone can help stop it.

We celebrated an exciting milestone in our partnership with Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation SA Branch – with the first carpark signage going up as part of our united efforts to keep nursing and midwifery staff and the wider community safe.

Other July 2020 results included:

• 1,878 calls and 493 online reports received;
• 1,036 information reports were taken, and 1,044 actions issued to police for investigation;
• 1 firearm seized;
• 29 apprehensions for a range of offences;
• 12,893 people visited the Crime Stoppers SA website, resulting in 30,762 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.

Exactly what happened to 11-year old Joanne Ratcliffe and 4-year old Kirste Gordon on 25 August 1973 after they attended a football match at the Adelaide Oval is not known.

There was a substantial crowd in attendance when the girls left the Edwin Smith stand to go to the toilet.

A short time later when they had not returned Mr Ratcliffe went looking for them.

Witnesses reported that the girls may have been seen later with an unknown man near Port Rd, Thebarton.

The investigation identified that the girls may have been forcibly removed from the Oval by a man thought to be aged in his 40s.

Since that day more than 2000 lines of inquiry have been followed by investigators.

Detectives have previously searched Yatina sites – including two wells in the mid-north region on several occasions for clues – as a result of a call to Crime Stoppers and the culmination of information gathered over time.

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

Queensland police are hopeful that the offer of a $500,000 reward for information into the 1996 disappearance and suspected murder of Gregory James Thurlow, alongside the launch of a billboard and targeted digital campaign in the area he was last seen, will generate new leads.

At the time of his disappearance, the 27-year-old had left his mother’s Manly West home on October 1, 1996, advising family members he was travelling to the Redcliffe area.

During the evening he attended a house on Longland Street, Scarborough, before travelling to a friend’s house at Mitze Street, Bray Park. He was last seen alive somewhere between late the same day and into the early hours of October 2, 1996, leaving the Bray Park house with a male associate.

Police believe the men travelled in a green 1980 VC Holden Commodore sedan, believed to be owned by Greg’s associate. This vehicle is believed to have stopped along Anzac Avenue in the Mango Hill area for a short period of time.

Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell of Homicide’s Cold Case Investigation Team said as part of their investigation police had placed a billboard display on Anzac Avenue in Rothwell, along with other highway signage and targeted Facebook posts in the Peninsular region to prompt people to come forward.

“We believe Greg Thurlow was murdered around the time he disappeared and that there are people in the local community who know what happened,” Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell said.

“We can confirm the announcement of the State Government’s reward offering $500,000 for information that leads to the conviction of the person, or persons, found to be responsible for Greg’s murder.

“Anyone with information is urged to consider the reward and come forward and speak to us now,” Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell said.

In addition to the reward, an appropriate indemnity from prosecution will be recommended for any accomplice, not being the person who actually committed the crime, who first gives such information.

If you have information you can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or go to www.crimestopperssa.com.au

Crime Stoppers programs across Australia have joined Queensland Police in appealing for information to help identify a man whose body was discovered near Nambour 12 years ago.

The man’s body, believed to be aged between 45 and 65, was located deceased near the eastern spillway of the Poona Dam near Nambour by a workman on September 9 2008. His death is not being treated as suspicious.

It is believed  the man may have been at the location for a few days, however extensive enquiries have failed to identify him.

Detectives have engaged external forensic specialists to identify the likely ancestry of the man and facial characteristics through a technique called DNA phenotyping with the hopes of uncovering new leads. The results indicate the man may have New Zealand ancestry, along with facial feature variations from an earlier facial composite, notably that he likely had green/hazel eyes.

The man is described as having a solid build, approximately 185cm tall, balding with grey hair and having an appendix scar and four tattoos. The tattoos are of a shark and eagle on his left shoulder as well as on his right shoulder, a woman with an American Indian headdress and what appears to be a warrior or gnome figure.

Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Dario Goriup of the Queensland Police Missing Persons Unit said while the technology is helping investigators consider new lines of enquiry, information from the public is vital to solving this case.

“While we are keeping an open mind, current information indicates this man may have close family connections to the North Island of New Zealand, specifically the Tauranga, Bay of Plenty area,” Detective Senior Sergeant Goriup said.

“We would ask members of the public who are missing a loved one or perhaps have not spoken to a family member or friend since September 2008 to consider this information, take a good look at this image and if there is a resemblance, please contact police.

“All it could take is one person who recognises the image or details to come forward and this could help us identify this man and find an answer to this 12-year mystery.”

The man was wearing a red ‘Bauhaus’ baseball cap, long sleeved ‘Duchamp’ brand black shirt, ‘Aus sport’ grey tracksuit pants, white orange and grey ‘Fila’ ankle socks and a pair of ‘Cougar’ white, navy, silver and orange sandshoes. A brown leather ‘Fox’ satchel was discovered next to his body.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000 or go to www.crimestopperssa.com.au

Physical Description

• Height (cm): 185cm
• Weight (kg): 102 kgs
• Solid build
• Balding with grey hair
• Blue / Green eyes
• Fair complexion

 

Franco Murat was asleep alone about 10pm on August 16, 1999, when three people entered his home on Prospect Rd.

They covered his head with fabric and assaulted him, demanding property before setting him alight.

The 60-year old retired chef received burns to the upper torso, head and face, including damage to his airway.

When police and ambulance officers arrived on scene he was able to speak about what happened.

He said that while he did not see the faces of his attackers, two men and one woman were involved.

Mr Murat’s silver-coloured Magna sedan was stolen from his driveway that night and found burnt out in a laneway about a kilometre away.

