Post by The HangMan on Apr 12, 2006 20:44:06 GMT -5
The Truro murders was the name given to the findings of the remains of seven young women in bushland near the town of Truro, South Australia in 1976 - 1977. The event became known as one of the first occurrences of serial killing in Australia at the time.
On April 25, 1978, William Thomas (a former AFL footballer) found what he thought was the bone from the leg of a cow whilst mushrooming in bushland near Truro. Upon closer inspection he noted the bone had a shoe attached and inside the shoe was human skin and painted toenails. Clothes, blood, and more bones were found nearby. The dead woman was later identified to be Veronica Knight, an 18 year old girl who vanished from an Adelaide street.
Later, other bushwalkers discovered the skeletal remains of 16 year old Sylvia Pittman, about 1 km from where Veronica's remains had been located.
Serial killing was a new phenomenon in Australia at the time, and police faced a difficult task of piecing together evidence. There was the strong suggestion of a link between the two dead women found in the Truro bushland, and other young women reported missing in the area.
The accused
Christopher Worrell, described as young, charismatic and psychosociopathic, and James Miller, a 40 year old labourer, described as a drifter and totally dependent on Worrell for support, were accused of the murders.
Worrell and a friend were killed in a car accident on February 19, 1977, thus ending the investigation of any role he may have played, although Miller survived the car accident.
Miller suffered depression and became homeless after Worrell's death. Miller's state of mind gave police a breakthrough when he inadvertently told a woman about Worrell's fascination with thrill killing. She later collected a AUD$40,000 reward after providing information to police leading to Miller's arrest and capture.
Miller stood trial for the murders, and was found guilty of six of the seven murders.
On April 25, 1978, William Thomas (a former AFL footballer) found what he thought was the bone from the leg of a cow whilst mushrooming in bushland near Truro. Upon closer inspection he noted the bone had a shoe attached and inside the shoe was human skin and painted toenails. Clothes, blood, and more bones were found nearby. The dead woman was later identified to be Veronica Knight, an 18 year old girl who vanished from an Adelaide street.
Later, other bushwalkers discovered the skeletal remains of 16 year old Sylvia Pittman, about 1 km from where Veronica's remains had been located.
Serial killing was a new phenomenon in Australia at the time, and police faced a difficult task of piecing together evidence. There was the strong suggestion of a link between the two dead women found in the Truro bushland, and other young women reported missing in the area.
The accused
Christopher Worrell, described as young, charismatic and psychosociopathic, and James Miller, a 40 year old labourer, described as a drifter and totally dependent on Worrell for support, were accused of the murders.
Worrell and a friend were killed in a car accident on February 19, 1977, thus ending the investigation of any role he may have played, although Miller survived the car accident.
Miller suffered depression and became homeless after Worrell's death. Miller's state of mind gave police a breakthrough when he inadvertently told a woman about Worrell's fascination with thrill killing. She later collected a AUD$40,000 reward after providing information to police leading to Miller's arrest and capture.
Miller stood trial for the murders, and was found guilty of six of the seven murders.
