#snowtown murders

[ange1sang]

snowtown (2011), dir. justin kurzel

[infantinplastic]

SNOWTOWN · 2011 +/- Dir. Justin Kurzel

[wenitsiyoh]

[yvnnieurl]

drawings done during econ class insp. by snowtown (2011)

[historybannedonfacebook]

SNOWTOWN MURDERS

1992-1999            SNOWTOWN MURDERS Bodies in the Barrels - Snowtown is in South Australia, Australia. In 1999 there was a gruesome discovery in a disused bank vault. The bodies of 8 victims were found in plastic barrels of acid, along with various tools that had been used to torture the victims. The last murder took place inside the building, the victim was David Johnson, half-brother of James Vlassakis, one of the four to be tried for murder. Vlassakis lured him there. The killers thought it would be a nice quiet place where no one would notice. The fact that Snowtown was such a quiet town is why the bodies were discovered.

Three days later, 2 more bodies turned up in a backyard in the Adelaide surburb of Salisbury North. Altogether, there were 11 murders. Only 4 of the 6 people involved were still alive to stand trial. One, Elizabeth Harvey died of cancer. The other, Thomas Trevilyan, who helped with one of the murders, became a victim himself.

The leader of the group was John Justin Bunting. As a child he enjoyed burning insects alive in acid. Later, he used acid to dissolve human bodies. All of their victims knew their killers. The murderers made about $95,000 by claiming their victims pension money, but Bunting simply enjoyed the killing. He also enjoyed torturing his victims before he killed them.

The others who were tried for the murders was Robert Wagner, Mark Haydon and James Vlassakis, whose mother, Elizabeth Harvey, had helped with one of the murders. Haydon wasn’t convicted of murder, but he did plead guilty for helping to get rid of the bodies.

The bodies in the yard of Bunting’s house in Salisbury North were those of Suzanne Allen, a friend of Buntings, and Ray Davies, a mentally disturbed man who lived in a caravan behind her yard. The killers later alleged that Allen died of a heart attack.

In 1998, Bunting and Wagner killed Mark Haydon’s wife, Elizabeth in her home while her husband was out. Killing her was one of their mistakes, her brother wouldn’t accept Mark Haydon’s excuses for her disappearance and she would never have left without her two children. It was also suspicious that her own husband didn’t report her disappearance. The police kept their eye on the suspects. They even bugged Mark Haydon’s home.

The barrels were moved around to different locations before finally being taken to the Snowtown vault that Haydon rented under the name of Mark Lawrence. Locals were suspcious, anys tranger bringing barrels there to stash in a vault was asking to have it checked out. The police found the bodies later described as something of a nightmare. During the trials, 3 members of the jury were so sickened that they had to drop out. The trials went from 2001 to 2004. Vlassakis pleaded guilty to 4 murders and received a life sentence. In 2003, Bunting was convicted of 11 murders and Wagner of 7. The judge sentenced them to imprisonment for life and never to be released. After the discovery of the barrels, there were tourists who were interested in the crimes. People wanted to go to Snowtown to see where the bodies had been kept. Some wanted to even take a sniff at the bank vault, and others took photos. The house in Salisbury North was knocked down.

(Sue Bursztyneki)

[scansfrommagazinesandbooks]

[fanofspooky]

Horror movies from around the world:

AUSTRALIA

[cemyafilmarsiv]

The Snowtown Murders directed by Justin Kurzel

[splatteronmywalls]

[thatbitchsimone]

I need some disturbing and jaw dropping films recs please

martyrs (the original french one obvi)

the golden glove

dumplings

funny games (i like the US version bc i like michael pitt lol but the german version and the US version are pretty much identical. shot for shot remake, so u can just pick either one. no reason to watch both bc its the exact same movie just different language and actors)

salo (obviously)

cutting moments (its a short tho. i just randomly remembered it)

antichrist

the house that jack built

the snowtown murders

excision (its funny as well)

happiness (ok this one is really funny like yes its bleak and deeply disturbing but come on theres comedy gold in there dont tell me there isnt)

gummo

those are the ones that came to mind like ofc some very fucked up extreme movies that i didnt mention came to mind as well but i chose to give u the ones that are actually rly good

[missmcspooks]

THE CHILLING CASE OF THE SNOWTOWN MURDERS

In 1999, Snowtown in South Australia became labeled as the location of where the remains of eight bodies were found. All the remains were found inside barrels of acid, located inside an abandoned bank vault. Even though most of the bodies were all found in Snowtown, only one murder happened there. All other victims were killed around the outer northern suburbs of Adelaide, and none of the four perpetrators were locals from Snowtown either. There were twelve victims in total.

