The faces of the 17 South Australians allegedly murdered in 2023
In just 18 horror days, seven people were allegedly killed in acts of senseless crime – but they are more than a statistic. These are the stories of the state’s lost lives.
Police & Courts
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Eighteen days, seven alleged murder victims – that’s the horror figure facing South Australians after the state’s highest number of suspected homicides in a month in more than three years.
According to SA Police statistics, there were 11 alleged murders in 2022. By November 2023, there have been 17 alleged murders – a 54 per cent increase.
South Australia’s alleged murder rate now stands at 1.3 per 100,000 for 2023, bringing the state above NSW, Queensland and Victoria for a comparable 12-month crime reporting period.
From October 2022 to October 2023, Queensland’s murder rate stood at 0.98 per 100,000. From July 2022 to June 2023, NSW sat at an estimated 0.64 per 100,000 while Victoria’s rate was 0.71 per 100,000.
In 2023, six were women allegedly killed by men known to them, with four of those in the space of one month.
On November 21, Jodie Jewell was gunned down by her estranged husband at their Modbury home, sparking a statewide manhunt for her coward killer and outraged pleas for action on domestic violence – with one friend penning a desperate open letter to Premier Peter Malinauskas.
While the premier plans to host a roundtable of experts in the coming weeks, he faces increasing pressure to initiate a royal commission into domestic violence.
Mr Malinauskas said he was working with his government and experts to find a resolution and said a proper roundtable discussion was likely to take place within the next fortnight, but frontline workers fear domestic violence incidents could worsen in the lead up to Christmas.
For the loved ones of victims, each crime represents more than a statistic – it represents a life lost to allegations of senseless crime.
February 14 – Trish Lambourne
Trish Lambourne, 61, was stabbed to death by her daughter Sally Davis inside their Edwardstown home on February 14, before Ms Davis set the property alight in what was understood to be a murder-suicide.
Ms Davis, 41, is believed to have stabbed Ms Lambourne with a knife, which was found by first responders after they arrived to battle the blaze that tore through the home.
The alarm was first raised by a neighbour before police, SA Ambulance and MFS crews descended on the property, where more than 20 firefighters quickly extinguished the flames, revealing the mother and daughter’s charred remains.
It is understood Ms Davis had a mental health condition.
A social media post from October 2021 shows Ms Davis and her mother posing in a bathroom mirror wearing matching T-shirts with the words “it is against my religion to wear a mask or get a jab against my will” on the front.
Neighbours said they were shocked and saddened by the women’s deaths, but said the pair had kept to themselves since moving into the community housing property.
February 19 – Steven Murphy
Alleged murder victim Steven Murphy, 38, was homeless and battling stage four lung cancer in the weeks before his remains were found in a 15m by 15m bunker inside a shed at a Kudla property on April 4.
It is alleged Mr Murphy was shot dead on February 19 by father and son Marco Yandle, 19, and Keith Yandle, 46.
Described by his family as a “beautiful dad”, Mr Murphy was believed to have been squatting in the area in the weeks leading up to his death.
The Adelaide Magistrates Court has heard that Marco and Keith Yandle armed themselves with the gun and a baseball bat after discovering “defenceless” Mr Murphy was in the shed located 60 metres from their Kudla home.
Prosecutors alleged that Keith fired one shot at Mr Murphy as he “lay cowering in a corner” then forced him to stand up, searched him and took all of his personal items.
They further alleged Keith fired the fatal shots while Marco shone a torch on Mr Murphy, and that the incident was captured on CCTV.
Prosecutors subsequently seized control of the 2ha property at Kudla owned by Keith and his wife, Kathy – there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Mrs Yandle.
Keith and Marco Yandle have yet to plead to one count each of murder and have been remanded in custody to face court, and answer the charges, in January.
March 16 – Bradley Frost
Grandfather Bradley Frost, 62, was remembered by neighbours as a gentle giant who was the “light” of his Modbury street after he was allegedly bashed to death outside his home.
Police allege that two men on push bikes violently attacked Mr Frost just after 3pm on March 16. The 62-year-old was rushed to Royal Adelaide Hospital but died the following day.
