Soccer star murder, death of Dianne Rogan, a murderous car crash: Crimes that shocked Whyalla
From gruesome deaths, child abuse, unsolved disappearances and a fatal car crash turn murder, here’s a look at the crimes that rocked Whyalla.
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From unsolved disappearances, brutal killings, child abuse and a head-on crash that sparked South Australia’s first murder conviction involving a road crash, Whyalla has been rocked by shocking crimes throughout history. Here is a list of some of the regional city’s most notorious cases.
Dad never seen again after chemist meetup
Henry ‘Harry’ Houston had been eagerly awaiting a trip to Darwin with his son Scott in his newly bought car, for a relative’s birthday.
That trip never happened. Instead Mr Houston would become a missing person in one of the state’s most baffling cold cases.
Before he vanished, past recounts say he regularly talked to Scott on the phone, and he was in good spirits after winning $800 at the pokies.
On October 30, 2009, Mr Houston went to the Monarch Pharmacy in the Westlands Shopping Centre – as he did everyday at 9am – to queue for his daily dose of methadone, prescribed for pain relief.
It is believed he was wearing a blue flannelette shirt and brown pants.
Around 11am, he saw Scott before visiting a female friend’s house in Whyalla at midday, where he stayed for about half an hour.
Around 1pm, his distinctive red Toyota 4Runner car was seen in a different driveway in Whyalla.
Detectives believe Mr Houston had known his killer for many years and likely met them at the chemist.
Police seized the car two days later on Sunday, November 1 and after a search, found possessions that belonged to Mr Houston and his son.
“We also know Harry was planning to drive to Port Augusta that day in his car, but it was called off because it was too hot,’’ Sgt Linton said.
Detectives speculated Houston’s body was dumped in scrub near Whyalla, given the 30-minute time frame between his last sighting and the later sighting of the car.
Mr Houston was described as a 168cm tall man with a stocky build, grey/blonde hair, a goatee beard, fair complexion and blue eyes, who often wore a Geelong Football Club baseball cap.
No one has ever been charged in relation to Mr Houston’s disappearance or suspected murder.
A reward of up to $200,000 remains on offer for anyone who provides information leading to a conviction in the case or the recovery of Mr Houston’s remains.
Unsolved service station businessman murder
Businessman Peter Seaford was violently murdered inside his Whyalla unit. His killers have evaded capture making Mr Seaford’s murder one of Whyalla’s heartbreaking mysteries.
On Sunday night, March 12, 1989, the father-of-two left his home to check on his business – a Mobil service station on the corner of Essington Lewis Ave and Elliot St – after the alarm was triggered.
Mr Seaford, 31, arrived to find the front door had been smashed through. But, after realising he didn’t have the keys to the shop, he called his then partner of five years, Anne Marron and asked her to bring a spare set so they could turn off the alarm.
At that point, he became concerned about the cash left at his home, so he went back home then returned to the service station. Shortly after, he went back home again. It’s here that detectives believe he disrupted his killers.
It is alleged between 4 and 4.45am, Mr Seaford was viciously attacked with Major Crime Detective Senior Sergeant John Schneemilch saying he had “quite a lot of defensive wounds on both arms”.
Before falling unconscious, Mr Seaford called the business and spoke to Ms Marron for a few seconds.
“You c …, you c…,’’ Peter said before the phone line fell silent, as recalled by Ms Marron in a 2019 Sunday Mail interview.
She arrived to find her partner lying on the living room floor next to the telephone and the unit left ransacked. He was rushed to hospital but died after sustaining fatal head injuries.
DNA and a homemade balaclava – fashioned from a tracksuit pant leg – were recovered from the scene and police suspected a blunt object was used during the attack, but the murder weapon was never located.
Det Snr Stg Schneemilch said detectives “reasonably assumed” the balaclava was “ripped off in the struggle” which could have been the “catalyst for it being so violent” because Mr Seaford “may have known who the attacker was”.
A review of forensic evidence later uncovered the DNA profile of a male, left on an object at the crime scene.
Detectives believe multiple people were involved and robbery was the motive of the murder after $500 and $1000 was stolen from the home.
In August 2006, police received a “random” and “unique” phone call with crucial details that matched their lines of inquiry, and could help the investigation.
Another anonymous tip was received on February 17, 2019 via the Crime Stoppers website, suggesting the person had knowledge about the murder.
No one has ever been charged in relation to Mr Seaford’s death.
The murder file remains open and a reward of up to $200,000 on offer for information that leads to a conviction in this case.
Head-on-crash turns to murder
Michael Frank Knowles was on a self-destructive path, determined to end his life. Instead, he became the first person in SA history to be convicted of murder involving a road crash when he killed two people on the Lincoln Highway.
In a tragic contrast, friends James Moore, 24, Natasha “Tash” Turnbull, 24, Jason Bristow and Amy Jones were looking forward to the rest of their lives, after spending the perfect summer’s day at Coffin Bay on Sunday, December 28 in 2014.
They looked for fossils, enjoyed a barbecue on the beach, had pizza for dinner, before driving back to Whyalla.
