Spear Creek murders: Relatives of victim mystified as charges dropped

The family of a victim of the infamous 45-year-old Spear Creek murders has called for an inquest after murder charges against the former suspect were dropped at the last minute.

The last known picture of the Spear Creek victims, taken by a tourist when they stopped at Devils Marbles

The family of a murder victim gunned down with two others 45 years ago say they weren’t provided reasons for prosecutors dropping the case against the former suspect at the last minute, and are now calling for an inquest.

Bruce John Preston, 67, was to face a trial in Brisbane Supreme Court this week, however prosecutors told the court the Crown would not proceed and Preston was discharged on three counts of murder.

In 2019 he was charged over the 1978 shooting deaths of Karen Edwards, 23, her partner Timothy Thomson, 31, and their friend Gordon Twaddle, 21.

The trio were travelling from Alice Springs, through Mount Isa to Cairns and then down the east coast before arriving in Melbourne.

They were last seen at Mount Isa’s Lake Moondarra Caravan Park on October 5 and their bodies were found at Spear Creek, in bushland north of Mount Isa, 19 days later.

Karen Edwards

Tim Thomson

Preston was later found with Mr Thomson’s red motorcycle. He pleaded guilty to theft and was fined $300.

A cold-case investigation of their deaths led to Preston being charged with the murders.

Preston always maintained his innocence.

Ms Edwards’ brother Barry Edwards told The Courier-Mail the family was confused why the charges were dropped as last month staff from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said the trial would proceed, after court dates and counsel for the Crown had changed multiple times.

He said last week they were told the trial would not go ahead.

“We didn’t get very satisfactory answers I must say, we were given the general overview that it was lack of evidence,” he said.

“We were told that more than 20 witnesses were now either dead or infirmed and not able to give evidence.

Barry Edwards, brother of Spear Creek murder victim Karen Edwards

“A month ago when the court date was set, at that point, the ODPP was satisfied there was enough evidence to convict, and as of last Thursday the decision was there is not enough evidence.

“What we would like to know is what is changed and what is different?”

Mr Edwards said the family now wished the matter to go to inquest.

“There has never been a coronial inquest and I think it would be appropriate if that happened,” Mr Edwards said.

A spokesman for the Office of the DPP said: “The Crown reviewed all of the admissible evidence and determined that there were no reasonable prospects of securing a conviction in this case.”

One of Ms Edwards’ sisters, Lisa Edwards, said she was nine when her sister was murdered and her death had impacted her life significantly.

“To have the build up of this over the last four-and-a-half years and waiting and anticipating the time he would sit in that room – and everyone would hear the evidence – to have that taken away is incredibly disappointing,” she said.

Gordon Twaddle

“It’s devastating to feel that after all this time, whatever the outcome of the trial was, that everything was going to be put to a jury to make a decision based on the evidence, that’s all I ever wanted.

“Growing up it was the faceless man to me – since I was a little girl a person I could never put a face to – and four-and-a-half years ago I finally got a face.”

Ms Edwards said the family believed the person responsible for her sister’s murder was still alive and that an inquest could help find answers.

Mr Edwards also refuted comments made by Mr Preston’s lawyer, Tony Stolar, that a comprehensive police investigation in the 1980s had established “unequivocally” that Bruce Preston did not commit the Spear Creek murders.

Preston, a former prison officer, this week said through his lawyer that the cold case investigation unfairly focused on him and hoped it was not too late to catch the true killer.

Charges against Bruce John Preston were dropped on the morning of his trial.

Originally published as Spear Creek murders: Relatives of victim mystified as charges dropped