The motives for the murders remain unclear, but it seems as though the group's ringleader, John Justin Bunting, made them believe that the victims they were targeting were either pedophiles, homosexuals, or anyone who appeared to seem “weak.” He also chose his victims due to things he hated, such as drug users, or people who were obese. Some victims were killed quickly, while others were tortured and degraded. The killers also made an effort to take the victims' identities to have access to their bank accounts and social security payments. The murders took place between August of 1992, up until they were apprehended in May of 1999. 

THE PERPETRATORS

John Justin Bunting: (born September 4th, 1966). The ring leader. When he was eight, he was beaten and sexually assaulted by a friend's older brother. This led to his hatred towards homosexuals and why he felt to take matters into his own hands regarding anyone who he suspected as being a pedophile. He also enjoyed weaponry, photography and anatomy. At age 22, Bunting worked at an abattoir, and reportedly bragged about slaughtering the animals, and how much he enjoyed it. In 1991, Bunting then moved to a house in Salisbury North, South Australia, and befriended his neighbors, Mark Haydon and Robert Wagner. 

A forensic psychiatrist, Professor Kevin Howellsat, believed that his behavior suggested he lacked emotion and the capacity to empathize with his victims. It showed that he was a psychopath who felt great satisfaction from controlling his victims. His victims were forced to call him ‘God’, 'Master', 'Chief Inspector' and 'Lord Sir'. During the murders, he had fashioned a "rock spider wall" on a wall of a spare room in his house. He created a chart by using paper notes and wool, and on that chart was an interconnected web of names of people that he suspected to be homosexuals or pedophiles. He would select a name from the wall then call and threaten the person, insinuating they were pedophiles, and claimed that they "would get what's coming to them".

Bunting was convicted of committing 11 murders, and was sentenced to 11 life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Robert Joe Wagner: (born November 28th, 1971). There’s not a lot to report on Wagner, besides the fact that he was befriended by Bunting in 1991, and was convinced to assist in the murders. He only confessed to killing three people, but was convicted of killing 10, and was sentenced to 10 life sentences without the possibility of parole.

James “Jamie” Spyridon Vlassakis: (born December 24th, 1979). James, along with his mother and half-brother, Troy Youde, lived with Bunting, and overtime was convinced to assist in the murders. Yes, Vlassakis helped torture and murder his own half-brother, along with his stepbrother, David Johnson. He confessed to four murders, including the murder of his half-brother and stepbrother, and became a key witness for the Crown (public prosecutors to the legal system of Australia). Evidence, along with the details he provided, helped convict Bunting and Wagner. He was sentenced to a minimum of 26, and was held in isolation in an unidentified South Australia prison. Vlassakkis mother, Elizabeth Harvey, also knew about the murders, and with encouragement from Bunting, she even assisted in one of them. However, once everyone was taken into custody, she passed away from cancer.

Mark Ray Haydon: (born December 4th, 1958). Haydon was an associate of Bunting, and was initially the subject of "suppression orders or statutory provisions prohibiting publication” and thus could not be identified as anything other than an alleged perpetrator. In January of 1999, he reportedly rented the abandoned state bank building in Snowtown. The jury deadlocked on the murders of Haydon's wife, Elizabeth Haydon, along with Troy Youde. The murder charges were not retried when Haydon pleaded guilty to helping the serial killers dispose of the bodies of Elizabeth and Youde.

Haydon only confessed to assisting with disposing of two bodies, but was convicted of five, and was sentenced to 25 years with a minimum of 18 years before being eligible for parole. 

THE VICTIMS

Clinton Douglas Trezise (20): His body was found buried in a shallow grave at Lower Light, north of Adelaide, in 1994. He was bashed in the head with a hammer by Bunting, after being invited inside for a social event. Once inside, he accused him of being a pedophile. 

