Detectives reveal murder arrests close as key Task Force Southern targets taken into custody
Major Crime detectives have revealed a massive breakthrough in the investigation into the murders of three Adelaide men – adding they’ve prevented other people being killed too.
Police & Courts
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Key targets in the long-running investigation into the murders of three Adelaide men are in custody after being charged with other serious offences, senior police have revealed.
Major Crime detectives expect to lay murder charges as Task Force Southern investigations continue, and have warned those convicted will face life in prison without parole unless they assist in recovering the remains of two missing victims.
And crucially, detectives believe they may have prevented other murders and violent crimes from being committed by the group of violent southern-suburbs drug dealers who are the focus of the investigation.
Task Force Southern, launched in December 2021 to probe the murders of Jeff Mundy, Robert Atkins and Trevor King, has so far resulted in 32 people – 23 men and nine women – being arrested in connection with 271 charges.
They include 191 charges for trafficking in significant quantities of methamphetamines, cannabis and fantasy, nine charges for unlawful detention and false imprisonment, nine charges for serious assaults and 12 charges for firearms possession and trafficking, while shelf briefs are being prepared against the key targets for murder and other crimes of violence.
Task Force leader Detective Senior Sergeant Justin Thompson said while the Task Force was initially formed to investigate the three murders – each committed by violent drug dealers owed debts by their victims – it had evolved into a much wider operation that had successfully dismantled several significant drug trafficking operations in the southern suburbs.
“The investigation into the murders is ongoing and we expect that in the not-too-distant future there will be people charged with murder and other associated serious offences,’’ Sergeant Thompson said.
While the majority of the suspects are in custody after being charged with other serious offences, detectives are closely monitoring those still in the community and are prepared to act rapidly if any imminent threat to public safety is identified.
When Task Force Southern was launched, detectives revealed they were reviewing 201 drug overdose deaths to determine if any were staged murders – as Trevor King’s was in January 2020.
“The review identified a small number of deaths where clarification was required to satisfy us they were not suspicious,’’ Sergeant Thompson said.
“We also looked at a number of overdoses after concerns were raised by relatives because of the groups of people they were involved with and suspicions they held.
“But having done that work we are confident there are only the original three homicides at this stage we believe have been committed by those we are focusing our investigations on, but coronial investigations remain ongoing with others.’’
While Trevor King’s body was found in West Lakes after his murder, numerous unsuccessful searches for the remains of Mr Atkins and Mr Mundy have been conducted, but police will maintain efforts to locate them.
Detectives have spent more than 10 days searching remote locations around Orroroo for Mr Atkins’ remains and similarly, many locations on the Fleurieu Peninsula including Myponga Reservoir, have been scoured for Mr Mundy’s remains.
Sergeant Thompson warned those responsible – when they are charged and convicted of the murders – that police would use the “no body, no parole’’ provisions in the Sentencing Act to ensure they remained in prison until they disclosed the location of the two bodies.
“We will use every avenue available to us to recover the remains for their families. Those responsible should be aware of this provision; we will ensure it is used,’’ he said.
At the outset of the investigation police had up to 15 potential suspects in their sights but that has been refined as detectives discovered the roles each had played in the unlawful detention, assaults or eventual murders of the three men.
“There are a lot of people who had different roles but were initially nominated as suspects,’’ Sergeant Thompson said.
“We have analysed those and have found some people may well be liable for their actions prior to the murder, but they were not necessarily involved in the murder.’’
For instance, detectives know Jeff Mundy was held in a shipping container at a property on Morrow Rd, Lonsdale, for some time before his murder in December 2020. During that period he was assaulted by different individuals, with investigations continuing to determine if they were also involved in his murder and subsequent disposal of his body.
Likewise, detectives know Robert Atkins was assaulted during the period he was held captive at locations including North Plympton, Seaford and Christie Downs in November 2020 before being driven to remote farmland at Orroroo in the mid-north of the state where he was shot by a key suspect.
Different individuals may have been involved before and after his murder.
Task Force Southern has been unique because of the fact the Major Crime Investigation Branch usually tackles only murder investigations or other high-level, complex crimes.
“This time we investigated the murders, the other violent crime and drug trafficking surrounding them because they were so closely linked,’’ Sergeant Thompson said.
“There has been enormous collateral damage to drug trafficking in the southern suburbs because the suspects in the murders were also involved in a myriad other offending as well and continued to offend.’’
Crucially, detectives believe during the course of their investigations additional serious violent crimes – including murders – have been prevented, with police taking steps to ensure the safety of potential victims.
In one such incident a man, who was being unlawfully detained by several suspects and tortured with a taser over a drug debt, was rescued by detectives when the incident was uncovered.
“If we had not been investigating these murders that incident may not have come to our attention until it was too late,’’ Sergeant Thompson said.
“With the level of violence displayed by some of the suspects we now have in custody, there was certainly the potential of other people being murdered or seriously harmed if not for police intervention.
“There has been continual risk assessment throughout the operation and we have targeted those violent people to take them off the streets to reduce the risk to the community.’’
And while detectives are usually confronted with the traditional criminal “wall of silence’’ during major investigations, that has not been the case because many methamphetamine users were concerned at the violence being used by those being targeted by police.
“The level of violence they have used in the community has actually worked against them because they were bullies and thugs and treating people terribly,’’ Sergeant Thompson said.
“I think a lot of people, even though they were tied up in the criminal community, were quite happy to say what they had done.’’
Rewards of up to $600,000 are available for anyone who provides information in connection with the three murders or information that assists in locating the remains of Jeff Mundy and Robert Atkins.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.
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