Sadly, he died from his injuries on 3 September 1999.

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

 

On 14 May 2002, Quyen Tu Au was reported as a missing person by the Major Fraud Section due to concerns for his welfare.

The 31-year old was an Australian citizen who was born in Vietnam.

It is believed that Mr Au has been murdered, but his body has never been found.

He was linked with the fraudulent use of a debit card, which was ultimately used to steal $6.326 million from a bank account held by the Bank of East Asia.

Security video recorded by a Port Adelaide bank’s ATM at 12:21pm on August 15, 2000, shows the last known images of Mr Au as he withdrew $6000 using a stolen bank debit card

At about 12.54 p.m. the same date Mr Au contacted a friend using his mobile telephone. This is the last known contact that he had with any family or friends.

At the time of his disappearance, Mr Au was being sought by police in relation to his suspected involvement in the theft of up to $400,000 in cash from automatic teller machines.

The debit card used was stolen in Brisbane on May 19, 2000, from a Hong Kong student.

Because of a computer processing error, the stolen card was able to be used to make unlimited withdrawals from NAB ATMs.

The first unauthorised transaction was on July 28, 2000, and in total Mr Au was recorded on security cameras 41 times conducting 465 transactions. The last of those was on August 15 when he made 12 transactions, the last at 12:35pm.

After August 15, three other people were recorded on ATM security cameras using the card to withdraw money from the account. On October 19, 2000, NAB became aware of the unauthorised transactions and the stolen card was retained by an ATM at the Tea Tree Plaza Shopping Centre.

In November 2000, police searched 16 Adelaide properties and found about $4.07 million in cash under the floorboards of the main bedroom of a property in Kitchener Street at Kilburn.

Four people were arrested and charged with offences relating to the use of the stolen card, but Mr Au was never found.

Police know that until 5th August 2000,  he was residing at Rosewater Lodge in Rosewater, but information supplied anonymously via Crime Stoppers suggests that he had also stayed at the Kitchener Street address where the cash was found.

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

 

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

South Australia’s most successful crime-solving and prevention partnership is expected to go from strength to strength following a renewed 3-year commitment by Police Credit Union as major funding partner of Crime Stoppers SA.

The announcement comes as Crime Stoppers SA releases its half-year results, which saw nearly 10,000 calls received in the first 6-months of the year 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 firearms, clandestine labs and arrests of people for murder, armed robberies and violent assaults.

Crime Stoppers South Australia Chair, Ms Sharon Hanlon, said the renewed commitment from the organisation’s major funding partner provided financial stability for the charity, and she encouraged other South Australian businesses to follow Police Credit Union’s leadership by also getting behind the volunteer-led organisation.

“Our many successes can only be achieved thanks to commitment from valued partners like Police Credit Union because that support means we can continue to empower the community by encouraging people to share what they know with us without saying who they are,” Ms Hanlon said.

“The Police Credit Union team have been genuinely committed to working with us for a safer South Australia, and extending our partnership for another 3 years assists us to meet essential operational costs associated with maintaining our hotline, website and rewards program and helps with the development of a range of community engagement campaigns,” she said.

“As a charity we work hard to make every dollar count, and we have been recognised at state, national and international levels for our ability to creatively develop and deliver crime-solving and prevention programs on a budget to catch wanted fugitives, solve cold case murders, stop bushfire arsonists, raise awareness about car and property theft and so much more.”

Police Credit Union Chairman, Mr Alex Zimmermann, described the major sponsorship announcement as a key highlight of the organisation’s 50-year anniversary.

“At a time when many organisations appear to be doing it tough, we are particularly proud to give back to the South Australian community through this renewed partnership commitment and strengthen our long-standing connection with SA Police by supporting Crime Stoppers,” Mr Zimmermann said.

“We have a well-established 50-year track record of supporting police, nurses, paramedics and other frontline responders, who have shown incredible bravery and resilience in the face of the pandemic. We have tailored products and services for those working across the emergency service and health sectors, and our support of Crime Stoppers is another way we can help create a better community,” he said.

“With an average of 25 crimes solved every week in South Australia as a result of information by the public, we see real value in supporting Crime Stoppers because we know that crime and the fear of crime impacts on the confidence of the State. Now, more than ever, it is important for us to come together as a community and do all we can to make sure we can live safely and free from harm, and help hold those who choose to do the wrong thing accountable for their actions.”

“We look forward to working alongside Crime Stoppers in supporting better communities and partner with them on a number of important regional and metropolitan crime solving and prevention campaigns over the years ahead.”

The 3-year agreement follows a successful initial 3-year partnership between Crime Stoppers SA and Police Credit Union originally announced in 2017.

Other half-year results released by Crime Stoppers SA include:

• 9,795 calls to the hotline and 2,828 online reports;
• 6,914 information reports;
• 6,460 actions issued for investigation by police;
• 286 apprehensions;
• 228 contacts about cold case murders
• 60,234 visitors to the Crime Stoppers SA website and 185,565 page views.

The number of drug and firearm seizures attributed to Crime Stoppers SA from January to June 2020:

• Cannabis plants: 7,714
• Cannabis: 318.9kg (equating to 127,560 street deals – not including plants)
• Clandestine drug labs: 5
• Methamphetamines: 191.5 grams (equating to 1,915 street deals)
• GHB: 5.3 litres (equating to 5,300 street deals)
• Firearms: 20

More about Crime Stoppers SA can be found at https://crimestopperssa.com.au

More about Police Credit Union can be found at www.policecu.com.au