Ray Allan Peter Davies (26): He was an intellectually disabled man, who in 1993 had an intimate relationship with Bunting's ex-girlfriend, Suzanne Allen. Suzanne’s grandsons alleged that Davies had made sexual advances towards them, which ended his relationship with Suzanne. Bunting later admitted to Vlassakis that he had killed Davies on December 25th, 1995. He explained how Vlassakis's own mother and Bunting's wife, Elizabeth Harvey, had stabbed Davies in the leg, right before Wagner strangled him to unconsciousness with a jumper cable. In court testimony, Vlassakis stated that, according to Bunting's story, Bunting and Wagner loaded Davies’ unconscious body into the trunk of a car, and had driven 90 minutes to a home in the town of Bakara. Then they threw his body into a bathtub, and proceeded to bash him in the genitals with the end of a pole which resulted in his death. On May 26, 1999, the body of Davies was found in a grave filled in by Bunting and Wagner with bricks, soil and concrete on property previously occupied by Bunting in Salisbury. 

Suzanne Allen (47): Was found buried at Bunting's house, and wrapped in eleven different plastic bags. Her death was concealed by Bunting and he continued to collect her pension, claiming a total of $17,000. Bunting claimed she had died of a heart attack although law enforcement suspect that she was murdered when her relationship with Bunting deteriorated. Murder charges regarding the death of Allen were eventually dropped by the prosecution due to lack of evidence and the perpetrators were tried but not found guilty as a result of a hung jury. Her case was never tried again.

Michelle Gardiner (19): She was a transexual, who was also the cousin of Wagner’s wife. She was very open about who she was, and Bunting hated this behavior and labeled her as “the biggest homo.” Right before her disappearance in 1977, she was outside playing with Wagner's children in their front yard, where he witnessed her grabbing one of his children and placing her hand over their mouth. Seeing this, Wagner became filled with rage, and he and Bunting took her to the Murray Bridge, where they strangled her to death, inside of a shed. There they forced her to stand up every time she collapsed. After her death, they staged her home to make it look like she was robbed. They kept her body in a barrel inside the shed, until they moved it to the Snowtown bank vault. Her right ear was covered by a slipknot in a rope that was wrapped around her neck, and her left foot was cut off in order to be able to close the barrel. 

Vanessa Lane (42): She was Wagner’s ex-partner, and was a “pre-op” transgender woman who was in a relationship with Wagner during the time Bunting moved in nextdoor. Bunting was okay with being her friend, simply because she kept him updated about the pedophiles around the area. However, when she was accused of sexually assaulting a local boy, he became enraged. The couple then broke up. She was tortured to death for information regarding her bank accounts, and then was strangled to death after having her toes crushed by a pair of pliers. Bunting took control of her vehicle and collected her welfare payments. Her body was found dismembered and put into a barrel in the Snowtown bank vault. 

Thomas Eugenio Trevilyan (18): Vanessa Lane’s last partner who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and hallucinations, which led him to believe that he was a soldier, so he always wore army clothes. From April to October 1997, Trevilyan lived with Vanessa for five months, and helped Bunting and Wagner kill her. On November 4th, 1997, Wagner's girlfriend's son was playing with a dog when Trevilyan began chasing it in an attempt to kill the animal with his knife. He was stopped but that afternoon Bunting told others that Trevilyan had started to "go mental" and that he would be a liability to them. On November 5th, Trevilyan was then driven to Kersbrook in the Adelaide Hills, by Bunting and Wagner. He was forced to lean against a box and had a noose put over his neck. He was discovered hanging from a tree in Humbug Scrub the next day. Due to his history of prior suicide attempts, the coroner determined that he had killed himself

Gavin Allan Porter (29): Was a diagnosed schizophrenic who spent many years in mental institutions, and who was also Vlassakis friend. Both Porter and Vlassaki were heroin addicts, and Bunting referred to Porter as “a waste,” and after accidentally being pricked by a syringe that was left on the couch, he decided Porter would be their next victim. Porter was sleeping in his parked car on Bunting's property when Bunting and Wagner attacked him. When Porter woke up, he managed to stab Bunting in the hand with a screwdriver before being overpowered and strangled. Porter's body was displayed to Vlassakis before disposing of it into a barrel.

