What new evidence has emerged in the 50-year-old cold case of Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon?

Two metal barrels and maps, allegedly detailing the girls' fate and disposal, have surfaced, potentially implicating suspect Stanley Hart.

Are South Australian Police reopening the investigation into the 1973 abductions?

South Australian Police have requested access to the barrels for forensic testing and stated that the investigation remains open.

Home / Crime and Justice / 50-Year Cold Case: Barrels May Reveal Girl's Fate

50-Year Cold Case: Barrels May Reveal Girl's Fate

Q: Where were the metal barrels found in relation to the Adelaide Oval abductions?

The barrels were discovered in an abandoned irrigation tunnel near Pekina Reservoir, approximately 300km north of Adelaide.

21 Mar

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Summary

Metal barrels and maps may solve the 50-year mystery of two abducted girls.
New evidence points to a deceased suspect, Stanley Hart, as the perpetrator.
Police are now investigating forensic evidence from the discovered barrels.

50-Year Cold Case: Barrels May Reveal Girl's Fate

A 50-year-old mystery surrounding the abduction and suspected murders of Joanne Ratcliffe, 11, and Kirste Gordon, 4, may finally be solved. New evidence, including two metal barrels and maps, has surfaced, potentially implicating deceased suspect Stanley Hart. The girls vanished from Adelaide Oval in South Australia on August 25, 1973.

Citizen journalist Bryan Littley claims the barrels, found in an abandoned irrigation tunnel near Pekina Reservoir, and maps drawn by Hart's grandson, Mark Trevor Marshall, contain details of the girls' fate. These maps, allegedly originating from a 2008 state inquiry, suggest Hart killed and dismembered the girls, concealing their bodies in the barrels.