Mr Frost was remembered by neighbours as a “beautiful soul” who was “always willing to help” and a well-loved member of his community.
A 32-year-old Modbury North man was initially charged with aggravated assault causing serious harm after the incident, with that charge later upgraded to murder.
A 33-year-old Ingle Farm man was also charged with murder over Mr Frost’s death, with both men’s identities suppressed by the court.
Neither have entered a plea to the charges.
April 30 – Lynton Anderson
Lynton Anderson, 94, was allegedly murdered by his daughter Raelene Polymiadis using her own insulin – a year after she allegedly killed his wife and her mother, Brenda Anderson, 94.
Police allege both died from drug overdoses after being deliberately administered medication.
The South Australian Supreme Court has heard Mrs Polymiadis, 62, of Craigmore, was last seen at Mr Anderson’s Hackham house just hours before he was found unresponsive and with a tranquilliser-like substance in his system on April 30.
Mr Anderson, who was living independently but with the assistance of carers, was taken to Flinders Medical Centre and died the following day.
Mr Anderson was a father or father-in-law of eight children, a grandfather of seven and great-grandpa of nine.
Amid numerous suppression orders, Ms Polymiadis was granted bail after claiming her health was at risk in custody, and that she had experienced two medical episodes since her arrest.
Ms Polymiadis is yet to plead to two counts of murder.
June 9 – Baby Ronan
Little baby Ronan Davies, just 17 months old, was allegedly murdered by his babysitter Quentin Corrigan, 30, in June this year.
Major Crime detectives believe the boy, also known as “Ro”, was assaulted as family friends cared for him over two days at their Glenelg North flat.
When his father discovered him unconscious, paramedics rushed him to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital just after 5.30pm on Wednesday, June 7.
He died two days later.
In a media interview prior to his arrest, heavily tattooed Mr Corrigan denied hurting the boy he “idolised like my own”, saying Ronan had slipped from the pram after he turned away for a split second but was “fine after that”.
Mr Corrigan appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court on July 6 charged with one count of murder.
He was remanded in custody until April next year as inquiries continued and is yet to enter a plea.
June 18 – Jason Wright
Jason Wright, 52, was found unresponsive in his cell inside Yatala Labour Prison’s E-Division at 5.35pm on June 18.
Paramedics tried to revive Mr Wright, but he was declared dead at the scene.
His cellmate, Benjamin Anthony Shuman, 33, of Oaklands Park was arrested and charged with one count of murder over Mr Wright’s death.
It is understood Mr Shuman’s family owns the iconic Adelaide Popeye boats, which tour up and down the Torrens.
Both men were on remand and were classified as “medium security” inmates at the time of the alleged murder.
In an eponymous personal blog, Mr Wright had shared bizarre and troubling online messages about terrorist cults, evil demons and the illuminati before his death.
He wrote how terrorist cults had tried to take over his life, even sharing a series of peculiar photographs of his “angel and demon sides”.
Mr Shuman is yet to answer his charge of murder and is due to appear in court again on December 20.
July 15 – Aleksandra Vergulis
Aleksandra Vergulis, 51, was fatally shot in a Campbelltown driveway alongside her daughter Daniela Vergulis, 22, after she was ambushed by an alleged gunman.
It is understood Aleksandra was dropping off groceries to the alleged shooter and performing a welfare check on him when the horror unfolded.
By the time police, including heavily armed STAR Group officers had arrived, the man had allegedly barricaded himself inside his home with firearms, sparking a four-hour long siege in the street.
After tense negotiations, the man was taken into custody without incident.
A “highly respected” member of the University of South Australia community, Aleksandra worked as an executive assistant in the Education Futures unit.
The alleged shooter, who is aged in his 50s, appeared in the Magistrates Court charged with murdering Aleksandra and attempting to murder Daniela.
The man’s name and image have been suppressed as police investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
September 20 – Jordan Torrans
Modbury Heights man Jordan Torrans, 31, died after he was allegedly stabbed multiple times by his mate Johnathon Goodfellow, 30, at a Salisbury Downs home on September 20.
