The Family Murders Of Adelaide

It’s 1983, and a 15-year-old boy named Richard Kelvin is in a laneway in North Adelaide. He is 50 metres from his beautiful family home.  He has spent that Sunday, June the 5th, playing footy, until the afternoon when his best friend Karl came over. They kicked the footy around. Richard called his girlfriend. And then he walked Karl to the bus stop.  It’s 6:15pm, and the sun is disappearing.  He says to Karl that he doesn’t want to walk back alone. There are surrounding parklands, and he jokes “I might get mugged or something.” Richard is as aware as any other child in Adelaide that the streets aren’t safe at night. Over the last four years, boys have been murdered.  Richard attempts to run home. He wants to call his girlfriend. He must be back in time for dinner. But then a sound echoes through the neighbourhood. Multiple people hear it. The suburb is otherwise quiet, and then there’s a loud cry, as though for help, followed by the screeching of car tires.  Richard is not the first boy to go missing, but he is the most high profile. His father is a famous news presenter, Rob Kelvin.  It will be six weeks and one day before Richard’s boy is found. For most of that time, he was alive. It is a tragedy of unimaginable scale.  He is the fifth murder victim that we know of, ranging in age from 14 to 25.  The people responsible were capable of cruelty beyond what any of us could imagine. And, according to some, they belonged to a much larger network, targeting potentially hundreds of innocent victims.  CREDITS Guest: Debi Marshall Host: Jessie Stephens Producer: Gia Moylan Audio Producer: Ian Camilleri CONTACT US Tell us what you think of the show via email at [email protected]   Join our closed Facebook community to discuss this episode. Just search True Crime Conversations on Facebook or follow this link https://bit.ly/tcc-group  If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Just by reading or listening to our content, you’re helping to fund girls in schools in some of the most disadvantaged countries in the world - through our partnership with Room to Read. We’re currently funding 300 girls in school every day and our aim is to get to 1,000. Find out more about Mamamia at mamamia.com.au Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.