“I’m 37km away, mum”, Ms Turnbull wrote in a text message to her mum, around 12.20am.
At 12.30am Knowles – who was driving along the Lincoln Hwy, less than 18km from Whyalla – collided into Mr Moore’s blue Mitsubishi Pajero.
Ms Turnbull and Mr Moore were instantly killed, while Mr Bristow and Ms Jones sustained serious injuries.
Mr Knowles, then aged 37, admitted to causing the fatal crash but denied he was guilty of murder, despite making a series of Facebook posts hours before the collision, including one posted at 11.22pm that read: “The pain ends now”.
A court heard Knowles had repeatedly told former girlfriend Teri Gelligan he would “neck himself”, chillingly predicting he would carry out the deed by ploughing head-on into a truck.
On December 28, she alerted police to Knowles’ suicidal ideations, after he visited her house numerous times telling a series of cryptic statements before leaving for the last time around 10pm, including, “I want one last hug before I go and do this”.
At trial prosecutor Mark Norman SC said Knowles was angry and depressed after a breaking up with his former girlfriend – who he told, he planned to take his own life by driving into a truck.
Mr Norman told the jury Knowles should be handed a murder charge because he “must have known” driving head-on into another vehicle could cause death or at least serious injury to the people in the car.
Knowles was first charged with two counts of manslaughter and two counts of acts to endanger the lives of Ms Jones and Mr Bristow, however, the Director of Public Prosecutions later upgraded the charges to murder.
Knowles’ lawyer Greg Mead SC lodged an appeal against his conviction, arguing the trial judge failed to adequately direct the jury about intent and how his level of intoxication may have impaired his ability to make conscious decisions.
A Supreme Court jury in Port Augusta sat through five days of evidence. On April 11, 2016 it took less than three hours for the jury to unanimously find Knowles guilty of the murders of Mr Moore and Ms Turnbull.
He is serving a mandatory life prison term with a minimum 20 years to serve before being eligible for parole. He will be approaching 60 years old when he is eligible to apply for release.
Soccer star to cold case murder victim
At 16 years old, Lancelot Newchurch was a rising soccer star, well-known to the Whyalla community as ‘Buddy”.
He trained to become a skilful left footer and midfield-striker, making his mark during his time with Whyalla club teams, Croatia and Wanderers.
Believing in his talent, the Whyalla community came together to raise $1071, so he could travel to London for a three-month trial with Chelsea Football Club, after he was scouted by the club’s then-assistant manager Ron Stuart.
By October 1971, the shy Aboriginal teenager returned to Australia. He later got married and had two children.
On the night of Tuesday, November 9, 1982, Mr Newchurch, aged 27, would become widely known for something other than his trailblazing soccer skills. He joined the list of Whyalla’s – and South Australia’s – most widely reported unsolved cold case murders.
Around 11.20pm outside Westlands Hotel located on McDouall Stuart Ave, Mr Newchurch was viciously assaulted by two men.
Armed with what appeared to be sticks and bars, the men senselessly beat and kicked all over his body. A broken bottle was also found at the scene, but it’s unclear if it was used in the assault.
He was rushed to the Whyalla Hospital as he bled profusely from head injuries but upon arriving, he was pronounced deceased.
Despite two people – one of which later died by suicide – being charged with the murder, no one has ever faced trial. No one is currently charged with his death.
A street in Whyalla, Buddy Newchurch Place was later named in his honour.
Mr Newchurch’s brutal murder remains a cold case with a reward of up to $200,000 remains for anyone who provides information leading to a conviction in the case.
Backyard killing of popular mum
Dianne Rogan was the rock of her family, as described by her husband of 34 years Kevin Rogan, with whom she shared two children.
Others remembered her as a vibrant and popular member of the Whyalla community, before she was brutally killed.
Mr Rogan and their son Jack were holidaying in England, when they received the devastating phone call that Ms Rogan – who stayed home with their family dog, Cookie – was found dead at their Sharp St home on July 12, 2013.
Their daughter found her lying naked on the floor in a pool of her own blood, after being brutally bashed.
Ms Rogan, then aged 52, had wounds on her neck and back, which were likely consistent with a plastic chair found at the crime scene. An autopsy determined her cause of death was blunt chest trauma, causing multiple rib and sternum fractures.
Following an investigation, Bevan John Brougham’s blood was found on the spa and his DNA on plastic wine glasses found in the backyard.
A piece of Brougham’s flesh was also found in her teeth, which matched a piece missing from the bottom of his foot. He had cuts to his right hand and an eye injury – left from a piece of white plastic lodged in his eye, consistent with the plastic chair.
Brougham initially told police he went straight home in a taxi after visiting his parents house – who lived next door – around 7pm. He also told police Ms Rogan took him home around 8.30pm, but eventually admitted to visiting the Rogan’s household and being turned down for sex.
During the trial, the court heard Ms Rogan had been drinking wine in the spa with Brougham the night before she was killed.
The court later heard Brougham dealt blows with his fist before attacking her with a plastic garden chair, after she attempted to escape the violent attack.
Brougham claimed the pair had fought after he announced that he wanted to end their relationship, so he could pursue a Filipino bride. However, he couldn’t explain why never called an ambulance.
