South Australian triple murder suspect Steven Hainsworth says ‘I didn’t kill any of them’

THE prime suspect in the South Australian cold case murders of two grandmothers and an invalid pensioner has denied he is their serial killer.

THE prime suspect in the cold case murders of two grandmothers and an invalid pensioner has denied he is their serial killer.

Steven Hainsworth, who now lives in Mildura, Victoria, on Wednesday night outed himself as the man Major Crime detectives had linked to the South Australian murders through new forensic evidence.

Mr Hainsworth, 43, has been the key figure in all three murder investigations — that of grandmothers Phyllis Harrison, 71, at Elizabeth South in 1998, Beverley Hanley, 64, at Elizabeth North in 2010 and invalid pensioner Stephen Newton, 55, at Mt Gambier in 2011 — since they were committed.

The Advertiser can now reveal that Mr Hainsworth is Mrs Hanley’s nephew and was living just two streets from her when she was killed.

He was living next door to Mrs Harrison when she was murdered.

An emotional Mr Hainsworth told The Advertiser on Wednesday night he was an “innocent man”.

Steven Hainsworth has been accused of murder. Picture: Jason Edwards

“They’ve tried to say I’ve done three murders,” he said.

“I’m pretty upset because I’ve been accused of a triple murder. I lived next door to one, one was my aunty and the other person I didn’t know.”

When The Advertiser asked who Mr Hainsworth thought killed the three individuals, he said: “I’m not going to say.”

“Maybe I know one but I’m not going to say,” he said.

“I already told police that.”

Mr Hainsworth broke down in tears as he sat at a living room table and stressed his innocence.

“To my family, I love youse, to the police, you’re barking up the wrong tree,” he said.

“You asked me about the victim’s family? Well I’m one of the victim’s family.

“I hope whoever is responsible is caught so the bloody monkey comes off my back.”

Police on Tuesday revealed the three cold case murders were now being investigated by the nine-strong Taskforce Resolute — and that they had a suspect.

“We now have proof that the same offender is responsible for all three deaths,” Major Crime officer-in-charge Detective Superintendent Des Bray said on Tuesday.

Detective Superintendent Des Bray (right) announces links between the deaths of Beverley Hanley, Phyllis Harrison and Stephen Newton (above).

The Advertiser has previously revealed the cases were strongly linked and that Major Crime detectives had just one suspect in their sights.

Mr Hainsworth is well known to police for petty offending and domestic violence matters and has served time in custody for that offending.

His DNA profile was found at the Hanley murder scene — on a phone plug pulled from the wall. Advanced DNA testing techniques have been used on a sample found at the Harrison murder scene.

Although Mr Hainsworth’s DNA profile was found at the Hanley murder scene, he strongly denies it.

“DNA don’t lie, I don’t know where they reckon they got new DNA from … I dunno,” he said. “All I know is I didn’t do nothing”.

In 2012, during the initial investigations into Mr Newton’s death, Mr Hainsworth was arrested, charged and convicted over the theft of some of Mr Newton’s property.

Det-Supt Bray on Wednesday said police had received several calls to Crime Stoppers following Tuesday’s appeal for information.

“We will further investigate the information that has been provided to us via Crime Stoppers,” he said.

“I would like to thank those people for coming forward and would continue to appeal for anyone with information to speak with police now.

“We know that there are people who have provided incorrect or incomplete statements and I would urge them to come forward and speak with us.’’

Originally published as South Australian triple murder suspect Steven Hainsworth says ‘I didn’t kill any of them’