South Australians David Saint and Robert Woodland murdered for being gay in south parklands — police now appeal for new info
Although David Saint and Robert Woodland never knew each other, they were brutally murdered for exactly the same reason — they were both gay.
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Although David Saint and Robert Woodland never knew each other, they were murdered for exactly the same reason.
Both men frequented one of Adelaide’s most notorious gay beats and were killed because of their sexuality. Both were the victims in brutal gay bashings.
It is highly likely dozens of homosexual men have been bashed while frequenting the same South Parklands gay beat – but the vast majority have never alerted police and their injuries were nowhere as severe.
Their reluctance to talk is due to several factors, ranging from a historical distrust of police to the fact many probably wanted to maintain their secret from their family.
But sadly, their chosen silence has hampered investigations into the two murders – with the same offenders likely to have been responsible for other gay bashings in the same region.
The bashing murder of David “John’’ Saint, 41, in 1991 remains one of Adelaide’s most shocking gay hate crimes.
He was set upon by three men, pursued after he initially escaped and then beaten to death with a brick paver.
Major Crime case officer Detective Sergeant Justin Thompson said the attack was “determined and sustained’’ gay bashing as Mr Saint’s wallet containing more than $300 was not taken.
“That would be our strongest line as to motive,’’ Det. Sgt. Thompson said.
“There is anecdotal evidence there was a lot of that happening at the time, but because of its clandestine nature in the early 1990s a lot of it wasn’t actually reported to police.
“There have been some witnesses come forward since then who have reported instances of assault occurring in the south parklands.’’
Detectives are set to resubmit several items – including the murder weapon - for fresh forensic testing in that hope that advances in DNA technology can assist the inquiry.
Mr Saint, who was a frequent visitor to the south parklands, was first set upon by the three men on the southern side of South Tce adjacent the Himeji Japanese gardens.
Following a short struggle he broke free and ran across South Tce, but his assailants caught up with him.
One of the men grabbed a brick paver used to protect a water meter to inflict the fatal injuries.
Two witnesses who had been attending a Range Rover owners club meeting nearby and briefly spoke to the attackers – and were told to mind their own business.
While the incident may have occurred almost three decades ago detectives are still anxious to speak with any other men who may have been “assaulted or harassed’’ by other men in the same vicinity.
One man has already told detectives he had an encounter with the trio the same night Mr Saint was attacked.
“There has been a reluctance to come forward, but attitudes have now changed,’’ Det. Sgt Thompson said.
“And those who did this probably wore it as a badge of honour and told others about what they had done.
“There are people in the community we believe have knowledge of this and can assist us. They will find they are treated a lot differently than perhaps they may have been in the past.’’
As in Mr Saint’s murder, those responsible for killing Robert Woodland, 36, may also be identified using DNA technology, with forensic scientists having already recovered a profile of a possible offender from the crime scene.
While detectives do not want details on where the profile was located revealed, it is perhaps their best hope of solving the killing.
Already, several individuals have been eliminated from the investigation using the profile.
Mr Woodland’s body was found on December 8 2004 in tall grass about 700 metres from where his car was located in the Pavilion on the Park carpark.
It lay there for three days before a man walking his dog stumbled across it.
Major Crime case officer Detective Sergeant Cameron Georg said it was likely Mr Woodland was chased down by his attacker’s and bashed.
He was last seen at 2am on December 5 next to his blue Commodore when several men spoke to him.
Besides being bashed, his wallet, house and car keys and a small metal snuff tin containing cannabis were stolen.
He was not wearing his shoes, which were found next to his car.
At 5.14am on December 5 a person attempted to use Mr Woodland’s ANZ debit card to withdraw cash from an ATM in Gouger St, opposite the Mars Bar nightclub.
The transaction failed when an incorrect PIN was used and the card is still missing.
“We believe that whoever was involved in his assault has taken the card and more than likely walked the distance from the south parklands to Gouger St,’’ Det. Sgt Georg said.
As in the murder of Mr Saint, police have evidence others may have been assaulted in the same area at the time of Mr Woodland’s murder.
A taxi driver has told detectives he picked up two men who both told him they had been assaulted.
The first pick-up was on the same morning Mr Woodland was murdered.
The assaulted man had walked to Marion Rd where he was picked up and taken to his Dover Gardens home.
“Another person was also picked up by the same taxi driver from Sir Lewis Cohen Drive several days later and taken to an address at Goodwood. The man told the driver he had been bashed and his assailants had attempted to rob him,’’ Det. Sgt. Georg said.
“Despite extensive door knocks in both suburbs we have never been able to identify those two persons to determine if the assailants were connected to the Woodland murder.’’
And as in Mr Saint’s murder, there is evidence at the scene to indicate there was more than one person involved in bashing Mr Woodland.
“People who frequent this area are targeted for both robberies and gay bashings, we are keeping an open mind,’’ Det. Sgt. Georg said.
“We have had some information come in, but not as much as you might expect for other similar crimes committed elsewhere in the community.’’
Mr Woodland’s mother Patricia said she still struggled with losing her son, particularly around his birthday and other “special occasions.’’
She said she was still hoping for a resolution in the case and was saddened that her husband Bob had passed away in 2014 without a seeing any breakthrough.
“I am hoping they catch the mongrels’’ Ms Woodland, 75, said.
“I would love to see it closed and all over with, but I do not know how I will react when they catch them.
“I would appeal to anyone who may have been involved to come forward and talk. If they have any conscience at all they would.’’
A reward of up to $200,000 is available in both murder cases for anyone who provides information leading to a conviction - with detectives only needing a name to match to the DNA profile already obtained in the Woodland murder.
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