Bodies in the Bush

By Brian Beauchamp

The Australian Crime Investigation Department is tasked with solving three consecutive murders on three successive Valentine's Days, as a result of their success with the Simpson Desert murder (Desert Waste). The investigation involves a variety of travel throughout Australia and perplexing issues first pointing one way then another to identify the culprit/s. The investigation leads them in various directions. Interspersed with these crimes are the murders of two very young girls and the successful arrest of their killer. It also has the final conclusion to their previous investigation involving the Red Devils outlaw motor cycle gang. The investigation involves traveling the width and breadth of Australia.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brian Beauchamp
• Release date: Feb 4, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310879548

Brian Beauchamp

I was a police officer in South Australia including Vice Squad and Criminal investigation, then a number of years in various sales positions selling everything from cars to insurance. Deciding I needed a less sedentary job I took up landscaping for some years then moved to Tasmania for a year followed by the last few years in Victoria where I bred white dorper stud sheep. Now living back in South Australia I have taken up writing again and decided to e-book my second crime fiction novel.

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Bodies in the Bush

Brian Beauchamp

Published by Brian Beauchamp at Smashwords

Copyright 2016 Brian Beauchamp

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Cover by Viladesign

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

About Brian Beauchamp

Connect with Brian Beauchamp

Other titles by Brian Beauchamp

Prologue

Having investigated the discovery of a dying man in the remote Simpson Desert the newly formed Australian Crime Investigation Department had arrested a number of members of the Red Devils motor cycle gang in various localities of Australia including large city and remote outback locations. Large amounts of drugs had also been confiscated thanks largely to newly developed technology. Charges had been laid and most were still awaiting trial.

The Department now turns its attention to a series of murders occurring through three different States of Australia. Along the way they become involved in the horrific killing of two little girls and a terrorist organisation.

Chapter 1

Wrapping up of the Simpson Desert crime was complete with prosecutions pending against all alleged suspects. Members were without an investigation and were I involved in advanced stages of various technology training while Inspector Len Troubridge was perusing files of applicants seeking the two advertised positions in ACID, noting to himself there was a marked increase in numbers applying when compared with the initial applicant request the previous year. Applications amounting to one hundred and twenty-three in total were from all Police forces in the country.

The phone on his desk rang and picking up the handset he spoke with the Director who was based in Canberra, Australia’s capital and the location of the country’s Federal Parliament. Replacing the phone some minutes later he sat for a short period in the grey material swivel chair, gazing out his office window at the city skyline and contemplating the information he had just received. Having taken into account the potential logistics and other issues which would become apparent in this development he made a phone call to the local police forensics department. Rising from his chair crossed to and opened his office door and seeing Katarina seated at her desk in the large squad room he said, Kat can you find all the others and have them here in five minutes we have a new job.

Shortly when all the detectives were gathered in the room the Inspector addressed the investigators. Senior Sergeant Beauregarde Jones, Sergeant Oscar Pittman, Detective Senior Constables Brad Polkinghorne and Jim Halliday, Detective Constables Tricia Capriotti, Katarina Georgio, Detective Constable Meridee Butler, the technology expert and Constable Mike Longridge.

Surveying the room Inspector Troubridge said, We have a new job. Somewhat different to the last one however it now involves four States and they have gone to the Director and formally applied for him to bring us into the investigation. Meridee when this briefing is finished can you research all information there is available on all State computer systems and start the normal logs.

What we are looking at is three separate murders involving New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and as of this morning the Northern Territory.

On Valentine’s Day 2013 a twenty-year old male went out for the evening in Bendigo Victoria, failed to come home and was reported as a missing person. His body was found near Jerilderie in New South Wales six days later, but he had only been dead for about twenty-four hours.

Number two, Valentine’s Day 2014 a twenty-two-year old male out with friends in Mildura left a pub about one a.m. and was not seen again. Not reported missing until four days later and his body was found eight days after disappearing in the Ngarkat Conservation Park in South Australia. Again the autopsy suggested he had died only a day or so before being found.

