Spear Creek: Police field 50 calls about triple murder

Detectives investigating the shocking triple murder of three friends in outback Queensland have been inundated with calls from the public who believe they know the killer.

DETECTIVES investigating the 1978 Spear Creek murders are sifting through more than 50 calls to Crime Stoppers - including some from people who believe they know the killer.

The calls have come in from around Australia after The Courier-Mail announced the 40-year-old mystery was the subject of a cold case review and released a true crime podcast about the case.

Homicide detectives have said the murders of Karen Edwards, Timothy Thomson and Gordon Twaddle - three friends who were just days into a road trip around Australia - are “definitely solvable”.

KOMBI COUPLE MAY HAVE SEEN TRIPLE MURDERER

Karen, Tim and Gordon set off from Alice Springs on October 2, planning to travel through Mount Isa, across to Cairns and down the East Coast of Australia, arriving in Melbourne in time for Christmas.

The public has jumped to offer tip-offs to police following the new investigation into the cold case murders of Karen Edwards, Tim Thomson and Gordon Twaddle at Spear Creek.

They were travelling on motorbikes - including one with a homemade sidecar that carried Tim’s Doberman puppy Tristie - and camping along the way.

Detectives almost died in chopper plunge at scene of Spear Creek murders

Police said the three friends were befriended by another man on a motorcycle somewhere between the Frewena Roadhouse in the Northern Territory and Mount Isa, the man travelling with them into the Queensland mining town.

That night - October 4 - a man in a brown and white Toyota LandCruiser came to visit Karen, Tim and Gordon at their campsite at the Moondarra Caravan Park. He returned again the following morning, picking the friends up and driving away.

It was the last time they were seen alive. The man returned on dusk and dismantled their campsite, taking their possessions and motorbikes.

Karen Edwards was killed at Spear Creek

It is believed Karen, Tim and Gordon were lured into the bush at Spear Creek, 12km north of the town, where they were shot in the head.

A nationwide appeal for information asked people to come forward if they saw the group travelling between Alice Springs or Mount Isa, knew anything about the theft of the motorbikes, saw any unusual activity around the Mount Isa tip or knew anything about who might be responsible.

The helicopter which police crashed in during their investigation.

Police said they are no longer focusing on a link between the Spear Creek murders and the killing of West Australian man John Tzelaidis that same year.

“There is a $250,000 reward being offered for information that leads to the apprehension and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of Karen, Tim and Gordon,” Homicide Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell said.

The second episode of the Spear Creek podcast series is available now.

Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.