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{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{For|the film based on the murders|Snowtown (film)}}
{{Infobox serial killer
| name        = Snowtown murders
| image       =
| image_size  = 
| caption     =
| alias       =
| death_date  =
| cause       =
| victims     = 11
| country     = Australia
| states      = South Australia
| beginyear   = August 1992
| endyear     = May 1999
| apprehended = 21 May 1999
}}
The '''Snowtown murders''' (also known as the '''Bodies-in-Barrels murders'''<ref name="haydon trial"/>) were a series of [[homicide]]s committed by John Bunting, Robert Wagner, and James Vlassakis between August 1992 and May 1999 in South Australia.<ref name="Newton2006"/> A fourth person, Mark Haydon, was convicted for helping to dispose of the bodies. Only one of the victims was killed in [[Snowtown, South Australia|Snowtown]], and neither the eleven victims nor the perpetrators were from the town. 

It is believed that the killers' motives for some of the murders were that they believed the victims to be [[pedophile]]s, [[homosexual]]s or "weak".<ref name="Newton2006"/> The murders were frequently preceded by torture.<ref name="Newton2006"/>

The notoriety of the murders led to a short-term economic boost from tourists visiting Snowtown,<ref name="Newton2006">{{cite book|last=Newton|first=Michael|title=The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DwNVbOcTncwC&pg=PA243|accessdate=18 January 2014|date=2006-01-01|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=9780816069873|pages=243–}}</ref> but created a lasting stigma.<ref name="local reaction"/>

==Investigation and charges==
John Bunting moved to a house in [[Salisbury North, South Australia|Salisbury North]] in 1991. There he befriended his neighbors Mark Haydon, Robert Wagner and his girlfriend Vanessa Laney.<ref name="gruesome trail"/> At the time of the arrest, James Vlassakis lived in Bunting's home.<ref name="Newton2006"/>

The body of Clinton Trezise was found near [[Adelaide]] in 1995.<ref name="Newton2006"/>

On May 20, 1999, the remains of eight victims were found by the [[South Australian Police]] in six plastic barrels in an unused bank vault in Snowtown.<ref name="sentencing"/> It is believed that the bodies had been held in several locations in South Australia before being moved to Snowtown in early 1999. Prosecutors believe that the killers moved the bodies after they became aware of the ongoing police investigation. Two more bodies were found buried in the backyard of Bunting's house in Adelaide.<ref name="sentencing"/>

Bunting, Wagner, Vlassakis and Haydon were arrested and charged in May 1999.<ref name="Newton2006"/>

==Trials and Verdicts==
The trial of Bunting and Wagner, lasting almost twelve months, was the longest in the history of the state. In December 2003,<ref name="lateline">{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2003/s941664.htm|title=Lateline - 08/09/2003: Snowtown killers likely to die in jail . Australian Broadcasting Corp|last=Tony Hull|date=08/09/2003|work=[[ABC Online]]|accessdate=11 January 2014}}</ref> Bunting was convicted of committing 11 murders,<ref name="sentencing">{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/09/08/1062901997392.html|title=Sadists get life - National - www.theage.com.au|work=[[The Age]]|accessdate=11 January 2014}}</ref> and Wagner was convicted of 10 murders, of which he had confessed to three.<ref name="sentencing"/> Vlassakis pleaded guilty to four of the murders.<ref name="sentencing"/> In 2004, Haydon was convicted on five counts of assisting with the murders (of which he admitted to two).<ref name="haydon trial">{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Bodiesinbarrels-trial-not-over/2004/12/19/1103391631199.html|title=Bodies-in-barrels trial not over|last=AAP|date=December 19, 2004|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|accessdate=11 January 2014}}</ref><ref name="suppression lifted">{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2005-09-19/snowtown-killers-cooked-victims-flesh/2106732|title=Snowtown killers 'cooked victim's flesh' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)|date=19 Sep 2005|work=[[ABC Online]]|accessdate=11 January 2014}}</ref> The jury did not come to a decision on charges of committing murder or a sixth charge of assisting, with the prosecution stating they would seek a retrial on those charges.<ref name="haydon trial"/>

The final outstanding murder charge of Suzanne Allen against Bunting and  Wagner was dropped on 7 May 2007, when a jury was unable to reach a verdict.<ref>{{cite news | title=Final Snowtown murder charge dropped | date=8 May 2007 | url =http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200705/s1916012.htm | publisher =ABC News }}</ref>

At his sentencing, Wagner stated from the dock:<blockquote>"Pedophiles were doing terrible things to children. The authorities didn't do anything about it. I decided to take action. I took that action. Thank you."<ref name="lateline">[http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2003/s978149.htm Snowtown murderers get life], ''[[Lateline]]'', 29 October 2003</ref></blockquote>

The court decided that Bunting was the ringleader, and sentenced him to 11 consecutive terms of life imprisonment without the possibility of release on parole. Wagner was sentenced to 10 consecutive terms under the same conditions. Vlassakis was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences with a non-parole period of 26 years and Haydon was sentenced to 25 years with no possibility of parole for 8 years.