Now we come to this year. Valentine’s Day again and a nineteen-year old male from Port Augusta out on the town with a friend, dropped her off at home and not seen again until his body was located on a track near Kulgera in the Northern Territory this morning, seven days after disappearing. His vehicle had been located close to his friend’s residence and was impounded after being reported missing on the morning of the fifteenth of February. I have arranged for Angelo Romaldi from SAPOL Forensics to be on standby to go to inspect the vehicle.

While the first two are matters of public record and unsolved, yesterday’s find has not been revealed to the press yet. Victorian, New South Wales and South Australian police departments have been combining information but have made little progress to date. What has never been revealed on either of the first two killings is the particular M O this killer uses. It appears they have been kept alive for a period of time after being taken by the killer and have been controlled by drugs and bindings.

In the first two incidents there is very little in the way of clues towards a suspect other than what the autopsies on the two victims revealed. Again both were very similar. Stomach contents revealed nothing in the way of food and only a little water in the days preceding death, both had been controlled by opiate drugs, both had ultimately died from asphyxiation due to the head being completely bound with cling wrap. Both medical examiners are of the opinion the victim’s probably had little idea of the cling wrap being applied due to their comatose condition as a result of the drugs.

All bindings except the cling wrap had been removed post-mortem and the bodies stripped naked and washed clean to remove any foreign or forensic evidence material and then dumped in the locations in which they were found. The killer or killers have tried to remove all traces of any materials however on the second victim there were traces of the sticky glue like substance associated with duct tape

Additionally, and this is what has never been released, each of the first two victims suffered trauma to the genital areas, not any severance of genitalia, but certainly damaged and the ME reports indicate this was carried out pre-mortem so even though they were drugged apparently there was suffering at the hands of the killer or killers. This trauma to the genitalia involved being slashed with a sharp object, probably a sharp knife or maybe a box cutter and bindings which restricted circulation to the penis for short periods of time.

Other than the fact there has to be a vehicle involved, that’s about all that is known. The body near Kulgera was only located about three hours ago and instructions have been issued to the local cop to preserve the crime scene. The body was located in a gravel scrape about thirteen kilometres south of Kulgera. Oscar you have Homicide experience, take Jim with you I’ve arranged a plane which will leave Parafield airport as soon as you get there. Mike will drive you to the airport and a Kulgera cop will meet you at their airfield and take you to the scene. Meantime Meridee you know what to do. Any information you can get take it to Beau. That’s it folks, let’s get started.

As the meeting concluded, Oscar and Jim collected their travel bags from the storage room and after a brief chat with Beau left the building to be driven to the airport. Meridee went to the technology area and instituted searches of the previous crimes and expanded the search to cover any other crimes of a similar nature anywhere in the country.

The remainder of the team commenced discussing the murders in the squad room.

A little bizarre, said Tricia, might be a female with some hate towards men involved, what name should we give it? We can’t use the St Valentine’s Day massacres, that’s already been used.

We don’t have to give it a fancy name, said Beau, we just need to get to work and gather all the information available. Tricia I want you to get in touch with Bendigo Police and talk to the lead investigator, Brad you talk to whoever was involved in Finley, Kat talk with Mildura and I’ll ring Pinnaroo and then Port Augusta. Get as much info as you can and we’ll meet back here with Meridee.

Re-convening the meeting about an hour later Beau invited Meridee to speak first.

She said, As the boss summarised there is no further evidence of any value. Statements from relatives and friends throw no further light on reasons why the two dead were selected, or how they came to get involved with whoever killed them. It’s as if they just plain disappeared after their last known location. New South Wales forensics have in their possession one nine centimetre blonde hair which was located when the cling wrap was removed from the deceased. DNA tests identify the hair as female in origin. There were no sightings on any CCTV cameras in the area and no witnesses. I cannot find any other incidents of this type of genitalia damage in any State databases. Sorry guys that’s all I can tell you at this stage.

Thanks Meridee, Tricia how did you go with Bendigo?

