Could one of Australia's oldest cold cases finally be cracked with modern technology? Join us on an eerie journey back to 1965 as we uncover the chilling details of the Wanda Beach Murders, a case that has haunted a community for almost six decades. We revisit the tragic day when teenage friends Mary Ann Schmidt and Christine Sherrick disappeared during a beach outing, leading to a grim discovery that shocked the nation. Listen in as we recount their last known movements and the agonizing hours that followed, ultimately ending with the discovery of their bodies in the sandhills.
Our exploration doesn’t stop at the crime scene. Hear from Detective Inspector Haynes and former detective Sec Johnson about the exhaustive investigation that followed, filled with thousands of interviews but no concrete arrests. We delve into renewed media interest in the 1980s and 2000s, especially focusing on lost evidence and the promise of DNA technology. Listen to Johnson's compelling argument regarding suspect Alan Bassett and his eerie painting, which he believes depicts the crime scene. Despite decades of persistent efforts, this episode underscores the ongoing quest for answers in one of Australia’s most harrowing unsolved murders. Join us as we piece together the clues and ponder the lingering mysteries of the Wanda Beach Murders.
Could one of Australia's oldest cold cases finally be cracked with modern technology? Join us on an eerie journey back to 1965 as we uncover the chilling details of the Wanda Beach Murders, a case that has haunted a community for almost six decades. We revisit the tragic day when teenage friends Mary Ann Schmidt and Christine Sherrick disappeared during a beach outing, leading to a grim discovery that shocked the nation. Listen in as we recount their last known movements and the agonizing hours that followed, ultimately ending with the discovery of their bodies in the sandhills.
Our exploration doesn’t stop at the crime scene. Hear from Detective Inspector Haynes and former detective Sec Johnson about the exhaustive investigation that followed, filled with thousands of interviews but no concrete arrests. We delve into renewed media interest in the 1980s and 2000s, especially focusing on lost evidence and the promise of DNA technology. Listen to Johnson's compelling argument regarding suspect Alan Bassett and his eerie painting, which he believes depicts the crime scene. Despite decades of persistent efforts, this episode underscores the ongoing quest for answers in one of Australia’s most harrowing unsolved murders. Join us as we piece together the clues and ponder the lingering mysteries of the Wanda Beach Murders.
Hey, hey, crime Connoisseurs, I'm your host, grace D. I hope you all enjoyed the bonus case this weekend and that everyone had a lovely Father's Day. Today's case is one that our US listeners may or may not be familiar with, but our Aussie Crime Connoisseurs are sure to know exactly which case I'm talking about in just a few details. Our case today is taking us all the way to Australia For our first case down under. We're going to cover one of Australia's oldest and most shocking cold cases, going back to 1965, a time when people still kept their doors unlocked and felt safe. Tragedy would soon strike, altering the sense of safety. Two young women head to the beach with young siblings to spend the day. Sadly, the two teens would head off by themselves to never be seen again, sparking one of the most infamous murder mysteries in Australian history. Who was responsible for this tragedy? With the case remaining unsolved for nearly six decades, we're left with questions about what really happened on that fateful day in 1965. This is the case of Mary Ann Schmidt and Christine Sherrick, the Wanda Beach Murders.
Speaker 1:
Elizabeth and Helmut Schmidt had moved to Australia from Germany in 1958 with their children Helmut Jr, marianne, hans, peter, trixie, norbert and another on the way. After arriving in Australia, the Schmidt family lived in a migrant hostel in Unadera, new South Wales, before settling in Tamora In 1963, helmut moved the family to West Ryde, a suburb of Sydney, after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Helmut passed away the following year, leaving Elizabeth to care for the seven children alone. After moving to West Ryde, marianne developed a close friendship with Christine Sherrick, a young girl the same age as her who lived next door with her grandparents, jim and Jeanette Tague. Six months after her husband's passing, elizabeth herself was sick in the hospital, leaving Marianne and Helmut Jr in charge of the rest of the kids. On Saturday, january 9th, mary Ann and Christine asked Elizabeth, who was still in the hospital, if they could take the younger children to Cronulla the next day, and were given permission. However, rain prevented them from making the trip. Given permission, however, rain prevented them from making the trip.
