Ipswich Oakdale Guest House fire cold case cracked open after new information presented to QPS

A fight over a packet of cigarettes and a mystery white sedan could hold the key for police after five men were murdered in a boarding house blaze.

Ken Bemi and Genia Otuszewski, family members of two of the deceased, addressed the media over the updated cold case investigation

A fight over a packet of cigarettes and a white sedan could be key in solving the murders of five men killed in a boarding house fire, as police reveal they’ve uncovered new information which could help them crack the 34-year cold case.

Police have upped the reward for information to $500,000 in the unsolved 1990 Oakdale Guest House fire which detectives believe was deliberately lit.

Five men – Trevor Joseph Ganter, 64, Desmond William Bemi, 59, Salvatore Mario Tusa, 41, Edward Turner Boyne, 80 and Eldred Frederick Glode, 68 – were killed in the Ipswich blaze.

Police continue to search for the person responsible for the fire.

Mr Bemi’s nephew, Ken Bemi, said the morning of the fire still haunts him, and called for anyone with information to help their family find closure.

“Even though it’s some 34 years ago since the fire occurred, the raw emotions of that early morning are still very much here today with me,” Mr Bemi said.

59-year-old Desmond William Bemi was killed in the fire.

“I still recall the morning the fire occurred … I saw it on the morning news, I called my father … he simply said ‘he’s gone’. To this very day those words still haunt me.

“That’s why it’s so important for anyone with any information to please come forward … help the families of the victims that perished on that early morning seek closure and justice they deserve.”

The horrific fire broke out in one of the 28 rooms inside the two-storey boarding house on December 29, 1990.

The Oakland Guest House was completely destroyed in the fire.

Horrific witness accounts from the night detail occupants waking up to a wall of flames, jumping for their lives out windows, and watching their friends be engulfed by flames.

Sadly, five men on the upper level perished in the blaze.

Police were unable to determine a cause of the fire at the time, but an inquest was held into the deaths in 1992.

The inquest heard from multiple witnesses who told a Coroner a man admitted to lighting the fire. He was eventually charged, but charges were dropped by prosecution before the evidence could be tested in court.

Emergency services workers sort through the ashes.

Homicide Cold Case Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell said since then, more information has come out.

“To date, over 400 inquiries have been conducted and 70 witness statements obtained,” Detective Kentwell said.

“Further information suggesting the fire had been deliberately lit has been provided to police resulting in the 2024 review of this investigation.”

Detectives are specifically interested in multiple fights which broke out at the boarding house on the night of the fire, including one fight over the theft of a pack of cigarettes which involved men who didn’t live at the house.

Police believe the five men who perished were not involved in the fights, and were simply innocent parties who perished.

The remnants of the Ipswich hostel after the December 1990 blaze. Picture: Geoff McLachlan

“It’s very difficult, and to consider there were 28 people that night in a way we were fortunate we only lost the lives of five people that night.”

Police are also focusing on white Holden HQ sedan with a gold roof parked near the boarding house on the night of the fire. Witnesses recalled seeing two people running towards the car and away from the blaze.

Two people were seen running towards of vehicle of this description during the fire in 1990.

Detective Kentwell said detectives will reinterview all witnesses from the original investigation – including the man who was originally charged.

“Their whereabouts are known, and our interactions with them is part of our overall review of the investigation.”

Mr Ganter’s niece, Genia Otuszewski, said their family missed him dearly.

64-year-old Joseph Trevor Ganter was killed in the fire.

Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell.

“He was one of those people who just warmed you, he loved animals, he was sweet and he was a very, very nice presence in our lives,” Ms Otuszewski said.

“Christmases and get-togethers were enhanced by spending time with uncle Trevor.

“It’s the injustice that eats at you.”

The $500,000 reward is being offered for information which leads to the apprehension and conviction of the person or persons responsible for arson and subsequent murder of the five men.

In addition, an appropriate indemnity from prosecution will be recommended for any accomplice, not being the person who committed the crime, who first gives such information.

“Although this offence occurred 34 years ago, detectives believe there are still people out there who hold information crucial to this ongoing criminal investigation who have not come forward or have previously provided police an untrue account of events.

“Police urge guesthouse residents or members of the public who hold such information to contact police.”

Anyone with information, no matter how small or irrelevant they think it might be, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers nationally on 1800 333 000 or online on the Crime Stoppers website.

Originally published as Ipswich Oakdale Guest House fire cold case cracked open after new information presented to QPS