Media Releases

Kilburn man Peter Marshall was executed by a gunman who fired a single shot at close range through an unlocked window directly over his bed in his Northcote Street home on 5 February 1992.

The 35-year old suffered the fatal gunshot wound to his left temple while he was asleep. He rolled off the bed and died on the floor and was found by a female friend several hours later after she could not contact him.

There was no sign of a struggle in the bedroom, and while the solid timber front door was open the screen door was locked.

It is believed he was shot between 4am and 4.30am. A neighbour heard a loud noise, followed by a “gagging” sound.

Investigators believe there is little doubt that Mr Marshall’s killer knew him, including which bedroom he slept in.

Mr Marshall was involved in the drug trade and was known to grow cannabis as well as being involved in ‘rip-offs’ of other people’s cannabis crops.

He was also a ‘ladies’ man’ and was found to have had numerous affairs with women – some of them married.

Three suspects have been identified in the murder.

Two have since died interstate — one in 1995 and another in 1998. The deaths were not suspicious.

The third suspect, now in his 40s, also lives interstate.

Detectives suspect the motive for Mr Marshall’s murder lies in a complex domestic situation that included unconfirmed rape allegations levelled at him by a female relative of one of the suspects.

Mr Marshall worked at a nearby plastics factory and was originally from Merbein in Victoria. He was known to frequent the nearby Albion Hotel.

A reward of up to $200,000 is on offer for information that leads to a conviction in this case.

If you have any information, call 1800 333 000 or make a report at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

An arsenal of illegal and dangerous weapons – including 103 firearms – were taken out of the hands of local criminals across South Australia during 2019 thanks to information provided by the community to Crime Stoppers.

In addition, more than 33,000 amphetamine deals and 32,000 cannabis street deals were stopped from hitting the streets during the year as a direct result of more than 27,000 phone and online reports received by the nation’s most trusted information sharing service.

Crime Stoppers South Australia chair, Ms Sharon Hanlon, said 22,598 calls and 4,539 online reports had been received during the 2019 calendar year, leading to 12,404 reports being taken and 11,654 actions issued to police and other law enforcement bodies for investigation.

“As one of South Australia’s most successful and trusted not-for-profit charities, these strong results reinforce that Crime Stoppers SA continues to make a real difference when it comes to solving and preventing crime in South Australia – especially with 436 apprehensions and 859 charges being laid for an array of crimes throughout the year,” Ms Hanlon said.

“Independent research shows that 82% of all Australians continue to feel safer knowing that Crime Stoppers is there for them to share what they know about unsolved crimes and suspicious activity, with 81% of people believing that not having to say who they are is incredibly important,” she said.

“Another highlight of our annual results was having 320 contacts from people specifically wanting to share information about murders and unsolved cold cases, including the abduction and suspected murder of Rhianna Barreau in 1992, the bashing murder of Peter Seaford in 1989, the unsolved cold case murders of Corinna Marr and Gail King, and the shooting murder of Jason De Ieso at his Pooraka workshop in 2012.”

In partnership with SA Police, Crime Stoppers SA was proud to launch a new phase of Operation Persist to help solve cold case murders, with a second set of playing cards released within prisons and screens installed profiling cases and the rewards available to encourage the 7000 people passing through the system annually to share what they know.

During the year, Crime Stoppers SA also rolled out local activities as part of the Federally funded Dob in a Dealer national campaign, which disrupted the nation’s illegal drugs market thanks to more than 47,000 Information Reports received from concerned people across the country.

Crime prevention and awareness campaigns included a partnership with DPTI designed to catch graffiti vandalism offenders and those damaging the public transport system, support of National Missing Persons Week, launch of the Eye Spy campaign to educate South Australians on what to be on the lookout for in their neighbourhood and a successful collaboration with Encounter Youth as part of Schoolies Festival to engage school leavers.

Crime Stoppers SA also continued to work with its major program partner, Police Credit Union, to support better communities by developing a number of crime-fighting, awareness and prevention campaigns across metropolitan and regional areas including a focus on how to secure your home and stay safe online.

The strong alignment with 9 News Adelaide as the official media partner also unlocked the power of television to help solve crime through special weekly segments, while a new partnership with fiveAA saw a weekly on-air spot used to profile a range of unsolved crimes.

During 2019, Crime Stoppers SA was once again recognised for delivering benchmark crime-solving campaigns at the annual Crime Stoppers International Awards, winning Best Specialised Training Award and Best Media Television Award categories. The prestigious awards were received in recognition of the Make the Call campaign designed to disrupt the local drug trade after the tripling of methamphetamine use in South Australia over a 5-year period, and an unsolved TV crime segment asking for help to identify a woman wanted for an assault on an Adelaide taxi driver.

SUMMARY –

2019 program results for Crime Stoppers SA include:

• 22,598 calls and 4,539 online reports from people wanting to share information;
• 436 apprehensions and 859 charges laid for drug dealing, firearms, robbery, serious assault and as range of other offences; and
• 103 firearms seized – as well as an ammunition and a range of illegal weapons and accessories.

DRUGS

• 1,329 plants and 200kg of cannabis seized;
• Closure of 1 clandestine drug lab;
• 4kg of amphetamine seized.

MAJOR APPREHENSIONS

A number of serious crimes were also solved during 2019, which included:

• 3 apprehensions for sexual offences
• 2 apprehensions for serious offences against property
• 10 apprehensions for serious firearms offences (4 associated with drug offences)
• 48 apprehensions for serious drug offences
• 5 apprehensions for serious assaults and robberies.

