The Family murders
Five young men are taken from the streets of Adelaide, drugged, held prisoner for days, some weeks, subjected to agonising and prolonged sexual torture then brutally murdered.
These horrific crimes sent fear through the nation between 1979 and 1983. The perpetrators became known as The Family and were said to be a group of close-knit men who were supposedly pillars of society in highpowered positions.
An Eastern Suburbs businessman, a prominent physician and members of the legal community were among the suspects of the crimes against these boys,b most t of fh whom were in their teens.
The final victim, Richard Kelvin, 15, drew more attention to the case as he was the son of popular Nine newsreader, Rob Kelvin. Richard had been abducted right near his home. He was held for five weeks and subjected to the most unspeakable degradations and sexual torture.
Despite police believing a possible 12 people – several high-profile Australians – were involved in the crimes, four of the five murders remain unsolved.
Only one suspect has been convicted of Richard Kelvin’s murder – Bevan Spencer von Einem, an Adelaide accountant.