Speaker 1:
On January 11, 1965, the two teenage girls set off for a day at the beach with the kids. Around 8 am, marianne, christine and the kiddos headed out with their bags and a picnic. They went down the coast to Cronulla by train. Around two hours away, holmett Jr and Hans opted out of going to the beach and instead stayed home to clean. The girls arrived at Cronulla with Peter, trixie, wolfgang and Norbert, but the beach was closed because of strong winds. The group then walked down to the southern end of the beach and took shelter among the rocks. Eight-year-old Wolfgang still wanted to swim, so Marianne went with him to the shallow part of the surf, away from the rocks. After they returned to the group, they had a picnic At some point. During this time, christine left the others and went off by herself.
Speaker 1:
When Christine returned to the group, they decided to go for a walk into the sandhills behind Wanda Beach. Before walking into the dunes, the girls hid their bags on the beach to lighten their load. Soon the wind was too strong. Soon the wind was too strong, and around 1 pm the group reached a point around 400 meters or 430 yards, beyond the Wanda Surf Club. They stopped to take shelter behind a sandhill. As the younger children complained about the conditions, mary Ann and Christine decided that they would go back to get their bags before going home. Marianne told her younger siblings that she and Christine would return to the rocky area at the south end of the beach where they had hidden their bags, then return to get the children and head home. However, the girls continued into the sand hills. When Peter noticed, he called out to them that they were going the wrong way, but they just laughed at him and walked on. It would be the last time the two friends were seen. Four hours went by but they didn't return. By 5 pm Peter decided that they should go home without Christine and Marianne. The kids found the bags untouched on the beach and caught the last train arriving home around 8 pm. Confused and concerned, hans went to see his mother in the hospital. In an article with thatslifecomau, hans told his mom quote the girls didn't come back from the beach end quote. He said quote. A huge sadness came over her. They're gone, she cried. End quote. Marianne and Christine were reported missing at 8.30 pm by Christine's grandmother.
Speaker 1:
The next morning, on Tuesday, january 12th, peter Smith took his young nephews for a walk through the Wanda Beach Sandhills. Some distance north of the Wanda Surf Club, he discovered what appeared to be a store mannequin buried face down in the sand. It wasn't until he brushed away the sand from the head that he realized it was a body. He scooped up his nephews and ran to the nearest surf club where the police were called. Police arrived and found the body of Mary Ann Schmidt. When members of the New South Wales Police arrived, they encountered the horrific scene. While investigating, someone noticed a foot belonging to a second body. It was then discovered that Christine Sherrick had been buried with Marianne.
Speaker 1:
When the murder scene was examined, marianne was found lying on her right side with her left leg bent. Christine was face down, her head against the sole of her friend's left foot. Both of them had scratch marks on their faces From a nearly 40-yard-long bloody drag mark in the sand leading to the scene. Police determined that Christine had fled, possibly while Marianne was dying, only to have been caught incapacitated and dragged back to the body of her friend. The bodies were partially clothed and the girls were brutally attacked, and at the time it was believed they were sexually assaulted. Bloodstains on nearby scrub and recently made car tracks were discovered leading from where the bodies were found. The bodies were moved to the Sutherland District Hospital, where a relative later identified them.
Speaker 1:
Both girls had been viciously attacked, beaten, stabbed multiple times and left exposed to the elements. The exact time of death was not determined, but it was believed that they were killed shortly after leaving the younger children. An intensive search was launched to find the murder weapons a long knife and some sort of blunt instrument but they were never found. Tons of sand from around the murder scene were sifted through and various items were found, including a blood-stained knife blade, but police were unable to link it to the murders Trigger warning the topic of sexual assault. Is it to the murders Trigger warning? The topic of sexual assault is about to be covered.
