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Deadline: Leongatha’s reputation for producing serial killers like Erin Patterson, Arnold Karl Sodeman

Long before Erin Patterson’s poisoned lunch gripped the nation, Leongatha was already making a name for deaths in the dairy belt, as serial killer Arnold Karl Sodeman made it his hunting ground.

Leongatha was part of another murder probe almost a century before Erin Patterson’s mushroom lunch.
Leongatha was part of another murder probe almost a century before Erin Patterson’s mushroom lunch.

Mark Buttler with his weekly dose of scallywag scuttlebutt.

Leongatha has in the past two years become synonymous with the wicked deeds of mushroom murderer Erin Patterson.

Patterson’s case will go down in Australian criminal infamy but, almost a century before she cold-bloodedly killed three people with a poisoned beef wellington lunch, the South Gippsland district was part of another major homicide inquiry.

A new podcast, the Schoolgirl Strangler, hosted by local journalist Matt Dunn, is a penetrating look into the world of serial killer Arnold Karl Sodeman.

Sodeman was born in 1899 and grew up the hard way with a violent father and a work life which began at 13 when he ran away from home to work in the coal mines down the coast at Wonthaggi.

As a teenager, he started to find trouble with the law and would later be sentenced to hard labour for attempted armed robbery.

After being released in 1926, he settled in Gippsland, where he was later married, became a father and was regarded by locals as an unexceptional, hardworking man.

It was only much later that the world would learn Sodeman was also a serial killer.

Serial killer Arnold Sodeman settled in Gippsland. Picture: Supplied
Serial killer Arnold Sodeman settled in Gippsland. Picture: Supplied

In 1935, the body of six-year-old June Rushmer was found in grass outside Leongatha, a crime which shocked the local community.

Testing later found she died of suffocation and had been bound and gagged.

Police would soon examine similarities between the murders at Ormond of Mena Griffiths, 12, in 1930 and Hazel Wilson, 16, a year later, along with that of 12-year-old Ethel Belshaw at Inverloch, near Leongatha in 1935.

Sodeman was arrested after information from a suspicious workmate and confessed to the four killings after marathon questioning by detectives.

Dunn said the colleague made a joke about seeing Sodeman riding his bike around the time of June’s murder.

When Sodeman reacted angrily, the workmate went to police, a move which may not have been solved by an investigation which wasn’t going far.

Dunn said Robert McMahon was, at one point “fitted up”, for one of the killings, despite him being 500km away in New South Wales at the time.

Long before Erin Patterson’s poisoned lunch gripped the nation, Leongatha was already making a name for deaths in the dairy belt. Picture: Martin Keep
Long before Erin Patterson’s poisoned lunch gripped the nation, Leongatha was already making a name for deaths in the dairy belt. Picture: Martin Keep

It was only the alibi evidence of his brother that stopped him being convicted over that crime, instead of Sodeman.

“He would have hanged for it,” Dunn said.

In 1936, Sodeman stood trial over two days.

The evidence of doctors who concluded he was insane at the time was not accepted by the jury and he was hanged at Pentridge Prison.

The Schoolgirl Strangler podcast, which also features former homicide squad detective Narelle Fraser, is available at arnsodpod.com.

Stress management

Tough times for a couple of Melbourne businessmen under a fair bit of expensive underworld pressure.

One, ostensibly a legitimate operator, has lost quite a deal of money lately after finding himself a target in some kind of gangland conflict.

There are some, however, who aren’t completely surprised.

Some years ago he was of considerable interest to organised crime detectives looking into his links to high-level drug importations.

The businessman’s links to a few police also sharpened the curiosity of investigators.

The other fellow was also targeted by arsonists as recently as last week.

A view that he owes money all over the town is a possible factor in his misfortune with drive-by shooters and firebombers.

Cops say, go Bush!

New Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush has big plans to fix the force’s dud computer system.

Those in the job say it’s a technological morass which isn’t fit for purpose, a blend of multiple programs which tie them up in repetitive, duplicated processes.

