SA Police closing in on two suspects in Bill Frangos’ murder, Woodville Gardens house fire

Two men are at the centre of a murder investigation, with police close to piecing together what happened to a ‘well-known community man’ found dead inside his home last year.

SA Police has revealed the “net is closing” on two men at the centre of a murder investigation, but need help from the public to identify another vehicle of interest.

On Tuesday afternoon, Officer in Charge of Major Crime Branch, Superintendent Darren Fielke revealed 72-year-old Bill Frangos’ home was set alight more than three hours after he was allegedly murdered.

Police and emergency services were called to a house in Essex St just after 4am on November 7 after a passer-by noticed an “orange glow emanating from the premises”.

Firefighters entered the house and found a body inside.

Bill Frangos, the man police believe was murdered before his Woodville Gardens home was set alight. Picture: SA Police.

Mr Frangos was said to be a “well-known member of the community” who lived alone at the property with his dog.

In December, police released CCTV footage they believed to be related to the murder in the hopes of identifying two men.

The CCTV footage featured two men of African appearance and a red Ford Falcon XR6 utility believed to have been in the vicinity on the night of the murder.

Since then, the XR6 has been located by police, but Detective Supt. Fielke said there is now another vehicle of interest they believe could help the investigation.

A red XR6 Ford ute.

A grey Holden Commodore that's of interest to police.

“We believe now that both of those people were involved in the murder of Bill Frangos,” he said.

He said that Mr Frangos was murdered between 10.30pm and midnight on the evening of November 6, but the arson didn’t occur for a few hours after that.

“Associated with that arson is a grey Holden Commodore – a vehicle of interest we have surrounding the arson and this murder investigation,” Detective Supt. Fielke said.

Officer in Charge of Major Crime Branch, Superintendent Darren Fielke, provided an update to the media on the investigation into the murder of Bill Frangos at Woodville Gardens in November last year. Picture: NewsWire / Dean Martin

“So at about 3.25am on Thursday November 7, the grey Holden Commodore sedan was captured by CCTV parking on Ridley Gr at Ferryden Park.” That street is located just around the corner from Mr Frangos’ home.

He said a male occupant of the vehicle is then seen on CCTV walking from that vehicle to Mr Frangos’ home, before a flash of light and smoke emerges from the premises.

A man is then seen running back towards the car.

Major Crime at the scene. Picture: RoyVPhotography

The street was closed for most of the day. Picture: RoyVPhotography

“We believe that the same two males in the red XR6 earlier that evening, have returned to the area in the Commodore, and one of the males has deliberately set fire to Bill’s house in an attempt to destroy evidence and cover their tracks and involvement in the murder.”

Police are now appealing to members of the public with any information about that Commodore to come forward.

Now four months after the death, police say the “net is closing” on the two suspects, but couldn’t identify the exact murder motive.

“We do know that Bill was involved in some low level drug activity. We don’t know that’s a motive but it’s not been discounted.”

Detective Supt. Fielke, who took over from former long-time Major Crime boss Des Bray after he retired in December, said police were “a long way down the way to identifying who these people are”.

“We’ve got some very strong ideas as to who they are. The net is closing on these people involved in this incident. We are very confident that an arrest will be made in relation to this incident.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.

Originally published as SA Police closing in on two suspects in Bill Frangos’ murder, Woodville Gardens house fire