Speaker 1:
Christine's skull had been fractured by a blow to the back of the head and she had been stabbed six times. Marianne's throat had been deeply slashed and she had been stabbed 14 times, had been deeply slashed and she had been stabbed 14 times. Marianne's bathing suit had been cut and pulled up over her breasts and the killer attempted to rape Marianne and Christine. Semen was found on both girls. However, the autopsy showed that their hymens were intact. Marianne's brother, hans, had viewed photos of the body and said, quote she'd been stabbed 25 to 30 times. She'd almost been decapitated because her throat had been cut so viciously. At her funeral, marianne was dressed in a high neck dress, but you could still see the slash marks above the collar. That's how vicious it was. End quote. Marianne and Christine's funerals were held on January 20, 1965.
Speaker 1:
During Christine's absence, one of Marianne's little brothers, wolfgang, noticed a teenage boy hunting crabs. Later he claimed to have seen the same boy two more times, once in the company of the girls and again sometime much later, but walking alone. There has been doubt about his description of this person, as Wolfgang's testimony over time variously suggested that he had had a homemade spear gun, a fishing knife or both. The last official sighting of the girls was around 12.45 pm by local fireman Dennis Dostein, who was walking in the area with his son and saw the girls walking about 730 meters north of the surf club. Dostin told police they seemed to be hurrying and one of the girls often looked behind her as if they were being followed. He did not see anybody else, though A number of people were seen in the area who had never been identified and never came forward. The autopsy for Christine found a blood alcohol content of 0.015, but alcohol was not found. In Marianne's autopsy. It was also discovered that Christine had consumed food cabbage and celery, possibly a Chico roll that differed from the rest of the group. It is suspected that this occurred while she was alone.
Speaker 1:
Police launched one of the largest manhunts in Australian history, questioning numerous individuals and sifting through countless leads. Witnesses reported seeing the girls walking with a man in his mid-20s, though descriptions varied. Another witness saw a man running from the dunes around the estimated time of the murders. The estimated time of the murders In February 1965, a 10,000 pound reward was set and later increased to 20,000 pounds. Several suspects emerged over the years, but no charges were ever filed. One year later, on January 26, 1966, the three Beaumont siblings, jane, arna and Grant, disappeared from Glen Egg Beach in Adelaide. Both cases captured the attention of the nation, which became consumed by the search for their assailants. Both cases remain unsolved to this day. Initially, police encountered interest in both cases, using media appearances to call for information from the public. Detective Inspector Haynes, who led the investigation into the Wanda Beach murders, issued such an appeal in his interview with Ian Ross on National Network News in January 1965.
Speaker 2:
We have received information from possibly a thousand people. We have interviewed between five and six hundred people personally and obtained particulars five and six hundred people personally and obtained particulars In this state as well as in other states. Many suspects who could be considered to have committed this crime have been interviewed and their movements checked.
Speaker 3:
What would you consider your most important lead in the investigation so far?
Speaker 2:
The most important and possibly the outstanding thing is the description of the suspect who was last seen in the company of the girls whilst they were still alive. That is Wolfgang Smith, the brother of one of the deceased girls. He describes a lad about 16 years of age whom he saw disappearing in the sand dunes with his sister and the other girl about 1.30 on the fateful day.
Speaker 3:
Now, even though Wolfgang is a very young boy he's only seven years old you still feel that you could place a fair amount of importance on what he's told you.
Speaker 2:
Yes, when we first received his testimony, being so young, we were loathe to accept it, but we have checked and rechecked his information During the inquiry. Every piece of information we have received has tended to confirm and corroborate his story and we now feel that he can be relied upon and his testimony is acceptable.
Speaker 3:
Well now, sir, we might be able to perhaps move down to the Wonder Beach scene and take up the story there. Yes, we will. Detective Inspector Haynes, during your investigations, have you been quite happy with the support the public has given you in coming forward with information?
Speaker 2:
We have been amazed and overwhelmed at the response the public have made. Every piece of information, however seemingly unimportant, has been investigated. Many suspects as a result of that have been questioned and we feel that by the continued response of the people we will be able to put our finger on the man who has committed this crime.