Nothing exciting Beau. The subject was in the Black Swan hotel in Bendigo CBD. He left there about twelve-thirty hours on the fifteenth of February two thousand and thirteen, walked out the front door was seen to walk along a pedestrian path in the direction of Bendigo Creek which was the way to his unit in Barnard Street. He was never seen alive again. According to the local Sergeant I spoke with they questioned everybody they knew had been at the pub that night, checked some limited CCTV in the pub and could find nothing to indicate any reason why he should vanish into thin air. Nothing more was seen or heard of him until his body was discovered on the twentieth of February at Jerilderie New South Wales.

Brad, pick up the story at Finley.

There’s an ornamental lake when travelling from Deniliquin to Jerilderie along the Conargo Road. This lake is on the left as vehicles enter Jerilderie. The body had been dumped near by a small stand of trees during the night of twentieth of February. Witnesses say it was not there on the evening of the nineteenth but was discovered by a local lady walking her dog at zero six thirty hours on the morning of the twentieth. It was only about twenty metres in from the bitumen. There was no evidence of drag marks and livor mortis suggested he died somewhere else and was dumped there. The Jerilderie blokes think a vehicle stopped on the side of the highway during the night and one or two people carried the body to where it was dumped then drove away. There was no physical evidence of tyre marks or any other indication of vehicle type. The body was naked except for the head being bound with cling wrap. Evidence of restraints on wrists, upper arms and chest, plus his ankles but all had been removed. That’s about all they have.

Alright Tricia and Brad, Mike is back from taking the others to the airport, pick up Angelo from SAPOL Forensics and go as quick as you can. Mike can drive you to Port Augusta should only take about three hours. He can use beacons and siren when required. Interview the victim’s friend and his family and anyone else you can find with a connection. I’ve advised the local law you’re on your way. Now how did you go with Mildura Kat?

Probably similar to Tricia with Bendigo Beau. Spoke with the lead detective, the deceased walked out of the Grand Central Hotel about zero one hundred hours and was seen walking towards the Murray River. When he was reported missing four days later their first conclusion had them searching the Murray for a body. The thinking being he was last seen walking in that direction after having been in the pub drinking, the weather was hot and he wouldn’t be the first to go missing in the river on a hot night having had some alcohol. Due to the time lapse between last sighting and reported disappearance they searched for two days and then gave up working on the theory the body would be located if it surfaced. That’s all they have.

"Thanks Kat, I rang Pinnaroo Police and spoke with the officer concerned. The victim’s body was found in a disused gravel quarry next to a camp ground named Comet Bore on the highway between Pinnaroo and Bordertown in South Australia. The location was about fifty-five kilometres from Pinnaroo and about seventy-five from Bordertown. Both stations had Police at the scene. The Pinnaroo bloke was first and immediately isolated the scene. They had Forensics at the scene within three hours. There was evidence of one footprint in a soft section of the ground. Forensics say it is the print of a boot, size twelve left foot with wear to the outer or left side of the boot. The presumption is for a male to be the boot owner. Again the body was naked except for the cling wrap suffocation material around the head. The report also shows a number of minor to medium scratches and cuts to the penis and testicles area. The victim was discovered there by a couple in a four-wheel drive Nissan and caravan who had pulled in for a morning coffee. As there was no mobile phone service covering that area they had to drive nearly to Pinnaroo to report the find. The man had enough sense to cover the body with a tarp and some rocks before driving to Pinnaroo.

Turning to today’s information, Port Augusta along with all other Police Stations throughout the country had received a heads up prior to Valentine’s Day for any missing males. Once the victim’s car was found it was immediately impounded awaiting any further developments. Angelo will go over it for any evidence once they get to Port Augusta while Brad and Tricia see if they can find anything further from witnesses."

……

Reaching the Port Augusta Police station, Angelo was taken to the storage area to begin his examination of the victim’s vehicle whilst Brad and Tricia were shown into the office of the duty Inspector. Pleasantries were exchanged and the Inspector assured them of his complete co-operation while supplying them with the names and addresses of witnesses and the deceased’s family. The deceased had been identified by a distinctive tattoo on his left shoulder as Robert James Palmer an apprentice mechanic. It had been established the deceased had been out for an evening with a female friend at the Pastoral Hotel, Stirling Road. A bar attendant verified they had been there most of the evening without any indications of anything other than a pleasant relationship.

