Shocking Freedom: Killer of ‘Bodies in Barrels’ Victim Walks Free, Family Demands Answers
So, picture this: the youngest of a notorious group of serial killers from Snowtown, Australia, is about to walk out of prison after serving 26 years. James Vlassakis, who was just 18 when he got tangled up in what became one of the darkest crime sagas in Aussie history, is now eligible for parole – and the community is flipping out. Can you imagine the mix of shock and disbelief rippling through families whose worlds were shattered between 1992 and 1999? Twelve victims, barrels in an abandoned bank vault, and a legacy that still haunts South Australia. But here’s the kicker – Vlassakis’ parole has been granted despite the uproar, family protests, and even government attempts to keep him locked up. It’s a question that gnaws at you: when does justice give way to second chances, and can the system ever truly heal wounds this deep? Buckle up – this story’s got more twists than a thriller, and it’s just getting started.
There has been uproar and criticism at the decision to release James Vlassakis, the youngest person to be imprisoned for the Snowtown killings in Australia.
Between 1992 and 1999, a group of serial killers murdered 12 victims, with most of the bodies being found in barrels in an abandoned bank vault in Snowtown, South Australia, in one of the country’s most notorious crime cases.
Several were convicted of the killings, with Vlassakis the youngest to be jailed. He was 18 when he became involved with the group in 1998 and confessed his guilt to participating in four of the murders. His victims were Fred Brooks, Gary O’Dwyer, David Johnson and his own half-brother Troy Youde.
Sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 26 years without parole, that time is now up and he is eligible for parole, which South Australia’s Parole Board has since granted.
Families of the victims have criticised the decision to grant Vlassakis parole, with Ron Lane, nephew of one of the victims, speaking to 7News about his dismay.
James Vlassakis (7 News)
“I’m kind of shaken and rattled at the same time knowing he’s going to be out in the community shortly,” he said.
“It feels like the system has completely let us down, kicked us in the teeth and in the face.
“I’ll be looking over my shoulder all the time wondering who’s around and who’s coming up behind me.”
For now, Vlassakis remains in prison, but the plan is that ‘at some point’ he will be moved to Adelaide’s pre-release centre so he can begin taking trips outside and adjust to a world he’s not been part of for the past 26 years.
From there, it will be up to him not to break the terms of his parole.
ABC reports that Vlassakis will not be allowed to leave South Australia without permission, there are places he cannot go because it would take him too close to families of the victims, and he will be subject to random drug and alcohol tests.
He was caught doing drugs several times in prison, and while the parole board believes he doesn’t currently have a drug problem, if he’s caught that’ll likely send him back to prison.
Robert Wagner, John Bunting and Mark Haydon pictured in 1999. Wagner and Bunting were sentenced to life without possibility of parole, Haydon was released in 2024 (MICHAEL MILNES/NEWS LIMITED/AFP via Getty Images)
State government last year had been successful in overturning Vlassakis’ parole approval, with South Australian attorney general and deputy premier, Kyam Maher, saying the case was ‘traumatic’ for those involved.
Maher told The Guardian: “The gravity and the effect this has had in South Australia, the need for community safety, were always the primary concerns of the state government.
“I will ask for advice if there are further steps, but it has already been considered by two different parole reviews commissioned and the supreme court.”
John Bunting and Robert Wagner, who also carried out the killings, were sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole, while Mark Haydon confessed to helping the killers dispose of some of the bodies and was released from prison in 2024.
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