POLICE investigating the Spear Creek murders are searching for a couple in a Kombi van who were described in early newspaper reports as having possibly spotted the killer.
Newspaper reports at the time – that wrongly described the Kombi’s occupants as two young men – suggested the pair could hold a “vital clue” to solving the killings.
CATCH UP ON ALL THE SPEAR CREEK CONTENT IN THE SERIES
The couple in the van had been staying at the same caravan park as the three victims.
Karen Edwards, Timothy Thomson and Gordon Twaddle were lured into the bush and shot in a Wolf Creek-style killing in early October, 1978.
They were just three days into a trip of a lifetime – a motorbike tour around Australia, starting in Alice Springs and travelling through the outback at Cairns and down the East Coast, finishing in Melbourne for Christmas.
But the friends only made it as far as Mount Isa when they disappeared from the Lake Moondarra Caravan Park. Their bodies were found in the bush north of town, at Spear Creek, three weeks later.
The case is the subject of a new podcast, produced by The Courier-Mail, which explores the investigation and tells the stories of the victims. Episode two is out today.
Police reviewing the murders believe the case is “definitely solvable”.
Spear Creek podcast: Who was the mystery man who joined the Spear Creek trio?
Spear Creek murders: Motorbike may be key
Spear Creek murders: Four things police need to solve cold case
Spear Creek murders: ‘Definitely solvable’ case reopened
It is believed Karen, Tim and Gordon were befriended on the road by another man on a motorcycle. He was seen with them at the Frewena Roadhouse and again in Mount Isa.
The same man is believed to have visited the trio at their campsite at the Lake Moondarra Caravan Park in a brown and white Toyota Landcruiser on the evening of October 4. He came again the following morning, collecting them in his car.
The man in the Landcruiser returned again on dusk – alone - and dismantled the campsite and took their motorbikes.
Police who originally investigated the murders of Karen, Tim and Gordon interviewed a couple in a Kombi van who were staying at the Moondarra Caravan Park back in early October, 1978.
They were believed to have been repairing their van on the side of the road in Mount Isa where Tim’s distinctive BMW R100S motorcycle was dumped.
Detectives conducting a review have been unable to find them and have asked for the man and woman to come forward.
“In 1978, police spoke with two witnesses, a couple, male and female, who were staying at the Lake Moondarra Caravan Park,” Homicide Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell said.
“They were doing repairs to the gearbox of their VW Kombi in a vacant block of land just outside the Mount Isa drive-in picture theatre on or around October 4, 1978.
“Police have been unable to locate the current whereabouts of those two witnesses and are seeking these two witnesses to come forward again so they can be re-interviewed.”
Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Add your comment to this story
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout
Thirsty thieves’ late night raid of Hunter mine site
It was a week before Christmas when three thieves - including a Singleton man - raided a Hunter coal mine site making off with a haul of goods including something very bizarre.
Drug runner busted with 12kg of coke after running red light, crashing
A drug runner’s mad dash to score 12kg of cocaine on the Gold Coast ended when he sailed through a red light and crashed his rental car. But a second duffel bag has never been recovered.