Snowtown: The Bodies in Barrels Murders: The Grisly Story of Australia's Worst Serial Killings

by Jeremy Pudney

The Snowtown case continues to unfold, with revelations of bizarre sexual links between the victims, and evidence that some were killed for their social security cheques. Police are gradually uncovering details of systematic killing and torture in the South Australian town.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

282 pages, Paperback

First published January 19, 2005

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many Australian readers will recall the collective horror at the discovery in May 1999 of eight bodies hidden in barrels in the vault of a disused bank building in the small town of Snowtown, South Australia. Community repulsion at the crimes was compounded as the circumstances of the series of twelve vicious murders was revealed by the subsequent police investigation (only 11 of the 12 resulted in conviction). The town's name has been inextricably linked with the gruesome discovery, and with the associated series of brutal murders, ever since. This seems a little unfair, as only one of the victims was actually murdered in situ where the bodies were found, and none of the victims or perpetrators lived anywhere nearby.



Jeremy Pudney's book Snowtown: The Bodies In Barrels Murders: The Grisly Story of Australia's Worst Serial Killings sets out the known facts about the lives of the victims and the twisted rationale that motivated killers John Bunting, Robert Wagner, James Vlassakis and their various associates to target each. Many of the details are gut-churning and the psychology of the killers horrifying.

Prior to reading the book, my knowledge of the murders was based entirely on having read news reports at the time, so I don't really have sufficient information to judge the accuracy of Pudney's depiction of the individuals and events concerned. However, Snowtown: The Bodies In Barrels Murders: The Grisly Story of Australia's Worst Serial Killings seems like a comprehensive and reasonably objective overview, which is what I seek when reading in the true crime genre. I can't stand those books that peddle the author's own theory and pick-and-choose content to support it, but that certainly doesn't seem to be the case with this book.

While the facts are comprehensively contained, I did find the way the book was structured a bit confusing. Part One ("The Beginning") opens dramatically, with a description of the appalling discovery by police at Snowtown on 20 May 1999. Thereafter, a chapter each is dedicated to Bunting, Wagner, Vlassakis and each of their known victims, detailing their personal backstories and, in the case of the victims, the circumstances of their untimely deaths. The thread of police involvement, and eventual linking of the various missing persons cases, runs throughout, but the timeline is complex and the choice to divide the story by victim means that the flow isn't entirely chronological and there is some overlap and repetition.

Part Two ("The Murders"), by contrast, consists of a more coherent narrative, following the progress of the killings as they occurred, further elaborating on much of the same information already conveyed in Part One. Part Three ("Justice") picks up the story of the police investigation following the discovery of the "bodies in the barrels" at Snowtown and follows the progress of the case through the courts to the eventual imprisonment of the perpetrators. A helpful flow-chart at the start of the book sets out all the various individuals involved and their interrelationships with each other. I found myself referring to this quite regularly while reading, as it is a particularly complex web.

For those who are interested in learning more about the facts behind one of Australia's most notorious crimes, Snowtown: The Bodies In Barrels Murders: The Grisly Story of Australia's Worst Serial Killings is a fast and fairly easy read, subject-matter notwithstanding. It certainly won't be everyone's cup of tea!

[Lady ♥ Belleza · Rating 4 out of 5]

On May 20, 1999 Detectives Greg Stone and Steve McCoy cruised into Snowtown, a small hamlet in South Australia. They were looking for a Toyota Land Cruiser that they believed was tied to the disappearance of Elizabeth Haydon, they found much more than that. What they found would blow the lid off their investigation into a suspected serial killer, they found 6 barrels with human remains.

John Justin Bunting is considered the worst serial killer in Australian history. He and his accomplice, Robert Joe Wagner, were fueled by their hatred of paedophiles, this doesn't explain why some of their victims were not paedophiles, or why they stole their government benefits after their deaths, the author suspects John Bunting just liked to watch people die and liked not having to actually work for a living. Stealing benefits also kept the murders secret, since withdrawing money from people's accounts made it look like they were still alive.

After the arrests James Vlassakis turned himself into police and confessed to his part in the murders. He became the Crown's star witness. Jeremy Pudney paints a sympathetic picture of James Vlassakis and manages to do this without making one feel sorry for him. While a vulnerable youth, he still knew right from wrong and has blood on his hands.

This is a very detailed account of John Buntings life, the crimes, how and why the others got involved, the police investigation and finally the trial. It was a fascinating read from start to finish, and I can't think of any questions left unanswered. I recommend this book to true crime fans.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a dense, grim read about total depravity and homicidal violence going on in such a tiny, interconnected group of people living in the same community that the author needed to provide a visual map of the relationships so you could remember who was who in the story. There was not a single gleam of light in this hideous narrative until the killers were arrested, and even that didn't seem to go very well. I certainly didn't come away with any sense of things being cleared up.