Neighbours told police they rushed over to see what was happening, with one performing CPR on the 31-year-old father until paramedics arrived, but Mr Torrans died at the scene.
In documents released by the Elizabeth Magistrates Court, SA Police allege witnesses at the scene of the stabbing heard Mr Goodfellow crying, and saw him in a “panicked state” after the alleged incident.
According to the documents, Mr Torrans had attended Mr Goodfellow’s home to collect “money for bikes he had bought,” when it is alleged a fight broke out on the road.
Another witness allegedly heard Mr Goodfellow yelling “what have I done” and “why didn’t you stop me?”
The court has heard Mr Torrans had been stabbed in the stomach four times.
Mr Goodfellow, who is yet to enter a plea to one count of murder, was refused bail and will appear in court again in January.
September 26 – Peter Smith
A Mount Gambier man with a “heart of gold”, Peter Smith, 65, was discovered with serious injuries inside a block of units in Bond St on September 26.
Emergency services rushed Mr Smith to hospital but died a short time later.
Paul Roomes, 65, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with murder by detectives later that day.
Mr Roomes, who declined a lawyer and has not entered a plea, said he had not applied for bail and was remanded in custody until November 2024.
A neighbour of Mr Smith’s, who did not want to be named, said the alleged victim had recently taken into his home the man accused of his murder out of kindness.
“Peter had his problems but his heart was in the right place,’’ she said.
October 21 – Krystal Marshall
Mother-of-two Krystal Marshall’s body was discovered inside her Aldinga Beach home on October 21, after a blaze tore through the property.
Police believe she died up to 24 hours before she was found in the aftermath of the fire, with a man, 48, later charged with one count of murder and one count of arson.
The alleged murderer, whose name has been suppressed, is yet to enter a plea over the charges and will appear in court again in February.
Ms Marshall, 38, was remembered as an “amazing friend, mother and person” who left behind two daughters – 15-year-old Madison and nine-year-old Skylah.
Her brother Liam Brown told The Advertiser his sister was “fun” and “always up for a laugh”.
“She was working on making herself better,” he said.
“She was such an amazing mother, she absolutely adored her daughters and they adored her.
November 15 – Felixstow
On November 15, a 44-year-old woman was found dead in unexplained circumstances at St Margarets Crescent in Felixstow in Adelaide’s northeastern suburbs.
Police and Major Crime detectives scoured two units on the street for almost 24 hours after they were called to the cul-de-sac.
A week later, a 50-year-old man from Felixstow was arrested in SA’s Far North (APY Lands) and charged with murder.
He appeared in Coober Pedy Magistrates Court on 22 November and was refused bail to appear at a later date.
November 16 – Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig
Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig was allegedly gunned down while on duty in an incident at Senior, near Bordertown, in the state’s South-East on November 16.
Sgt Doig, together with Bordertown police officers Constable Rebekah Cass and Sergeant Michael Hutchinson, were called to a home on Senior Rd after reports a man had shot a dog in a “domestic disturbance”.
They were allegedly confronted by Jaydn Stimson, 26, when they arrived at the property.
Sgt Doig was shot and killed, while Sgt Hutchinson was also shot.
The first officer to lose his life in a shooting in SA since 1985, Sgt Doig – known to friends and locals as “Doigy” – joined the force in 1989 and had spent the past 15 years serving the Lucindale community as the town’s officer.
He was remembered as a generous friend, a motorbike lover with an “almost demonic” riding ability, an adventurer, a fair and empathetic soul and an irreplaceable loss in the lives of all he touched.
Alleged shooter Mr Stimson appeared in court from his hospital bed in the Royal Adelaide Hospital on January 20, charged with murder and attempted murder.
He made no application for bail when he appeared via speakerphone from hospital, where he remained under heavy guard.
Mr Stimson will return to court in early April.
November 17 – Davenport
On November 17, a 45-year-old woman was found in the bathroom of a home at the Davenport Community on the outskirts of Port Augusta with severe head wounds.
Officers and paramedics arrived at the home and tried to revive the woman, but she died at the scene.
