On the 40th anniversary of the disappearance of Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon, family reveal new connections to murderer Bevan Spencer von Einem
A MAN who accompanied Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon on the day they were abducted from Adelaide Oval, later sold his home to the mother of convicted murderer Bevan Spencer von Einem.
A MAN who accompanied Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon on the day they were abducted from Adelaide Oval later sold his home to the mother of convicted murderer Bevan Spencer von Einem.
On the 40th anniversary of the girls' disappearance, Joanne's sister, Suzie Wilkinson, has revealed the man, known as "Frank" - a family friend who went to the oval with the Ratcliffes - sold his Campbelltown home to von Einem's mother, Thora, in the late 1970s.
Frank had intimate knowledge of Joanne and Kirste's routine movements at the football, left his seat shortly before the girls disappeared and allegedly did not help in the search for the pair. Ms Wilkinson, 38, said it is unclear if police had ever formally questioned Frank about the crime and his movements at the oval that day.
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Joanne's mother, Kathleen Ratcliffe, told the Sunday Mail Frank left his seat for about 30 minutes before the girls dis- appeared during the SANFL final between Norwood and North Adelaide.
Joanne's family does not accuse Frank of involvement and simply say every lead must be fully explored. Ms Wilkinson has written to police pleading for investigators to rule out Frank as a link in the crime.
"The case has never been officially closed but I would like further investigations into it,'' said Ms Wilkinson, who was born 14 months after her sister vanished. "I want investigations into more recent developments.
"I certainly want a little bit more logic put behind why police have dismissed evidence which has been put before them and why things haven't been followed up. We seem to be left in the dark. It might be 40 years to them and just another case, but to us it is 40 years of us not getting to watch Jo grow up. That's 40 years of not having a daughter, a sister, an aunty."
Joanne, 11, attended the match with her parents, and Kirste, 4, with her grandmother.
Joanne had taken Kirste to the toilet during the match and they were last seen towards the end of the match near the southern gates. Witnesses reported they may have been seen later with an unknown man near Port Rd, Thebarton.
Frank was mentioned once in a three-day inquest into the abduction, conducted in 1979. In the transcript of the inquest, Joanne's father, Les, said: "This witness, your Honour, can state that we always had a rule in our family . . . no children were to go to the toilet at quarter time, half time, three-quarter time.
"They could go halfway through the third quarter and were not to go in the last quarter whatsoever.''
Kirste's grandmother also said that "the other man stayed in his seat" during the frantic search for his mate's daughter and Kirste. It is understood "the other man" was Frank.
A police spokeswoman said they had received information nominating "various people for this crime" but there was no information that had led them to any possible suspects.
Superintendent Des Bray, of the Major Crime Investigation Branch, said: "I would encourage them to come forward with any information, regardless of how insignificant it may seem to them, as it may be the vital clue we are looking for."