The Gatton and Oxley Murders
Speaker: Carolyn Stevenson, True Crime Historian and Author
This event will be recorded on our Vimeo page. Tickets available on Eventbrite.
On 14 December 1898, the disappearance of sixteen-year-old Alfred Stephen Hill was reported. His lifeless body, marked by two bullet wounds to the head, was discovered in Brown and Walsh’s paddock Oxley on January 7.
Three weeks later the bodies of the Murphy siblings Michael, 29, Norah, 27, and Ellen, 18, were found in Moran’s Paddock outside of Gatton. The sisters had been sexually assaulted and their skulls crushed, their brother received gunshot wounds to the head.
Due to miscommunication and the isolated setting, of the Murphy murders, police did not reach the scene until two days after the grim discovery. Investigators encountered a compromised crime scene, with decomposing remains and no clear suspects to pursue. A suspect was arrested for the murder of Alfred Hill, but the indictment was not pursued. Today these brutal murder cases remain unsolved.
True crime historian and author Caroline Stevenson, delves into the myths and stories that have emerged over the years since the incident and asks whether it is possible to solve a crime 125 years after the fact.
The one-and-a-half hour presentation will begin at 11am on Sunday, 27 October and will provide interesting and educational content suitable for any audience.
The Museum opens its doors to the public on the last Sunday of each month from 10am to 3pm from February to November in addition to the standard Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm opening hours. Monthly Sunday openings feature guest speakers from across the historical and crime-solving spectrums.
PLEASE NOTE: The Police Museum will open Sunday, 27 October from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.