Returning to their car Brad gave Mike the address of the victim’s family and they proceeded to that address. After introductions they expressed their sorrow at the family’s loss. Further questioning revealed nothing to enlighten them as to a possible motive for the crime. Moving on to the address for the victim’s female friend, again offering condolences and ascertaining she knew nothing more than already stated. They also verified the two were not boyfriend and girlfriend but just good friends.

Returning to their car Mike informed them he had received a radio call informing them a new witness had arrived at the Police station asking to see someone about the mystery.

Brad introduced himself and Tricia to the person at the Police station who said, I’m Bruce Tavener, a taxi driver six nights a week doing the night shift. I went past Rob’s car where it got left in Frome Street about half twelve in the morning of the day after Valentine’s and saw his car there. It’s pretty distinctive so I knew it was his. There was a male and a female walking around the next corner to the left. That’s all I seen.

When you say the morning of the day after Valentines you mean the fifteenth?

Yeah that’s right.

Can you describe these two people for me?

The bloke was a bit taller than the sheila and was wearing jeans and a light coloured shirt, maybe a T-shirt, perhaps blue or green. The girl was wearing a short dark skirt and a white top.

What about hair colour?

Can’t help you there.

Shoes?

I think she had high heels but I’m not sure.

Did you recognise either of them?

No.

Why did it take you until now to come forward with this information?

I knew Rob was missing but it didn’t think it was too important until I heard they found his body this morning, so I came in then.

Alright. Thanks for coming in, I’ll just get you to sign a statement shortly and then you can leave.

Turning back to Tricia Brad said, That might have been the victim. According to his girlfriend he was wearing jeans and a greeny-blue T shirt, but if it was him, who was the female and why was he walking somewhere with her after dropping his girlfriend at her home?

Tell you what Brad, I think we should get a couple of uniforms and canvas the area where he left the car and the street they turned down.

Good thinking, Mike can be involved in that as well. It might turn up something.

Arriving at the street in question they observed it to be an older area of the town with houses appearing to be about nineteen-sixty’s vintage. During the door knock a piercing whistle drew Tricia’s interest. Looking in the direction it came from she saw Mike waving an arm to attract her attention from further along Keer street. Joining him he introduced her to an elderly man saying, This is Mr. Laredo, he was up going to the toilet just after twelve thirty on the morning in question and saw a male and female walking down the street towards a motorhome parked there. He has no idea of type. To use his words ‘one of those big live in bus things with its own engine, big and white and another colour. I’m not even sure it’s the same people the taxi driver saw but it is a bit coincidental.

Well done Mike, Mr Laredo did they look like they were friends?

Maybe, they have an arm around each other’s waist.

How could you see that?

As they walk in the area of the street light.

What were they wearing?

Girl had dress and white top, man had jeans and T-shirt.

Did you actually see them get into the motorhome?

No it was park on other side of road.

Thank you Mr Laredo. We’ll send somebody around to get a statement from you

Chapter 2

Oscar and Jim, having flown from Adelaide to Kulgera and been met by the local Northern Territory Police Officer were now at the location where the body of Rob Palmer had been found.

Speaking with the local cop Senior Constable Wallace Montgomery known locally as Wal Oscar asked, Do we have any idea how long the body was here before being found Wal?

"It was found by shire workers coming in to get some gravel for road repairs about six thirty this morning. They saw it lying there as they started to drive into the scrape. The foreman had enough brains not to go any further and they rang me immediately. I told them I would be there inside half an hour and to keep clear of the area. Once I arrived I checked for signs of life but it was obvious he was dead, took photos and arranged for the local ambulance crew to come and get the body. We had to get his body out fairly quickly due to the forecast heat today. I could see tyre tracks near the body so I made sure we kept away from them. They told me the body wasn’t there when they finished