Bodies in Barrels: The True Story of the Snowtown Murders

In May 1999, South Australian police breached the vault of a disused bank building in the remote town of Snowtown and found eight barrels of human remains, uncovering what would become the most prolific serial murder case in Australian history. The Snowtown murders, also known as the Bodies in Barrels case, resulted in the convictions of John Justin Bunting, Robert Wagner, James Vlassakis, and Mark Haydon for the murders of twelve victims between 1992 and 1999, following an investigation that stands as the longest and most complex in South Australian legal history.

What set this case apart from every other serial homicide in the record books was who the victims were. Every single person John Bunting killed was someone he already knew, someone he had brought close, shaped, and ultimately turned into either a weapon or a target. He built a killing operation from the most isolated and struggling people in his own neighborhood, and he made sure each of them was so deeply implicated in what had happened that silence was the only road left open. Today's episode goes into one of the most psychologically consuming cases I've ever covered, and the part I keep coming back to is just how long all of it went completely unseen.

#SnowtownMurders #BodiesInBarrels #JohnBunting #AustralianTrueCrime #TrueCrime #SerialKiller #ColdCase

🔔 Subscribe for True Crime Cases multiple times a week

Never miss a story. Subscribe to 10 Minute Murder for bite-sized true crime episodes delivered fresh every week.

Get a weekly email from me about the upcoming cases and more: 10minutemurder.com/newsletter

📱 Follow for Behind-the-Scenes Content Get exclusive case updates, research photos, and sneak peeks of upcoming episodes:

💬 Have a Case Suggestion? Know a fascinating case that deserves coverage? I love listener suggestions and feature the best ones in upcoming episodes. Email: joe@10minutemurder.com Website: 10minutemurder.com ⭐ Help Grow the True Crime Community

Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review to help other true crime fans discover the show
Share: Send this episode to fellow true crime enthusiasts
Join the Discussion: Tag us in your episode reactions on social media

🎧 Want Even More True Crime?
Check out True Crime Blueprint, also created and hosted by Joe.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/43zuDpH01HtdIrH0ShCAid?si=86b2281063334139  
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-blueprint/id1877878404
 iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/323307878
Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b7d5eaae-9d27-40f9-8efb-6864c2af8055
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/show/1002664071
Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/true-crime-blueprint/6785639
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/true-crime-blueprint-6381660
Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-blueprint--6879387
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/1113943
Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/true-crime-blueprint/PC:1001113943

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/10-minute-murder-bingeable-true-crime-stories--4603604/support.