[Lisa Anemogiannis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting, shocking & sad. Still feels like yesterday and still seems like it wasn’t settle properly or justice was served. But hey Adelaide justice system!

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject of this book is pretty disturbing, but Pudney does a good job of providing the facts without being overly gruesome. It is rather repetitive at times, but does a good job of providing insight into how all the characters are linked. It is not for the faint of heart.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was a good read but I did get lost a few times in the middle trying to remember who everyone was and the constant name changes annoyed me one minute a character is written as James next paragraph it's Jamie also referring to characters by their legally changed names then to their previous one.

I skipped a lot of the court trial speech as they dragged on and on. More cut down speeches would of worked.

Also the book tended to repeat the same details again and again.

Still was an interesting read.

[Joanne, drinker of tea, reader of books, servant to cats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes you think you want to know more about a particular crime.

Sometimes, because the crime was so heinous and was spread across the national media for so long, you think you want to know more of the details of the investigation.

Sometimes, because the crimes were so horrific, perpetrated by a group of killers that preyed on their own members, you think you want to know why they did it.

Sometimes you should be careful what you ask for, as you might just get it.

Jeremy Pudney has made a good effort at looking at the crimes, the victims, the perpetrators, and the various trials.

He does not shy away from providing the gruesome details of some of the acts of violence and torture. (Had to skim through some of that.)

The book lays out the relationships between the killers and their victims, and the multiple overlaps of these relationships.

I now know more about the events than I think I wanted to.

However. The book needed a really good editor.

Some of the information is repetitive. This can't be helped sometimes because of the familial and friend overlaps, but each time, it's introduced as something new, and it's a bit clunky.

But, a solid telling of the horrific events in and around a small town in South Australia.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely not for the squeamish. It contains more detail than I have found in any true crime book on this or any other event. There is a lot to learn in greater depth than the, at the time, media coverage for those who wish to do so.

[Tony Cinque · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for the squeamish.

A gruesome tale one wishes were not true. South Australia’s most infamous and horrific serial killings are recounted, with the perpetrators ultimately brought to justice. The sordid details of these crimes are sickening.

Twelve victims of barbaric murder from 1992 to 1999; committed collectively by four murderers. One of whom was released on parole last year (2024) and one has his submission for parole on foot now (May 2025).

Shake your head in disbelief. I am doing the same.

[Rita]

This was such a brutal and sadistic torture with these vile killers. I was shocked at the lack of remorse or caring for what this woman suffered and how he left her exposed for the children to discover upon arriving home after school. This journalist with over ten years of experience vividly brought to us the cruelty and rage that was enacted upon this single mother. I got so caught up in this book which was intense and uncomfortably gripping. I highly recommend it.
5 stars

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is so well written and researched. so horrifying yet intriguing 10/10

[John Bennetto · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read "Killing For Pleasure...", by Debi Marshall and that for me is the definitive account of the 'bodies in the barrels' murders, explaining a lot about what actually occurred from the offenders' crimes, the victims' stories, the police investigation and the social aspects to do with the crimes. An absorbing read.

Finished this book feeling cheated and angry as it is rubbish compared with Debi Marahall's excellent work. If you want a collection of newspaper articles, loosley strung together, told entirley from the perspective of the police investigation (not even from the police themselves) then this is for you. I get that this is this guy's first book and that he was Crime Reporter at the time, but to put in on display in a shameless grab-for-cash is an insult to True Crime readers. The publication of interview statements and Missing Persons reports is just lazy and fluff to fill pages. To just list the crimes in detail, wiothout context is also bafflingly simplistic writing.

I'd compare it with Clive Small's account of Milat (just a self-promotional book), another piece rubbish especially put alongside the towering "Sins Of The Brother".

Basically, read "Killing For Pleasure..." and save yourself several wasted hours on this.

[BookQueen · Rating 3 out of 5]

"... Part police reporting, criminology text, biography and social history .."

This is mostly police reporting, it is not a criminology text, it has no insight, and as for biography, relating people's dates of births and deaths and how they died, is not biography. As for social history, a paragraph or two on Adelaide's history doesn't make it a social history either.

It was a bit repetitive as well.