If you have any information about criminals or criminal activity, then call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

It is a 45-year old mystery that needs help from the public to solve.

Giuseppe “Joe” Iannella lived with his wife and four children at the family dairy farm on Lake Plains Road, Milang.

The exact timing of the 46-year old’s disappearance remains unclear but is believed to be sometime between February and August 1975.

There have been no reported sightings or any contact with family and friends since this time.

In September 2006, Major Crime Detectives conducted excavations at Mr Iannella’s dairy farm in Milang looking for his remains or any other item associated with his disappearance without success.

Police suspect he has been murdered.

A reward of up to $200,000 is on offer for information that leads to a conviction or the recovery of the victim’s remains.

If you have any information, call 1800 333 000 or make a report at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

It is now 28 years since Russell Bradshaw was last seen by his wife leaving their Salisbury Heights home in January 1992.

The 35-year old left without taking any of his personal possessions and without telling anyone where he was going.

He was believed to be involved in the local drug scene, but it is not known if this played a role in his disappearance.

The manner of Russell’s disappearance is not consistent with his usual behaviour as he always maintained contact with his friends and family including his children.

In February 2004, police coordinated an unsuccessful search of scrub land near Perponda in the Murray Mallee as it was believed this may have been where his body had been buried.

He is suspected to have been murdered and his murder is believed linked with the disappearance and suspected murder of Damian Cauchi in 1998.

A reward of up to $200,000 is on offer to anyone who provides information that leads to the conviction in the case and/or the recovery of the victim’s remains.

If you have information, call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

At about 8.50pm on Sunday 29 January 2012 Giovanni Focarelli was shot dead in a vehicle in Flame Avenue, Dry Creek.

His stepfather, Vincenzo Focarelli, was the driver of the vehicle and had also been shot but survived.

Vincenzo Focarelli drove from the scene and stopped a police patrol on Prospect Road, Prospect, but Giovanni was pronounced dead shortly after.

CCTV footage from Flame Avenue, Dry Creek shows a figure running from the car and across Flame Avenue after the shooting.

It is suspected that the motive for the shootings was due to on-going tensions between rival outlaw motorcycle gangs in South Australia and interstate.

A suspect for these shootings has been identified by investigators, however further information is required to provide evidence that would lead to their arrest.

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

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

You can remain anonymous.

On Australia Day, Wednesday 26 January 1966, the three Beaumont children – Jane (aged 9), Arnna (aged 7) and Grant (aged 4) – left their home at Harding Street, Somerton Park to go the beach at Glenelg.

Confirmed sightings of the three children were at Colley Reserve, Glenelg and Wenzels Cake shop in Mosley Street, Glenelg.

They have not been seen or heard of since despite extensive and ongoing investigations into their disappearance.

Police suspect the children have been abducted and murdered.

A reward of up to $1m is on offer to anyone who provides information that leads to the conviction in the case and/or the recovery of their remains

The year ended as busy as it started for Crime Stoppers SA – with nearly 2000 hotline and online reports received during December.

About 160 contacts were from people who wanted to share information about the manufacture and sale of illegal drugs in their community. The information they provided led to the seizure of 1.2kg of methamphetamine as well as helping police to locate 100 cannabis plants and about 2kg of dried cannabis ready for sale.

We also received 71 calls about illegal firearms, with 3 taken out of the hands of criminals thanks to your information.

A total of 20 men and 1 woman were charged with an array of serious offences – including possessing prescribed drugs without a prescription, cultivate commercial quantities of cannabis, and firearms offences.

During December, our calls for information saw people make contact about an array of unsolved crimes, including an aggravated assault at West Lakes, a number of stolen vehicles recovered in an Unley backstreet, an aggravated robbery at O’Halloran Hill and theft of a distinctive lion costume from Woodville South.

Our unsolved weekly crime segments for the month asked for your help to solve the cold case suspected murder of Peter Timmermanis in 1991, a violent assault of a fisherman caught on camera at the Brighton Jetty, and the identity of a man armed with a knife who remains on the run after robbing The Port Club at Alberton.

Watch these and other weekly crime segments at https://www.youtube.com/user/SIBSACrimeStoppers

Other December 2019 results included:

• 990 intelligence reports raised and 884 actions issued to police for investigation;
• A total of 29 apprehensions were made during the month;
• In additional to seizure of 3 firearms, ammunition and other illegal weapons were also confiscated;
• 9,170 people visited the Crime Stoppers SA website, resulting in 25,537 page views;

If you have any information about criminal 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 provide your details.

It’s what you know, not who you are, that counts.

Craig Leonard lived at Douglas Road, Salisbury East with his wife and daughter.

The 41-year old was last seen at this address at about 10am on Monday 11 January 2010.

He was in the process of finding alternative accommodation because of strains on his family relationships.

He was last seen by his wife and daughter before they went out.

When they returned later, they thought he may be asleep in a bedroom but later discovered he had left.

He was not fit enough to walk long distances and left with only some clothing and some food items – including cold sausages and some junk food.

In the days after his disappearance, a family member used his credit card to withdraw cash from an ATM.

He was reported missing by his wife and has not been seen since that time.

Mr Leonard suffered from a number of medical conditions, was on medication and was unable to walk any substantial distance.

Police suspect he has been murdered.

Searches for Mr Leonard have proved fruitless. The first involved excavating sections of the backyard of the family home and the second by police divers in the River Murray at Walker’s Flat, where the family used to holiday.

A reward of up to $200,000 is on offer to anyone who provides information that leads to a conviction for the suspected murder or the recovery of his remains.