Australia Australia - Joanne Ratcliffe, 11, & Kirste Gordon, 4, Adelaide, 25 Aug1973

[Markybug]

anyone else think this is the same person who took the beumont kids

it does seem likely.

Arthur brown seems to be the likely suspect?

 

[worldwatcher]

News article about Jane, Arnna, and Grant Beaumont,Judith and Susan Mackay,Joanne Ratcliffe and
Kirste Gordon.

New lead in iconic Australia Day abduction

 

[ad rem]

Suzie likes my idea of a statue of Joanne holding Kirste in her arms. She just doesn't think it should be at Adelaide Oval.

Really?

 

[Paul B.]

I suggested the idea of a statue of the girls on her FB group some time back, She likes the idea of a statue itself but thinks it would be too painful if it were at the Oval.

 

[Gypsy Dreams]

Quite a few editions of Melbournes newspaper of record, The Age have been digitised and are available at the Google newspaper archive.
Someone theorised an accomplice? How about this explosive front page article from The Age, August 27, 1973.
The Age - Google News Archive Search

The bit that really stands out is the third paragraph. "Police want to interview a man dressed as a woman who was seen at Adelaide Oval on Saturday".
Does anyone know or recall more about this startling tidbit?

There are some answers in this book (now available on Amazon /kindle and Booktopia)

 

[Clair Louise]

There are some answers in this book (now available on Amazon /kindle and Booktopia)

Well, theories.

 

[BluezCluez]

There are some answers in this book (now available on Amazon /kindle and Booktopia)

This is an awesom read - Ive got mine on Kindle! So well reasearched, absolutely mind boggling to think Millhouse walked and BSVE has never been convicted of any other crime.
If you haven’t got a copy - grab one! Highly recommended.

 

[BluezCluez]

Well, theories.

Its a well researched book which has been 20 years in the making and based on factual evidence/connections/events.

Grab a copy on Kindle - you won’t regret it.

 

[BluezCluez]

Does anyone know why there isnt a Family Murders thread to relate back to this book above? Extremely interesting cases, Im exceptionally suprised it doesn’t have a thread..any admins out there that can make this happen?

 

[CastlesBurning]

https://www.newidea.com.au/missing-kids-joanne-ratcliffe-kirste-gordon

https://www..au/adelaide-oval-abduction/

 

[imstilla.grandma]

No Cookies | The Advertiser

 

[Anonjp]

Did anyone ever look into the 2 wells? I don't want to sound like a crazy person. But when I read about that tip I got a wave of goosebumps, and even teared up. Sounds like the police just dismissed it.

 

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The Advertiser
adelaidenow(dot)com(dot)au
No Cookies | The Advertiser

Man claims he saw Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon loaded into van at a boarding house after their disappearance from Adelaide Oval
DETECTIVES are investigating claims that Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon were loaded into a van at a Prospect boarding house soon after disappearing from Adelaide Oval 40 years ago.

CRAIG COOK
August 31, 2013 - 10:01PM
Sunday Mail (SA)

MAJOR Crimes detectives are investigating claims that Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon were loaded into the back of a van at a Prospect boarding house soon after disappearing from Adelaide Oval 40 years ago.

Prospect man Robert McMahon, 73, approached the Sunday Mail during the week claiming he saw the girls at a Vine St boarding house on the day they were supposedly abducted from the 1973 SANFL match between Norwood and North Adelaide.

He said the girls were accompanied by a man known as 'Scotty' with whom he shared the boarding house.

He said Scotty, who claimed the girls were his grandchildren, paraded the pair in front of his housemates before taking them outside and ordering them into a cream-white van parked in a laneway at the back of the boarding house.

Mr McMahon said he was so disturbed by the incident he drew pictures that night of what he claims he saw and wrote a letter detailing what happened at the property on August 25, 1973.

The artist said he kept the sketches and letter in a box before later placing them in a sealed envelope.

He opened the envelope in front of the Sunday Mail this week and produced sketches that appear to be accurate portrayals of Joanne, 11, and Kirste, 4.

There are also drawings of Scotty and a cream white van along with two scribbled notes.