Troy Youde (21): He was the half-brother of Vlassakis. Vlassakis had earlier confided in Bunting that Youde exually abused him when he was 13. Bunting and Wagner woke up Vlassakis while he was sleeping in his bed and told him they were going to murder Youde. They beat Youde while he was asleep in bed and then Vlassakis handcuffed him while the others tied him up. They then dragged him out of bed and forced him into the bathroom, where they beat him once more and demanded his financial information. Bunting used pliers to crush Youde's toes as he coaxed him to repeat a string of numbers, words, and sentences that he had recorded. He was then strangled to death. Bunting created messages from Youde and afterwards from subsequent victims to inform friends that they would be going away using the recordings.

Frederick “Fred” Robert Brooks (18): Was the son of Jodie Elliott who was the sister of Haydon's wife. Bunting became obsessed with the idea that Brooks was "touching up" young girls and repeatedly told others that something had to "happen" to him. In September 1998, Brooks was notified that he had been accepted into the Australian Air Force Cadets, and was invited to join Bunting, Wagner and Vlassakis at a party. The three of them tortured him in a bathtub and was handcuffed and thumb cuffed. They inserted lit cigarettes into his ears and his nostrils, and a lit sparkler was shoved up into his urethra. He was then forced to speak into a recording device, giving up his banking information. A syringe was used to inject bleach into his testicles, which were wired to a Variac, sending electrical surges through his body. His toes were also crushed by pliers before he choked to death on his gag.

Gary O’Dwyer (29): He was Buntings neighbor and was both physically and mentally disabled, and was repeatedly called a “fag” by Bunting. Vlassaki informed Bunting of O’Dwyers financial situation and whether he had family or not. He was informed of O’dwyers disability benefits, which made him a financial target. The two, along with Wagner, invited him over for a social gathering to have drinks. They got O’Dwyer drunk, and Wagner grabbed him around his throat and proceeded to torture him for several hours. His remains, like many others, were placed inside of a barrel. 

Elizabeth Haydon (37): She was Mark Haydon's wife and Frederick Brooks's aunt. Bunting was informed by Haydon that he had informed his wife about the murders. Bunting detested Elizabeth and warned Vlassakis that she was an issue due to being aware of the murders. Wagner had similar feelings about Elizabeth, considering Haydon's wife to be “a whore” and “a low-life.” On November 21, 1998, Bunting and Wagner arrived at her home, and her husband and children had gone out for the night. She was dragged to her bathroom, tortured, and then killed. A rope was left around her neck, and a gag had been taped into her mouth. Allegedly, later that day, when her husband was shown her remains, he laughed. Elizabeth's body was then placed in a barrel.

David Johnson (24): He was Vlassakis stepbrother. . Bunting didn’t like Johnson because he was fastidious with his cleanliness and appearance and Bunting consistently referred to him as a "yuppie,” and a "faggot". Bunting began talking about "getting" Johnson and suggested that Vlassakis find a way to get him to the bank vault in Snowtown. On May 9, 1999, Vlassakis told Johnson that there was a computer for sale in Snowtown, and he agreed to go with him to buy it. He was overpowered as soon as he entered the building. Johnson was the only victim who died in Snowtown. Additionally, a piece of flesh from Johnson was fried and eaten by Bunting and Wagner.

[pink-evilette]

Most depressing movie you've ever seen?

I've got a few so here's a short list:

the snowtown murders ~ based on true events that happened in Australia, a teen boy is lured into the trap of a charismatic serial killer who is dating his mother, the killer and his gang targeted suspected p3dos in the small town. the film was shot in a very natural way so it feels more real, and there's a really disturbing scene that happens in a bathtub...

martyrs ~ nothing happy in this one, very bleak and depressing, the two main characters suffer horrific fates 💔 definitely not for the faint of heart

the piano teacher ~ erika kohut is a piano teacher who lives with her overprotective mother and is forbidden to engage in any relationships, or to focus on anything other than her piano. she meets a young man who pursues a relationship with her but his obsessive nature and erika's fear of intimacy turn the innocent infatuation into something more sinister...tw for r4pe in this one

I watch a lot of bleak movies so there's definitely more I can list when I think of them ♡

[scumgristle]

from the director of Snowtown

[qnewsau]

Snowtown: the victims of the bodies in the barrels murders

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/snowtown-the-victims-of-the-bodies-in-the-barrels-murders/

Snowtown: the victims of the bodies in the barrels murders

At the close of the twentieth century, Australia grappled with the Snowtown murders, a series of homicides otherwise known as ‘the bodies in the barrels’ murders.