More than 250 suppression orders prevented publication of the details of this case. In early 2011, a judge lifted the remaining orders in response to a request by the producers of the film [[Snowtown (film)|''Snowtown'']], a dramatisation depicting the murders and the events leading up to them.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.news.com.au/national/snowtown-suppression-orders-lifted-for-film/story-e6frfkvr-1225991954297 | agency=Australian Associated Press | title=Snowtown suppression orders lifted for film | date=20 January 2011}}</ref>

==Perpetrators==
* '''John Justin Bunting''' (born 1966 in [[Inala, Queensland]]) was convicted of murdering 11 people and was found to be the leader of the perpetrators. Forensic psychiatrist Professor Kevin Howells, who worked at [[Broadmoor Hospital]] in [[Berkshire]], [[England]], suggested that Bunting's behavior lacked emotion and the capacity to empathise with his victims.<ref>http://www.smh.com.au/cgi-bin/common/popupPrintArticle.pl?path=/articles/2003/09/08/1062901998339.html</ref> Howells observed that Bunting fit the profile of a [[psychopath]]ic killer who derived satisfaction from controlling his victims. When Bunting was young, his favorite pastime was burning insects in acid. During his teenage years he began to associate with [[Neo-Nazi]] groups. In adulthood, Bunting developed a deep hatred of pedophiles and homosexuals, and drew no distinction between the two. According to records, a friend’s elder brother sexually assaulted Bunting at the age of 8, and he therefore targeted those who reminded him of this abuse. Bunting began killing at the age of 25, and the men he chose to assist him were either mentally-challenged individuals he could easily manipulate, or relatives of those working with him.<ref>{{cite document|url=http://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/Psyc%20405/serial%20killers/Bunting,%20John%20Justin.pdf|title=John Justin Bunting|last=Heckle, Drum & Gravitt, n.d|accessdate=22 January 2014}}
</ref>  
* '''Robert Joe Wagner''' was befriended by Bunting in 1991. Bunting encouraged him to assist him in the various murders.<ref name="gruesome trail">{{cite news | title=Gruesome trail of killing| date=9 September 2003| url =http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/09/08/1062901996929.html | work =[[The Age]]| location=Melbourne}}</ref>

==Community impact==
''[[The Age]]'' reported in 2011 that the town of Snowtown would be "forever stigmatised" by its relationship to the murders.<ref name="local reaction"/> Shortly after the discovery of the bodies in Snowtown, the community discussed changing the town's name to "Rosetown," but no further actions were taken.<ref name="local reaction">[http://www.theage.com.au/national/snowtown-living-with-a-death-penalty-20110506-1ec90.html Snowtown: Living with a death penalty] [[The Age]] 7 May 2011</ref> As of 2012, one shop in Snowtown was selling souvenirs of the murders "cashing in on Snowtown's unfortunate notoriety".<ref>[http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/tourists-snap-up-souvenirs-of-snowtowns-past/story-e6frea6u-1226426179414 Tourists snap up souvenirs of Snowtown's past] [[The Advertiser (Adelaide)|The Advertiser]] 15 July 2012</ref>

The house in Salisbury North where Bunting lived and buried two bodies was demolished by its owner, the [[South Australian Housing Trust]].<ref name="gruesome trail"/>

The bank, with a four-bedroom attached house, was placed on auction in February 2012 but only reached half its reserve price of $200,000.<ref>[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/if-walls-could-talk/story-e6frg8h6-1226408038997 If walls could talk] [[The Australian]] 30 June 2012</ref> After holding an open house which raised $700 for charity through charging an entrance fee, the property sold on 27 September for just over $185,000 with the new owners intending to live in the house while running a business from the bank. A plaque will be installed to commemorate the victims.<ref>[http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/realestate/snowtown-bank-sells-for-185000/story-fnczhk65-1226460960604 THE infamous Snowtown Bank has sold] [[The Advertiser (Adelaide)|The Advertiser]] 29 August 2012</ref><ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/national/snowtown-bank-sold-20120928-26rbe.html Snowtown bank sold] [[The Age]] 29 September 2012</ref>

==In media and popular culture==

A film, ''[[Snowtown (film)|Snowtown]]'', regarding the life of John Bunting was released in Australia on 19 May 2011.<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1680114/</ref>

A number of books have been written about the murders.<ref>
*''Snowtown Murders: The Real Story Behind the Bodies in the Barrels Killings'', Andrew McGarry, {{ISBN|0-7333-1482-1}}
*''Snowtown: The Bodies In Barrels Murders: The Grisly Story of Australia's Worst Serial Killings'',  Jeremy Pudney, {{ISBN|0-7322-6716-1}}
*''All Things Bright And Beautiful: Murder In The City Of Light'', Susan Mitchell, {{ISBN|1-4050-3610-9}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Crime Investigation Australia (TV series)]]
* [[List of serial killers by country]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links ==
'''News articles:'''
* {{cite news | title=The victims | date=9 September 2003 | work=The Age | url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/09/08/1062901996932.html | location=Melbourne}}

{{Snowtown murders}}
{{Australian crime}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2013}}

[[:Category:Snowtown murders]]
[[:Category:1992 in Australia]]
[[:Category:Murder in 1992]]
[[:Category:Australian serial killers]]
[[:Category:Australian cannibals]]
[[:Category:History of South Australia]]
[[:Category:Murder in South Australia]]
[[:Category:People murdered in South Australia]]