Speaker 3:
Do you think that there are still some people who may have been here on the beach or who may otherwise be able to help, who have not yet come forward?
Speaker 2:
I feel very definitely only as late as yesterday. We have people coming who have previously known something but have not thought it important by reason of the publicity and the interest that has been created. They have come forward and we have received much information which will help us to form a pattern of the people who are on the beach and what may have happened on that fateful day.
Speaker 1:
Public interest in these cases was often so intense that it became the news. In February 1966, nine News reported on the overwhelming turnout of volunteers to assist police in combing the beach for clues to help find the Beaumont children. However, the Wanda Beach and Beaumont cases, like several other equally notorious crimes committed during the 60s, are cited as the moment when Australia lost its innocence. In April 1966, the coroner handed down his report. By then, police had interviewed roughly 7,000 people, making it the most extensive investigation in Australian history. Despite this, the murders quickly became a cold case and none of the three main suspects fit the description of the surfer youth who has never been identified. In March 1967, police believed they were close to arresting a man in connection with the murders of Marianne and Christine and the attacks on several women at Wanda Beach. On several women at Wanda Beach, fresh information was given to them by a woman named Brenda Galvin who was attacked on March 16th at the beach, and by the man who ran to her assistance, which helped to narrow the search for the killer. Detectives said that they had been overwhelmed by telephone calls from people claiming to know or have seen the killer, and each one was being investigated. A massive police hunt was underway for an old white car and the man seen driving away in it after the latest beach attack beach attack. Both their descriptions fit the sketch made by police using details obtained from other women who had been attacked in the beach area. Police were confident that the man was also the killer of Christine Sherrick and Marianne Schmidt.
Speaker 1:
In 1981, the Wanda Beach murders were again the subject of media interest when reporter Harry Potter yes, my fellow Potterheads, that is his real name, but not our beloved Harry Potter's broadcast did not present any new evidence, but his delivery style was indicative of recent developments in news broadcasting, particularly in crime reporting. Compared to Ian Ross, potter frequently uses subjective, even sensational, language. Marianne and Christine were described as quote pretty unpopular end quote, and Wanda Beach Sand Dunes as a quote playground for deviants end quote. The report also began by warning young women to quote be on their guard end quote. In the interview we learned that during the investigation, police interviewed more than 16,000 people up to this point, including roughly 5,000 suspects. It's also revealed that at least five of the 5,000 suspects admitted to the murders of Marianne and Christine. However, police were able to quickly determine those to be false confessions due to the lack of information they were able to provide that only the real killer and the police knew to be true.
Speaker 1:
The case was reopened in 2000, and in February 2012, the New South Wales Police Forces Cold Case Unit announced that a weak male DNA sample had been extracted from a pair of white shorts worn by Christine. While admitting that current technology was unable to provide more information, police were confident that future advances would offer more support. Despite periodic reviews and advances in forensic science, the case remains unsolved. In 2012, police announced that they were re-examining DNA evidence in hopes of finding new leads. In July 2014, police said that a semen sample taken from Marianne's body had been lost and could not be located, despite an extensive search. Regardless of exhaustive efforts, the case faced significant obstacles. The crime scene was contaminated by the elements and by people who showed up before it was secured. Conflicting witness testimonies and limited forensic technology at the time also hindered the investigation. Recent advances in DNA technology have given investigators new tools to re-examine the evidence, but the case remains unsolved. Investigators have three men they believe could all be the man responsible for the murders of Christine and Marianne.
