NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Claremont serial killer

The Claremont Serial Killer Case is the name given to the murders of two young Australian women and the disappearance of a third in 1996 and 1997.

All three women disappeared from night spots in Claremont, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, approximately 9km from the CBD. They disappeared in similar circumstances, leading police to believe that an unidentified serial killer may be behind the crimes. The Town of Claremont is a Local Government Area of Western Australia. ... City of Perth is situated on Swan River. ... Emblems: Floral - Kangaroo Paw (Anigozanthos manglesii); Mammal - Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus); Bird - Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) Motto: none Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Const. ... A Central business district (CBD) or downtown is a commercial heart of a city. ... Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ...

The case began with the disappearance of Sarah Spiers, 18, in January 1996 from a nightclub in the centre of Claremont. Her disappearance was completely out of character and attracted massive publicity in Perth. 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

Some months later, Jane Rimmer, 23, disappeared from the same part of Claremont. The similarity in the circumstances of her disappearance led many to speculate that a serial killer was at large. Her body was found in bushland in the far southern suburbs of Perth in August 1996.

On March 14, 1997, Ciara Glennon, a 27-year-old lawyer, also disappeared from the Claremont area. Her body was found on April 3, off a track in scrub in the far northern suburbs of Perth. ^[1] With this murder police admitted that they were searching for a serial killer. March 14 is the 73rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (74th in leap years) with 292 days remaining in the year. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. ...

All three women had either gone to a pub called The Continental (since renamed The Red Rock and now known as The Claremont Hotel) and/or a nightclub called Club Bayview.

Possible related case

It has also been suggested by a Perth radio/TV journalist that Sarah Spiers was not the first victim^[2]. He wrote that police have told the father of a fourth missing woman, 22-year-old Julie Cutler, that his daughter was probably the first victim of the Claremont killer.

Ms Cutler, a university student from Fremantle, vanished after leaving a staff function at the Sheraton Hotel in Perth at 9pm one night in 1988.

Her car was found in the surf near the groyne at Cottesloe Beach two days later. Her body has never been found.

Investigation

A public servant from Cottesloe, Western Australia is the prime suspect, though to date no charges have been laid.^[3] It has been reported in the news, via print, radio, television, and online, that police are also investigating the possibility Bradley John Murdoch, the convicted killer of Peter Falconio may have been involved,^[4] although Murdoch was serving a custodial sentence from November 1995 until February 1997. There has also been some scrutiny on former Town of Claremont Mayor Peter Weygers.^[5] Weygers was the mayor during the time of the disappearances. A bureaucrat is a member of a bureaucracy, usually within an institution of the government. ... Cottesloe Beach is a premium metropolitan beach in Perth, Western Australia. ... Bradley Murdoch, police mugshot. ... Peter Falconio and Joanne Lees. ...

The inability to apprehend the culprit is seen as a major embarrassment to the Western Australia Police. The "Macro Task Force" set up to investigate the murders has been disbanded and reformed several times. Public confidence has not been helped with several senior officers being implicated in corruption allegations in the WA Police Royal Commission. Western Australia Police logo. ... The Royal commission into whether there has been corrupt or criminal conduct by any Western Australian Police Officer was a Royal Commission which took place between 2002--2004. ...

In October 2006, it was announced that Mark Dixie, a man on trial in the United Kingdom over the murder in 2005 of the 18-year-old model Sally Anne Bowman, is a prime suspect in the killings, and the WA Police's Macro Taskforce has requested DNA samples from Dixie to test against evidence taken during the enquiry^[6]. Mark Dixie (born 25 September 1970) is a 36 year old chef who has been charged with the murder of 18-year-old model Sally Anne Bowman. ... Mark Dixie (born 25 September 1970) is a 36 year old chef who has been charged with the murder of 18-year-old model Sally Anne Bowman. ...

References

Categories: 1996 in Australia | 1997 in Australia | Australian serial killers | Crime in Western Australia | Unidentified serial killers | Unsolved murders in Australia Australian Story is a weekly biography programme, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, that portrays the lives of significant Australians. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... // Main article: Bushranger Bushrangers were criminals who used the Australian bush as a refuge to hide from authorities between committing their robberies, roughly analogous to the British-American highwayman. Their targets often included small-town banks or coach services. ... Timeline of major crimes in Australia This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... Melbourne, Victoria, Australia has a lower crime rate than Sydney (see Crime in Sydney for details), and it is a reasonably safe city by world standards. ... Northern Territory, Australia The Northern Territory of Australia has the highest level of crime per capita of any state or territory in Australia. ... This article is about Crime in Perth, Western Australia. ... Insert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text here Crime in Sydney has been part of the city since the earliest days as a prison colony. ... There are two broad levels within the hierarchy of Australian courts, the federal level and the state and territory level. ... Australian criminal law refers to the criminal laws of the several jurisdictions in the Commonwealth of Australia. ... Law enforcement in Australia is served by police, sheriffs and bailiffs under the control of state, territory and the Federal governments. ...