Cannibalism Discovered In 'Bodies In Barrels' Murder Case

[bloodrayne]

Cannibalism Revelations Made Public

Australia - Chronology of events in the bodies-in-barrels case
Allegations of cannibalism in the infamous Snowtown bodies-in-barrels murders can finally be made public in South Australia.

The details have been suppressed from publication in South Australia since 2002, but can now be revealed following an order in the South Australian Supreme Court today.

A lawyer for convicted serial killer James Vlassakis told the court in 2002 that the bodies-in-barrels killers fried and ate flesh from one of their victims.

"My client was going to have a shower and he comes out to find Robert Wagner cooking the flesh of [murder victim] David Johnson in a frying pan," lawyer Rosemary Davey told the court in 2002.

"He's offered some, told effectively: try some."

The evidence was able to be reported outside South Australia due to limits in the Supreme Court's jurisdiction.

John Bunting was present during the alleged cannibalism incident but Mark Haydon, who is awaiting sentencing on seven counts of assisting the murderers, was not.

Bunting was found guilty of 11 murders, Wagner of 10 and Vlassakis of four murders following the Snowtown killings.

In May 1999, police discovered eight bodies rotting in barrels in the vault of a disused bank at Snowtown, north of Adelaide.

A further two bodies were found buried in the backyard of a northern Adelaide house and police later linked another two deaths several years earlier to the case.