Speaker 1:
Former detective Sec Johnson, who had investigated the murders, was given a painting in 1975 by Alan Bassett. Bassett had been imprisoned for the brutal rape and murder of Carolyn Orfin in Wollongong on June 11, 1966. Bassett's painting, titled A Bloody, awful Thing, showed an abstract landscape. Johnson believed the painting showed blood trails, a broken knife blade and the body of a victim and became convinced that Bassett was the Wanda Beach killer. He also became convinced that the painting showed a scene from the murders that only the killer would know, as well as clues to the also unsolved murders of Wilhelmina Kruger and Anna Dallin-Koa. Despite the doubt and skepticism of other detectives, johnson wrote a book about the case. However, before it could be published he was killed in an accident. While retaining professional respect for Johnson, other detectives expressed that he was wrong in his belief. However, one person Johnson convinced was Bill Jenkins, a crime reporter for Daily Mirror, who repeated Johnson's claims in his ghost-written memoirs as crime goes by. In a chapter devoted to the Wanda Beach murders, most of which is essentially a repeat of what he had written in his earlier book, crime Reporter Jenkins mentions Bassett and his painting. Bassett, who had been released from prison in 1995, started proceedings for defamation in the Supreme Court of New South Wales. The publisher pleaded defenses of justification, meaning Bassett's being a convicted murderer, and the proceedings never went further. Since his release, bassett has voluntarily given a DNA sample to clear his name, but whether or not he has been eliminated as a suspect in the Wanda Beach murders has yet to be publicized.
Speaker 1:
A second suspect is a serial killer, christopher Wilder. Two years before the murders, wilder had been convicted of a gang rape on a Sydney beach, which led police to include him as a suspect. Wilder had immigrated to the United States in 1969. However, while visiting his parents in Australia in 1982, he was charged with sexual offenses against two 15-year-old girls whom he had forced to pose nude. Wilder fled back to the US and in the first half of 1984, he committed eight murders and attempted several more. Versions of what happened next vary, but on April 13, 1984, state troopers in New Hampshire spotted Wilder's car at a service station and confronted him. It's said that one of the troopers grabbed Wilder from behind and in the scuffle, wilder's weapon discharged, firing a bullet that passed through his body and into that of the trooper, seriously injuring them both. It's then said that Wilder fired another bullet into his own chest, ending his life and his rampage of murder across America. The trooper recovered and eventually returned to his post.
Speaker 1:
A third suspect not well publicized until 1998, is Derek Percy, who had been in prison since 1969 for the murder of a child on a beach in Victoria. Percy was considered too dangerous to be released and the prime suspect for several other murders of children in Melbourne and Sydney. Percy died in 2013 from cancer. He was considered a leading suspect in the Wanda Beach murders by police. While Percy can be linked to Cronulla on the date of the murders, no other links have been found. It was hoped that he would make confessions on his deathbed, but sadly those never came. Elizabeth Schmidt died from stomach cancer in 2009, but she always held out hope that her daughter's killer would be found. Despite the time that has passed, hans Schmidt still believes the person who killed Marianne and Christine can be found and, if still alive, be punished. He believes more than one person knows what happened to the girls and if pictures of their injuries were finally released, those people may be compelled to come forward with information, hans told the Sydney Morning Herald. Quote I believe now, as I always have, that if the public was shown pictures of the girls and the horrific way they were killed, then this case might be solved. End quote.
Speaker 1:
The Wanda Beach murders continue to resonate in Australia's cultural memory, symbolizing the terror and tragedy of unsolved crimes. The case has been the subject of numerous books, documentaries and media investigations, reflecting society's enduring fascination and the ongoing quest for justice for Marianne Schmidt and Christine Sherrick. The Wanda Beach murders remain one of Australia's most perplexing and tragic unsolved cases. Despite extensive investigations and numerous suspects, the brutal killings of Marianne Schmidt and Christine Sherrick continue to haunt the nation. Advances in forensic technology offer some hope for resolution, but until then, the mystery of Wanda Beach remains, reminding us of the fragility of life and the enduring quest of justice. And the enduring quest of justice. The Wanda Beach murders are a chilling reminder, the dark mysteries that sometimes elude resolution. While advancements in forensic science offer hope, the answers to what happened to Marianne Schmidt and Christine Sherrick on that day in 1965 remain elusive. Marianne and Christine's memories live on, urging us to seek justice and closure for the families. Will this case ever be solved or will it remain shrouded in darkness forever? Only time will tell, and that's the case of Marianne Schmidt and Christine Sherrick, also known as the Wanda Beach Murders.
Speaker 1:
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