If Bush can get it done, it will be a feat that a succession of top cops going back to the 1990s has been unable to achieve.

Multiple failed IT overhauls have flushed a colossal amount of money down the toilet and left a tough job even harder.

Success for Bush would be a two-fold winner.

Finding the fix would put police back on the streets rather than leaving them bogged down navigating their way through a jungle of time-consuming processes

As one member recently told the Herald Sun, the job has become “admin in a vest”.

“We’re hardly even police officers any more. We’re glorified secretaries,” he said.

New Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush has big plans to fix the force’s dud computer system. Picture: Jason Edwards
New Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush has big plans to fix the force’s dud computer system. Picture: Jason Edwards

Benched by the cops

Situation vacant at a leading eastern suburbs footy team.

A member of its coaching panel has been sidelined by police who last week locked him up on some high-level drug charges.

He’s not expected back any time soon.

VIPER puts bite on crooks

Victoria Police’s VIPER taskforce just notched its third anniversary, knocking up some impressive numbers in the process.

The unit was formed in mid-2022, coincidentally in a period of gangland mayhem marked by the attempted cemetery hit on Sam “The Punisher” Abdulrahim.

Since being initially formed to combat outlaw motorcycle gangs, Middle-eastern organised crime groups and youth gangs, it has charged almost 1500 offenders.

VIPER has been heavily used since late-2023 with the many high-level illicit tobacco operations run by the Lunar taskforce.

The 80 VIPER members have proactively targeted criminals involved in homicides, shootings and firebombings and can also be deployed anywhere in the state as part of regional deployments.

The VIPER taskforce just notched its third anniversary, knocking up some impressive numbers in the process. Picture: Victoria Police
The VIPER taskforce just notched its third anniversary, knocking up some impressive numbers in the process. Picture: Victoria Police

It combines officers from the public order response team (PORT), state highway patrol, general duties, intelligence officers and detectives from a

range of areas, including the armed crime squad, Echo taskforce, criminal proceeds squad, illicit firearms squad, vehicle crime squad, major drug squad, clandestine laboratory squad and the squad.

They have processed 1422 offenders and laid 2637 charges in the first three years.

Members have made 1000 firearm prohibition order searches, served 70 FPOs, seized more than $5.1M in cash and $3M in gold bullion and carried out 172 proceeds of crime seizures.

Almost 200 firearms and imitation gun seizures have been made, along with tasers, knives, swords, knuckle dusters, ASP batons and explosives such as power gel and detonators.

Those involved have impounded 122 vehicles.

Employing the highly diverse range of experience and expertise of members force-wide allows for VIPER to conduct both proactive and reactive investigations, which target organised crime from every possible angle.

The VIPER taskforce has processed 1422 offenders and laid 2637 charges in the first three years. Picture: Victoria Police
The VIPER taskforce has processed 1422 offenders and laid 2637 charges in the first three years. Picture: Victoria Police

Day to day, their work involves a range of enforcement and prevention actions such as proactively criminals, including those involved in incidents such as homicides, arsons and shootings.

Senior police say VIPER has contributed heavily to its intelligence holdings on organised crime groups.

Supt Craig Darlow said the unit had become a fundamental part of the way the force tackled serious and organised crime.

“The work the squad has done to disrupt the criminality of groups such as outlaw motorcycle gangs, Middle-eastern organised crime syndicates, street gangs and more has seen over 1500 people arrested and 2600 charges laid,” Supt Darlow said.

“We know that the presence of VIPER in regional areas has led to a change in the mindset of previously thought they were out of reach of our specialist police units.”

Originally published as Deadline: Leongatha’s reputation for producing serial killers like Erin Patterson, Arnold Karl Sodeman

Original URL: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/victoria/deadline-leongathas-reputation-for-producing-serial-killers-like-erin-patterson-arnold-karl-sodeman/news-story/4931bdadfe17f009a9e9a97eaa851a67