New probe into outback triple murder

Pre-inquest hearings will soon begin to re-examine findings into the triple murder of three friends who were gunned down in Queensland almost 50 years ago.

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

Pre-inquest hearings will begin next month to re-examine findings into the triple murder of three friends in Central Queensland who were gunned down almost 50 years ago.

Karen Edwards, 23, her partner Timothy Thomson, 31, and their friend Gordon Twaddle, 21, were murdered in 1978.

Karen Edwards was from Dandenong in Melbourne.

Tim Thomson was originally from New Zealand but had lived in Adelaide, Melbourne and Alice Springs.

After a cold case investigation, Bruce John Preston, then aged 67, was to face a trial in the Supreme Court in Brisbane in 2023, however prosecutors told the court the Crown would not proceed.

Mr Preston was discharged on three counts of murder. He had pleaded not guilty.

After the charges were withdrawn, State Coroner Terry Ryan in 2023 said he would re-open the inquest into the murders, due to the amount of material that had been gathered since the original inquest.

Tim Thomson's 1977 BMW R100S motorcycle with homemade sidecar. The bike had SA plates and was recovered two weeks after their bodies were discovered.

Ms Edwards, Mr Thomson and Mr Twaddle had planned to travel from Alice Springs, through Mount Isa to Cairns and along the east coast before arriving in Melbourne.

The trio were last seen at Mount Isa’s Lake Moondarra Caravan Park on October 5.

Their bodies were found at Spear Creek, in bushland north of Mount Isa, 19 days later.

Gordon Twaddle was also from New Zealand.

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

A cold-case investigation by the state’s homicide squad led to Mr Preston being charged with the murders in 2019. Mr Preston always maintained his innocence.

After the DPP decided to drop the murder trial, Ms Edwards’ brother Barry Edwards pushed for an inquest.

Gordon Twaddle's bike was dumped in Mount Isa.

In 2023 State Coroner Terry Ryan said he would reopen the original inquest into the deaths of the three friends.

“Having regard to the recent withdrawal of charges by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the large amount of material that has been gathered since the original inquest into these deaths, I have decided that it is in the public interest to reopen the inquest to re-examine the coronial findings in relation to these deaths from 11 July 1980,” he wrote in 2023.

The Moondarra Caravan Park, near Mount Isa, where the group was last seen alive on October 5, 1978.

“I have directed Coroner Donald MacKenzie to take carriage of the investigation. Coroner MacKenzie will determine whether it is in the public interest to hold a new inquest.”

At the time of the announcement, one of Ms Edwards’ sisters, Lisa Edwards, said the family believed the person responsible for her sister’s murder was still alive and that an inquest could help find answers.

The pre-inquest hearings will begin on June 19 in Cairns.

Originally published as New probe into outback triple murder