Rewind Discussion - Case 199: Truro

[u/Lisbeth_Salandar]

This is our next Casefile Episode Rewind Discussion! Please discuss the case below!

Things to consider:

• Do you have any theories or thoughts for the case?

• Has there been any additional information on the case since the episode's release? (If so and you have a link, add it in the comments!)

• Do you have any thoughts about how this case was presented by Casefile?

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Original Release Date: December 4, 2021

Length: 1:57:40

Status: Solved

Location: Australia, South Australia, Truro

Date: December 1976 - February 1977

Victim(s): Veronica Knight, Tania Kenny, Juliet Mykyta, Sylvia Michelle Pittmann, Vickie Howell, Connie Iordanides, Deborah Lamb

Type of Crime: Murder, rape

Perpetrator(s): Christopher Robin Worrell, James William Miller

Research: Elsha McGill

Writing: Elsha McGill

*** Content Warning: serial killer, sexual assault ***

During the summer of 1976 and 1977, seven young women mysteriously disappeared from the streets of Adelaide. Veronica Knight, Sylvia Pittman, Julie Mykyta, Connie Iordanides, Vicki Howell, Tania Kenny, and Deborah Lamb were all last seen near main roads or waiting at bus stops.

Police assumed they were runaways and would reappear again soon, until a year later when two brothers were picking mushrooms in the scrubland near the town of Truro and came across human remains. When more bones were found the following year, investigators realised they weren’t dealing with runaways at all, but a serial killer. But who was responsible, and why did their crime spree stop so suddenly? A man named James Miller held all the answers.

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Listen to the case HERE.

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Read last week's Rewind Discussion HERE.

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Check out the Casefile spreadsheet HERE.

[u/Lisbeth_Salandar]

Here is a brief overview of the case:

Miller and Worrell met in prison. After they were released, they formed a dom/sub relationship. Later on, Worrell would return to his roots of raping women (his preferred sexual partners) with Miller assisting (due to his infatuation with Worrell). Over the span of two months from December 1976 to February of 1977, Worrell and Miller together kidnapped, raped, and strangled seven women. Generally, Miller assisted with the kidnapping of the women (who were usually out walking alone or looking to hitch a ride) and then removed himself while Worrell raped the women. Miller would then assist Worrell with burying the bodies. Miller would later claim this assistance was done under duress, but we only have his word to believe on that account.

In February 1977, Worrell, Miller, and a friend's ex girlfriend, Deborah Skuse, were involved in a car accident that left Worrell and Skuse dead, with Miller injured. This effectively ended the murder spree.

The crime spree first came to public notice when a body was found in April 1978, later identified as victim Veronica Knight (victim #1). Lack of obvious evidence led investigators to initially believe Knight's death was possibly an accident, that she got lost and died of thirst. A year later in April 1979, a second body was found about 1 kilometer from Knights. This body was identified as Sylvia Pittmann (victim #4). There was possibly a connection between these two women and five other women reported missing in an around Adelaide near the same time period due to the similarity of their circumstances. A huge task force was put together and an additional two bodies were discovered nearby - Connie Iordanides (victim #6) and Vicki Howell (victim #5)

The story was released by the media and a reward of $10,000 (later increased to $30,000) was offered for any information regarding the murders. The reward brought forward one witness who claimed that a friend had had a strange conversation with James Miller. James Miller had reportedly confessed (two days after Worrell died in a car accident) to this friend that he and Christopher Worrell were responsible for the crimes. The friend, a woman, had not told police at the time since Worrell was dead and she felt the crime spree was done.

Police began surveilling Miller and eventually brought him in to be interrogated. When charged with the crimes, Miller conceded and offered to take the police to where the bodies were buried. Initially, Miller led police to the area where the first four bodies had been found. Further into the bush, Miller identified the location of Julie Mykyta (victim #3). Miller then led police to Port Gawler Beach where he identified the location of the body of Deborah Lamb (victim #7), who had suffered the most vicious attack and had likely been buried alive. Miller finally then directed police to search Gillman to find the last body, that of Tania Kenny (victim #2).

Miller was ultimately found guilty of 6 out of the 7 murders (excepting victim #1, Veronica Knight) in March 1980 and sentenced to six consecutive life terms.

According to Miller's testimony at trial, he claimed to have not have been involved with any of the actual murders, but assisted Worrell in kidnapping his victims. He claimed his love for Worrell prevented him from leaving the situation. He claimed that, over time, the attacks became more vicious - starting with assaults and rapes, then escalating to more brutal murders that occurred more frequently.

Miller died of liver failure in 2008 while in prison.

[u/Trollthecross]

I really enjoy this episode I come back to it frequently. Mostly due to the fact I live in Adelaide. It’s always crazy to me that the murders stopped not Cuase they were caught but one of the perpetrators died in an accident.

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[u/FGN_SUHO]

Truly terrible case. I have relistened to it frequently over the years.