His lawyer Marie Shaw admitted her client was present at the time of Ms Rogan’s death and said much of the evidence would be admitted.
During the trial without a jury, Justice John Sulan acquitted Brougham of murder but found him guilty of manslaughter.
Brougham was jailed for 15-years with a non-parole period of 12 years.
Baby shaken to death in dad’s hands
A mother gave birth to her healthy baby girl on April 25, 2016 but her daughter’s life was cut short because she was killed by the man that was supposed to protect her.
On June 5, 2016, around 11am, emergency services were called to a Whyalla Stuart home after a father raised the alarm about an unresponsive six-week-old baby.
She was taken to Whyalla Hospital where she was resuscitated and treated, before being transferred to Women’s and Children’s Hospital to receive full-time nursing care.
The baby girl had serious brain injuries that police alleged were inflicted on her when she was just 41 days old.
Doctors said the “severe, irreversible brain injury” had affected her ability to “move spontaneously, think, swallow, see and hear” and at nine months, she was only able to smile in response to a voice.
After spending 17 months in hospital, the baby girl died on November 25, 2017 – sparking a major crime investigation by SA Police.
Detective Inspector Greg Hutchins said “she was a little fighter and she fought for a long time” and “this little girl deserved better”.
Initially, a man, 27, and a woman, 23, were charged with several offences but they were later withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecution.
In March 2020, the infant’s father, Nicholas Trevor Masling, then 33, was arrested after he admitted to killing his daughter.
Ahead of his trial, Masling pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court to manslaughter for unlawfully killing his daughter – who cannot be identified for cultural reasons.
The court heard on June 5, 2016, Masling shook his daughter after picking her up from her pram while she was in a “distressed and crying” state, he left the room and later returned to find her “completely still” with a purple face.
Masling’s lawyer, Steven Millsteed, KC told the court, “the act of shaking (his baby) caused respiratory arrest and brain injury.
“Shaking (her) was an impulsive, unlawful act – and dangerous act – performed by Mr Masling without intention to harm (her) in any way,” Mr Millsteed said.
The court also heard the newborn had notable rib fractures and two leg fractures which predated the incident.
Mr Millsteed said prior to this incident there was no evidence to suggest Masling had “inflicted the bruises, fractures, or any other injuries” that were observed on his daughter by a doctor at Whyalla Hospital.
During sentencing, Justice Anne Bampton said health professionals knew the infant’s death was “inevitable” from the injuries and determined she would never be able to function independently or “significantly improve”.
Justice Bampton said Masling did not tell his former partner, police or child protection authorities the truth about what happened when she became unresponsive – instead telling the ambulance operators that she had “just stopped crying, stopped breathing, gone blue in the face”.
Masling had also talked to his mother about ways to avoid being blamed, including other possible causes for her injuries, the court had heard.
His lawyer said despite trying to conceal the crime, Masling was “genuinely upset and remorseful” and had simply attempted to distance himself from what had happened.
On March 22 last year Masling was sentenced to nine years and two months jail with a non-parole period of seven years, three months and six days.
It was backdated to November 4, 2020, when his bail was revoked. He will be eligible for parole in February 2028.
Decade-long pedophile preys on young boys
Craig Anthony Warner disguised himself as a trustworthy man but he was a pedophile who spent the span of a decade robbing the innocent from six boys.
The computer programmer’s “predatory and deeply depraved” behaviour, went under the radar by friends and family who perceived him as a loyal friend, a cheerful and helpful neighbour.
His house was stocked with the latest electronics and video games, which never sparked any suspicion despite not having children himself because he was seen as a big kid himself.
During the trial, the Adelaide District Court heard Warner sexually abused four boys from Whyalla and two boys from Mawson Lakes between 2006 and 2018.
The two Mawson Lakes victims were brothers who spent time playing computer games at Warner’s house. He abused them over the span of four years.
By 2011, Warner moved to Whyalla where he preyed on and abused the four other boys. He coerced one victim into secrecy by telling him he would “get in trouble” if he disclosed the abuse to anyone.
Courageously sharing his story with The Advertiser one victim Mitchell Speck was left tormented by the sickening acts of Warner’s abuse, which started when was nine years old.
Judge Timothy Heffernan told the court Warner had shown little insight to the impact of his offending on his victims, and had groomed them in a “cunning and a very deliberate way”.
“Your offending was extremely serious, predatory, deeply depraved and was committed with an utter disregard for the wellbeing of your victims,” he said.
John Lyons, for Warner, told the court his client later recognised that what he had done to the victims was “grievous” – and Warner had been tormented by his sexuality growing up.
“He was brain-wired (sic) to act in a pedophilia type manner,” Lyons said.
Warner – who lived in Parafield Gardens at the time of sentencing – read out an apology letter to the court, stating that he’s “deeply sorry” and hoped the harm he caused does not haunt (them) for the rest of (their) lives.
He pleaded guilty to five counts of maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child and indecent assault.
In December 2021, Warner was sentenced to 24 years jail, with a non-parole period of 19 years and two months. The sentence was backdated to September 20.
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