Major Crime detectives collected the documents on Friday and intend to interview Mr McMahon this week.

Mr McMahon claims that late on the afternoon of August 25, 1973 he was sitting in his room watching a VFA football match on TV when he "heard a racket" out the back of the house.

"I went to check and there was one of the borders coming in and he had two children with him," he said.

"He had the little one under his right arm and the other one was ahead of him.

"He walked them around in a circle in front of us (four or five men) laughing and joking.

"He said the kids were his grandchildren but when the older one went to speak he told her to 'shut up' and not say anything.

"I can still see the taller girl now as she walked passed me."

"It was all very weird,"

Mr McMahon, who was 33 at the time of the girls' disappearance, went to the kitchen area of the boarding house where he said he watched the man drag the small girl to the back of his van that was parked in a laneway.

"He threw the little one in roughly and motioned to the bigger one to jump in," he said. "He slammed the back door and then locked it.

"It's not the way you treat your grandchildren."

Mr McMahon said he was so concerned he returned to his room and did sketches of the girls, Scotty and the van.

He said he rang police the next day when news broke of the possible abductions.

"When I saw the photos I knew for sure it was those girls that I'd seen." he said.

"But the police said they had hundreds of sightings and would get back to me."

He claimed they never did. He said he rang police a week later and then again around the first anniversary of the abductions with the same result. He said he didn't pursue it further out of frustration.

But he contacted the Sunday Mail this week after reading a story published in the paper last weekend, marking the 40th anniversary of the girls' mysterious disappearance.

Mr McMahon said Scotty - he never knew his real name - did not return to the boarding house and he never saw him again.

He described Scotty as being in his early 40s, with a broad Scottish accent. He said he was about 165cm, had grey receding hair and limped on his right side.

Former Adelaide Oval assistant curator Ken Wohling reportedly saw the back of a man walking with the two girls and noticed he had a 'stoop'.

Mr McMahon, raised in a Catholic orphanage in Geelong, said he was fully aware of the pain and distress his story could cause if he was lying.

"I will tell the same story on my death bed and if I ever get to face my God," he said.

"I have a bit of guilt that I didn't try even harder at the time to get it out but we all have things we have to live with and I did try."

 

[Markybug]

I assume police will be able to date the drawings and letter to when he says he done them ?

 

[ad rem]

There are also drawings of Scotty and a cream white van along with two scribbled notes.

Then, there's the envelope.

 

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"They appealed yesterday for public help in finding a man whose behaviour pattern had suddenly changed."

"They were expected to reduction [sic: expecting the abduction] had not been premeditated [and] the person responsible would now have habits which were irregular, unusual or suspicious."

"This appeal was directed mainly to proprietors of boarding houses, landlords and employers."

 

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On first day after disappearance, police logged 728 calls on a police running sheet that totalled more than 40 pages. By the end of the week this number more than doubled. Within two weeks, 3338 calls had been taken. Previous year, a "unique card index detection system" developed by Scotland Yard had been introduced to SAPOL.

 

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Adelaide Advertiser TV Guide, Saturday, 25.08.1973 (p37)

SATURDAY

ADS7
6PM - News, Sport, Weather

ABS2
5PM - Sporting Round-Up
6PM - Football Stop Press: Results of today's league matches
6:35PM - Football Scoreboard: Results from today's local and interstate football
7PM - News

NWS9
5:30PM - Football Inquest Part One: Final Statistics on today's games
6:00PM - News
6:30PM - Football Inquest Part Two: Comments from league club representatives
9:20PM - League Football Replay: North Adelaide v. Norwood

 

[ad rem]

anyone else think this is the same person who took the beumont kids

In my estimate, no.

Beaumont children (ages: 4, 7, 9) groomed in public. Their groomer(s) planned to return them. Something went wrong.

Kirste (age: 4) taken abruptly in public with Joanne (age: 11) in protest.

 

[DRT]

There was am episode of Under Investigation on Joanne Radcliffe and Kirstue Gordon where they have witnesses and pick 2 suspects. They are Arthur Stanley Brown and Stanley Arthur Hart.

Watch Under Investigation Season 4, Catch Up TV I assume you have to be registered.