Her domestic partner, Michael Edward Amos, 53, was charged with murder and did not apply for bail.
He appeared in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court via video link from the Port Augusta police station on November 17, the same day he was charged.
Major Crime detectives requested a 12-month adjournment before Mr Amos would appear in court again. He has been remanded in custody until his next court appearance in July next year.
November 19 – Morphett Vale
A 39-year-old mother of five from Encounter Bay, whose name has been suppressed, was found dead at a Morphett Vale house on November 19.
Clifford Neumann, 40, who bills himself online as a professional arm wrestler, was charged with murder over the mother’s death and faced Christies Beach Magistrates Court on 20 November.
On his social media accounts, Mr Neumann has posted several photos of himself flexing his biceps and lists his occupation as “professional arm wrestler”.
Police said Mr Neumann was known to the woman, with one Wark Ct resident saying she had seen the alleged murderer and the suspected victim “kissing and hugging” only a couple of weeks before her death.
Prosecutors asked the case be adjourned for 12 months, saying there was “quite some outstanding evidence” ranging from forensics and DNA to clothing analysis, mobile phone records and witness statements.
Mr Neumann, who is yet to enter a plea, will face Adelaide Magistrates Court in May next year.
November 21 – Jodie Jewell
Jodie Jewell was brutally gunned down by her estranged husband Kevin Jewell at their Modbury home on November 21, before he fled the scene, causing a statewide manhunt.
In the days before her death, Mrs Jewell said she was planning to leave Kevin and “start her life fresh” with her 16-year-old daughter.
But before she got the chance, the man she had shared her life with fatally shot her in a brutal killing in their family home.
Friends, who were aware of the alleged domestic violence Ms Jewell had been subjected to, feared the worst when she did not arrive for a weekly dinner then raised the alarm
After fleeing the scene, armed and dangerous, Kevin took his own life – with his body found in scrubland about 150m from his ute near the tiny Yorke Peninsula town of Curramulka, about 200km from Adelaide, four days after the horror act.
Lori Baker, a former colleague of Mrs Jewell at Optus, said the devoted mother had “suffered in silence for most of her marriage, feeling lost and helpless.”
“She is a mother now lost to a lost daughter, who will now have to navigate this world alone without the love and support of her biggest cheerleader, her mother Jodie,” Ms Baker said.
Mrs Jewell’s death sparked renewed pleas for the government to take action on domestic and family violence, with a letter penned to Premier Peter Malinauskas.
November 28 – Brian Scherr
Brian Scherr, 88, had been undergoing successful cancer treatment for years before his body was discovered inside his Glenelg North home, on Kibby Ave, on November 28.
Less than 15 hours later, at 4.10am on November 29, police were again at the quiet residential street where Mr Scherr’s son Peter, 63, was found dead.
A brief police statement said the elderly man’s cause of death was not immediately apparent, and an investigation was launched.
That continued through much of Wednesday after the discovery of the younger man’s body inside the same home.
Long-term neighbours in the docile suburb said Peter and his wife had moved into Brian’s home about three or four months ago.
Police are treating the deaths as a murder-suicide.
December 2 – Maria Dimasi
Beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother Maria Dimasi, 85, was allegedly murdered by her husband Francesco ‘Frank’ Dimasi, 91, at the couple’s Findon home on December 2.
A police prosecutor told Port Adelaide Magistrates Court that Mr Dimasi called triple-0 after allegedly killing his wife, with police claiming he told them he and wife Maria had an argument at 5.30pm.
It is alleged that the 91-year-old was found by officers sitting at his kitchen table, covered in blood.
Police told the court a kitchen-style knife was located near him, while Mrs Dimasi’s body was discovered with significant wounds to the head, upper body and legs.
The police prosecutor said it would be alleged that Mr Dimasi was “clearly inebriated at the time of his arrest” – with a blood alcohol more than four times the legal limit – and told officers at the scene he was “sorry that he killed his wife and that she deserved it”.
Mr Dimasi, who is believed to suffer from dementia, is yet to answer the charge of one count of murder.
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