Twelve people were killed by the Snowtown murderers. One of them was young trans woman Michelle Gardiner. Michelle’s landlady Nicole Zuritta returned home from a holiday in 1997 to find Michelle gone and her house ransacked.

In a report for the ABC, Rebecca Brice and James Wakelin spoke with Nicole Zuritta about her former tenant and cherished friend.

The Snowtown Murders

Police eventually found the remains of eight of the twelve victims in barrels in an unused Snowtown bank vault leading to papers dubbing the crime – the bodies in the barrels murders.  The victims often suffered cruel deaths involving torture and mutilation.

No clear motive even emerged for the crimes. Some of the killers later justified the killings as punishment for pedophilia, homosexuality, obesity, and other ‘crimes’. However, evidence showed the gangleader chose victims at random or based on a personal dislike.

Trans woman, Michelle Gardiner, had the misfortune to board at the house of a relative of one of the killers.

When Nicole Zuritta returned home from a holiday in 1997, she found her home ransacked and Michelle gone. She knew Michelle planned to move soon but never for a moment believed her friend would leave without telling her — or rob her.

As she cleaned up, she found a wallet under the bed in Michelle’s room.

“It had a note in it and it said, ‘I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to be my true self without judgement. I’ll forever be your friend’.”

More than two decades later, Nicole remembered why she valued her friendship with Michelle so highly.

“We all look for people that are kind and generous and [Michelle] was all of that and then some.

“[She] just had a beautiful soul, very joyful and wanting to please.

“What I liked most about [her] was that [she] was being true to [herself].”

More True Crime

Vintage Gay Panic Defence – The Cooyar Tragedy.

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[mediamixs]

How are horror movies based on real events made?

Horror movies based on real events are often inspired by true stories, but filmmakers take creative liberties for entertainment purposes. They may draw from real-life incidents, crimes, or urban legends, then adapt and embellish these stories to create compelling narratives for the screen. The process involves researching the original events, understanding the core elements that make them frightening, and then crafting a cinematic story that captures the essence of the real-life horror while adding dramatic elements to enhance the scare factor. Filmmakers may also consult with experts, survivors, or individuals connected to the events to ensure some level of authenticity while still delivering a captivating and chilling cinematic experience.

Some examples of horror movies based on real events include:

"The Conjuring," which was inspired by the real-life Perron family.

"The Girl Next Door" (2007), based on real-life events, showcasing a disturbing story.

"The Exorcist" (1973), which draws from the real-life case of a boy named Roland Doe.

"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974), inspired by the notorious murderer Ed Gein.

"Jaws," based on the exploits of shark fisherman Frank Mundus.

"The Strangers," influenced by real-life home invasion incidents like the Manson family murders and the Keddie cabin murders.

"The Possession" (2012), revolving around the haunted dybbuk box story with real reported phenomena.

"The Amityville Horror", A "Nightmare on Elm Street", "Annabelle", and "The Exorcism of Emily Rose", all drawing from various real-life stories.

Some lesser-known horror movies based on real events include:

"The Girl Next Door" (2007) - Based on the real-life torture and murder of Sylvia Likens.

"Snowtown Murders" - Based on the real-life murders committed by John Bunting and his accomplices in Snowtown, Australia.

"The Sacrament" - Loosely based on the Jonestown Massacre.

"Devil's Pass" (2013) - Loosely based on the real-life Dyatlov Pass incident.

"Compliance" - The details are about 90% accurate to a real-life incident involving a prank call to a fast food restaurant.

"Hounds of Love" - Based on an unhinged couple that abducted and tortured a teenager in Australia.

"Jeepers Creepers" - The beginning, seeing someone drop a body down a drain pipe and the car chase, is based on a real story from Michigan.

The investigations highlight that while many well-known horror movies are based on real events, there are also several lesser-known titles that draw inspiration from obscure or local true crime stories.