[Deb Bodinnar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was about to pass this book on when I listened to a podcast where the author discussed the case and how he went about writing the book. Picked it up around 4.30pm and other than stopping to eat tea, have just finished reading at 11.15. Could not put it down and the way it is written made it very easy to read and understand. Learnt a lot about this terrible part of our Criminal history in Australia. Great job Jeremy.

[Linda Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This will be the very last crime book I read for a long time. I found it hard to digest the depravity of these killers. Could not read some of the finer details of the crimes against innocents.
The writing was a bit confusing with the name changes referring to Jamie then James. Then the repeating of circumstances made me think I lost my place a few times.

[Kelsey Rae · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book quite poorly written. I mentioned people by different names throughout which was confusing.

[italiandiabolik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed account of one of the most tragic killings in Australia. In-depth telling of killers’ psyche and upbringing, as well as victims’ stories and police investigation.

[MrsPyramidhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, great companion to the movie The Snowtown Murders . The writing is easy to read and not overly graphic. Would recommend for readers interested in serial murder or Austrailian crime.

[Klara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - not very well written but the crime itself is so disturbing and unique that it keeps you hooked. This is not for the faint-hearted and many trigger warnings.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend reading this only if you have a strong stomach.

[Nicola Schmidt · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be, in general, a very decent book about the series of events. I did not 'like' this book because it was not a 'likeable' subject but the research seemed well done. The story was well constructed, the sequencing was ok and the victims were treated by the author with compassion. I had followed the case as it emerged and this book did a good job of putting the events in a linear perspective.

My one major problem with this book (and the only reason I did not give it four stars)is that the author used one particular member of the 'Snowtown gang' as a reference. If I remember correctly this was the only one who would agree to an interview. The author, Jeremy, is clearly very sympathetic to this one member of the group, spends a lot of time justifying his involvment and portraying how he acted in fear of the more dynamic members of the group. This quite spoiled the final part of the book for me as it is beyond belief that anyone could swallow this story. Other than that, I would recomend it.

[Anne Homeschooling-Mama · Rating 2 out of 5]

A really, freaky unpleasant book. Ended up skipping the middle chapters altogether on the basis that there are some things one does NOT need to know.
Glad that I chose to read it in the open, while surrounded by sane looking people during daylight. Had I chosen to read it late at night, I think chemical sleep might have been an essential.
It was a reasonable read, but I found it repetitious in places, and the final chapters inlcuded some word for word transcripts from the court cases. Those bits were, in a word, tedious.
Overall a good read, but not one that I'll be repeating.

[Lainie74 · Rating 3 out of 5]

An in depth account of Australia's most gruesome and prolific serial killers. Bonded by either fear or admiration for their 'leader' the psychopathic John Bunting who, driven by his loathing of homosexuals and paedophiles (he sees no difference between the two) constructs a wall of shame of 'his suspects' addresses and sets out to teach these 'dirties' a lesson.

The book is a real page turner despite the horrific nature of their M.O. The only time I found the book to be hard work was the final section that details the trial.

[CarolynBill Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horribly gripping book depicting the horrible murders by John Bunting and his hangers-on in Adelaide. Very readable, unputdownable but shocking all the way. Scary to think that there are whole suburbs of feral people in every state who can even think like this, never mind act upon their outrageous desires for so called 'justice' (getting rid of gays/paedophiles). Disgusting, harrowing but ultimately satisfying to know that Bunting and pals were caught. It's also quite frightening how the reader can feel sorry for Vlassakis and the horrendous upbringing he had.

[Keyan Taheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

really good story, really gripping and well written.. It was a bit graphic and objective. It didn't really draw upon any conclusions in the end which left me feeling a bit gutted, but I imagine that is up to the reader to decide. I had to read it in 2 days because, I couldn't put it down. I recommend to all.. you feel like you have paid the victims respect by reading their story and understand how this can happen in modern day first world Australia. I cant wait to see the movie this month.

[Dorota · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book after watching 'Snowtown'. As I've never heard of these murders case before, the book was a good companion to the film which carify certain things only glimpsed in the film. Also the film concentrated on the story told from the point of view of Jamie Vlassakis where the book just describes the facts. The book's style was a bit dry and certain information was repeated few times but it was interesting nevertheless.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this was way too close to home; so many places mentioned in this book are suburbs/streets I've been in/on many, many times in my life. Strange that the killers used the same petrol stations as me, went to the same shopping centre,one of them lived only a street away from me...very creepy

[Ellen Franklin · Rating 1 out of 5]

The information in this book though I suppose for the most part is truth - there is still fabrication to some of it and that alone is remiss of the author. When dealing in such a sensitive subject for all concerned.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readable prose, but the order in which the information is set out is a bit all over the place.