True Crime Friday: John Bunting, the Snowtown Murders Serial Killer
John Justin Bunting was born September 4, 1996, in the country of Australia. He was the leader of a gang of serial killers. The murders happen in the city of Adelaide, Australia between the years of 1992-1999. The other moniker for the murders is called The Bodies in the Barrels Murders. Robert Joe Wagner, James Spyridon Vlassakis and Mark Haydon assisted Bunting with the murders and the disposals of the bodies throughout their reign of terror. The gang murdered at least eleven people. The trial was one of the longest and most publicized in Australian legal history.
Authorities found a body in barrel within Snowtown hence the name the Snowtown Murders by the press. It has been noted that only one body was found in Snowtown, which is eighty-seven miles from Adelaide. The victims were not from Snowtown, and neither were the killers. The murders began because John Bunting was sexually molested as a child and obviously was traumatized by the rape. After his rape as a child if he heard of anyone being molested, he would hatch a plan to murder the perpetrators. It did not matter if they were guilty or innocent if he felt they were molesters he would murder them. He hates pedophiles, homosexuals or people he viewed as weak. He hates obese people, drug users or anyone that he felt slighted him. It became pretty cleared that he made up most of these accusations so that he could kill with impunity and steal his victim’s social security payments and wipe out their bank accounts.
The Early Childhood of John Bunting
John Bunting was eight years old he was beaten and sexually assaulted by a friend’s older brother. After his assault he grew to hate pedophiles and homosexuals. He was also known to kill small animals for fun. When Bunting was twenty-two, he moved to a house in Salisbury North where he would become friends with Mark Ray Haydon and Robert Joe Wagner, his future crime partners.The Accomplices of John Bunting
- Robert Joe Wagner
- James Spyridon Vlassakis
- Elizabeth Harvey
- Mark Ray Haydon
- Jodie Elliott
The Less Dead Theory
Unfortunately, most of these victims were not reported as missing since their families and friends were their murderers. The victims that were reported missing were not investigated with urgency because they were in the less dead category. Marginalized communities are considered less dead by authorities because before their deaths they are essentially ignored and devalued by their own communities or members of their neighborhoods. They are generally not missed when they are gone and any investigation into their disappearance is generally lacking in sustained effort by police.The Victims of John Bunting
- Clinton Trezise, 22
- Ray Davies, 26
- Michael Gardiner, 19
- Barry Lane, 42
- Thomas Trevilyan, 18
- Gavin Porter, 29
- Troy Youde, 21
- Frederick Brooks, 18
- Gary O'Dwyer, 29
- Elizabeth Haydon, 37
- David Johnson, 24
Lady Justice
Jodie Elliott was not convicted of any of the murders because it was believed Bunting took advantage of her delayed mental capacity. Elizabeth Harvey died of cancer. John Justin Bunting was sentenced to eleven life sentences and went to prison. Two of the murderers have been released from prison to the dismay of the victims’ families, friends and the public. Mark Ray Haydon was granted parole in February of 2024 for his excellent behavior while in prison. James Spyridon Vlassakis was granted parole in August of 2025.Kevin Howells, a psychiatrist at Broadmoor Hospital in the United Kingdom believed that Bunting's behavior suggested he lacked emotion and the capacity to empathize with his victims. Bunting is a psychopathic killer who derived satisfaction from the act of murder. The murders led to a short-term economic boom from tourists visiting Snowtown. It also created a stigma, because of the grisly murders authorities are considering a change of the town's name and identity. The case has been chronicled in numerous books and films.