Media Releases

It is now 23 years since Gail King disappeared without a trace.

The 28-year old mother was last seen alive at a home on the Yorke Peninsula that she was renovating with her defacto husband on 7 July 1997.

Police investigations have revealed Ms King arrived at the Minlaton house on the evening of Sunday, July 6, 1997.

Her defacto husband had arrived there with their two young children several days earlier.

On the Monday they had visited several locations including Troubridge Point and Pondalowie Bay, before arriving back at Minlaton about 5.30pm.

Ms King’s partner told investigators that she said she had to return to Adelaide that night because of an occupational health and safety meeting the next day. She reportedly left about 7pm, just 24 hours after arriving.

Enquiries with her employer, an aged care facility at Gilles Plains, confirmed there had been no scheduled meeting.

Her de facto said he drove his gold Ford Falcon station wagon with the children back, arriving at their Brahma Lodge home about 6pm on Tuesday, July 8.

He found his partner’s white Toyota Corolla in the driveway at the property.

The house was locked and in darkness, apart from a single light in the lounge room. There were no obvious signs of a disturbance.

The overnight bag she had taken to Minlaton containing some clothes was there, but her black vinyl handbag and purse were missing. Her house and car keys were also missing.

Besides her handbag, the only items her partner says were missing from the house were several photo albums containing family pictures.

While Ms King’s de facto husband remains a person of interest, police are also aware that Ms King had been having an affair and investigators have spoken to that person too.

Ms King was also believed to have been 3-months pregnant.

Ms King hasn’t contacted any members of her family or touched her bank account, leading police to believe that she has been murdered.

While investigators continue to keep an open mind in the investigation, they believe there are two likely possibilities. Firstly she was killed by a close associate in the Minlaton area, with someone then returning the vehicle to Adelaide to stage the scene, or secondly she was killed by another person, who is most likely known to her, after returning to Adelaide.

A $200,000 reward remains on offer for information that leads to a conviction in this case and/or the recovery of her remains.

 

It is now 23 years since Corinna Marr was found shot and killed in her Collinswood unit in Adelaide’s north.

The 25-year old worked as a real estate sales agent at Weeks and Macklin at Firle and also did promotional work through Extreem Modelling Agency.

On Friday 4 July 1997 Ms Marr left her work at about 2.30pm and went to her home at Howard Street to get ready for a promotion event at the Woodville Hotel later that afternoon.

At about 3.15pm that same day, a neighbour reported walked past Ms Marr’s unit and heard a hair dryer or similar appliance.

The front door was open, although the screen door was closed.

At 4pm Ms Marr’s husband arrived home to find her murdered on their bed. A post-mortem examination confirmed that she had died from a gunshot wound.

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

A man has been arrested over the 1998 cold case murder of Phyllis Harrison.

The 75-year old (pictured above) was living alone in her Elizabeth South home of 40 years following the death of her husband. She was stabbed multiple times and found dead in her kitchen in March 1998.

The man cannot be identified for legal reasons.

She was well known in the community, and was a foundation member of the Elizabeth Grove Uniting Church and a member of the Elizabeth Bowling Club.

Mrs Harrison was an independent person who drove herself around the district. She was known in the immediate area where she regularly walked her dog.

Mrs Harrison was last seen walking her German Shepherd dog the night before her murder, near her Harvey Road home at about 7.45 pm.

She was particularly security conscious and there were no signs of forced entry, suggesting she may have let her killer inside.

If you habe any information, call 1800 333 000 or go to www.crimestopperssa.com.au

During May we received 55 contacts about illegal firearms, which led to police taking 6 firearms out of the hands of criminals, along with other dangerous weapons such as tasers, knives, batons and crossbows.

A total of 230 contacts from people wanting to share information about drug dealing and selling in the community saw the closure of 2 clandestine drug labs, seizure of 227kg of dried cannabis and 105 plants, along with quantities of Methamphetamine, Fantasy GHB and Ecstasy.

We also saw people providing what they know about a range of unsolved crimes and suspicious activity, including the major investigation into the death of Marie Ann Smith at Kensington Park, the fatal crash at Elizabeth East which saw two teenagers killed, a break-in at an Elizabeth East Post Office and the disappearance and presumed murder of Michael Purse.

A total of 69 people were apprehended thanks to your information during the month.

Our unsolved weekly crime segments asked for help to identify two men wanted for a robbery at a Salisbury North shop, a break-in by four people at the Skyhawks Aero Club at Blakeview, an assault by two men on a patron at the Dog and Duck Hotel in Hindley Street, and a robbery by two masked men – one armed with a firearm – at the Bombay Bicycle Club at Ovingham.

People watched our unsolved crime videos 4,679 times on our Facebook page in May, and we reached an estimated 20,730 users and attracted 543 new followers.

Other May 2020 results included:

• 1622 calls and 473 online reports received;
• 1152 intelligence reports generated and 1150 actions issued to police for investigation;
• 12,007 people visited the Crime Stoppers SA website, resulting in 36,066 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.

This follows calls for information from Police earlier this week, in relation to the whereabouts of Ms Smith’s missing jewellery that has been identified as part of the ongoing financial investigation.

Major Crime Investigators are seeking information on the use of her 1998 Silver Honda Accord Sedan WDR-166, which is believed to have been used multiple times from 2015 and her death.

Ms Smith did not have a drivers licence and the car was not modified for her to drive, however it was registered in her name.

The use of her car between 2015 and 2018 resulted in four expiation notices which resulted in fines in excess of $2000.

Traffic offences included:

• – 29 August 2015 – 2x speed camera offences at Firle.

• – 20 January 2017 – disobey traffic light offence at Norwood.

• – 11 February 2018 – disobey traffic light offence at Enfield.

These fines were paid with funds from Ms Smith’s bank account and resulted in her being disqualified for holding or obtaining a driver’s licence.

Investigators also believe that a man left his car in Ms Smith’s carport earlier this year covered with a car cover, and used Ms Smith’s car for an undisclosed period of time. Investigators are seeking witnesses in respect to who owned the car that was left there and who was driving Ms Smith’s car this year.

Police are also seeking information about a man and woman who visited Ms Smith’s residence at Ms Smith’s home (1 Bradman Court, Kensington Park) regularly during October and November 2018.

A total of 35 Crime Stopper Actions have been received, some of which has been extremely helpful.

Anyone with information about the identity of those visiting Annie’s house or driving her car is asked to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au – Information can be provided anonymously.

On Monday 18 June 1979, teenager Alan Barnes, was reported missing by his mother when he failed to return home after visiting a friend.

On 24 June 1979, the 17-year old’s body was found beneath the South Para Bridge, near Williamstown.

Forensic examination revealed that Alan had died no more than 48 hours earlier. It is also known that he was not murdered where his body was found, but the exact location of his murder has never been determined.

His body had been washed and re-dressed after his murder and toxicology tests found that he had alcohol and sedative drugs in his system.

Alan’s movements in the period between being reported missing and his body being located have remained sketchy, with a number of unconfirmed sightings of him in that time.

One sighting considered to be credible places Alan in the company of two other males on the evening prior to his body being located.

These two males are known to police and remain suspects in the murder.

Police believe this murder is associated with other high-profile murders commonly referred to in the media as the ’Family Murders’.

A reward of up to $1,000,000 remains on offer for a conviction in this case.

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

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