James Vlassakis

Case overview

James Spyridon Vlassakis (born 24 December 1979) was an Australian serial killer who was sentenced to four consecutive terms of life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 26 years for his role in the Snowtown murders. He pleaded guilty to the four murders he was charged with.

Vlassakis confessed to four murders, including the murder of his stepbrother, David Johnson and half-brother Troy Youde, as well as the murders of Gary O'Dwyer and Frederick Brooks.

Background

Vlassakis met John Bunting when he was aged fourteen and looked up to Bunting as a father figure. It was alleged that Bunting groomed Vlassakis into committing serial murders.

Vlassakis had earlier confided in Bunting that Youde had sexually abused him when he was aged thirteen.

Vlassakis was tried separately from the other accused and was the first to be sentenced for his role in the murders.

The offence

Murder of Troy Youde

Troy Youde was Vlassakis' half-brother and son of Elizabeth Harvey. He was living with them at Bunting's Murray Bridge house at the time of his death.

Youde was killed after being dragged from his bed while sleeping. This was the first murder Vlassakis participated in.

Bunting, Wagner, Vlassakis and Haydon hatched a plan to murder Youde, and the group drove to Youde's house and dragged him from his bed while sleeping. Youde was strangled by Wagner in his bathroom. Vlassakis admitted to being a witness to the murder.

Murder of Frederick Brooks

Frederick Brooks was the intellectually disabled son of Jodie Elliott and nephew of Elizabeth Haydon. He was murdered on 17 September 1998.

Brooks' body was moved to a car which was later collected by Mark Haydon. The body was later located by police in the disused bank vault in Snowtown.

Mark Haydon continued to access the welfare payments of Brooks.

Bunting, Wagner, and Vlassakis murdered Brooks, and Brooks was attacked and brutally tortured. He was lured to Bunting's house, where he was attacked and brutally tortured.

Murder of Gary O'Dwyer

Gary O'Dwyer was 29 years old. He was an intellectually disabled man who lived alone in Frances Street, Murray Bridge. His disabilities arose from a car accident earlier in life.

O'Dwyer was a stranger. Bunting had Vlassakis learn personal information about O'Dwyer and whether he had any family. Bunting viewed O'Dwyer as an easy target and murdered him so that Bunting could gain from O'Dwyer's welfare payments.

O'Dwyer's body was found by police in the bank vault in Snowtown. His body contained burn marks which were inflicted by using a variac machine to apply electric shocks.

Murder of David Johnson

David Johnson was Vlassakis' stepbrother and half-brother. Johnson was lured to the disused bank in Snowtown by his stepbrother, James Vlassakis, on 9 May 1999.

Johnson was not homosexual, but Bunting would often refer to him as a "faggot" and said he needed to die. Vlassakis had earlier told Johnson about a computer for sale near Clare, South Australia. Vlassakis drove him to Snowton to ostensibly look at this computer.

Shortly after Johnson entered the bank building, he was grabbed by Wagner around the throat and strangled. Wagner then applied handcuffs to Johnson and he was forced by Bunting to read a script Bunting had earlier prepared, as well as provide his bank account PIN. Johnson's voice was recorded on a computer equipped with a microphone.

Wagner and Vlassakis drove to Port Wakefield and attempted to access Johnson's bank account, leaving Bunting and Haydon with Johnson in the disused bank. Wagner and Vlassakis were unsuccessful in withdrawing funds from Johnson's account. When they returned to Snowtown, Johnson was dead.

Bunting and Wagner dismembered Johnson's body, then fried and ate parts of his flesh. Vlassakis was the only member of the group described as a participant in the final part in which he assisted by providing access and being present for later actions.

Johnson was the final murder victim before the group was apprehended.

Investigation and apprehension

Johnson was apprehended after he was the final murder victim before the group was apprehended. O'Dwyer's body and Brooks' body were later located by police in the disused bank vault in Snowtown.

Trial and plea

Sentencing

Vlassakis was sentenced to four consecutive terms of life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 26 years.

Suppression order

A suppression order was granted restricting any image from publication which could identify Vlassakis.

The order was granted to provide protection to Vlassakis within the prison system as he had agreed to provide evidence against his co-accused at their upcoming trials.

The terms of the order were as follows: Order suppressing publication of the image of Vlassakis in any form, including photographs, sketches and illustrations. Further order suppressing publication of any description of Vlassakis, that is, of his appearance, which would have the capacity to lead to identification of him by a reader of the description. The orders will remain in force until further order, but His Honour indicated that it his intention to review orders on the next appearance of Vlassakis in this court.

REASONS: To prevent prejudice to the proper administration of justice.

In July, 2004, publishers of Australian newspapers The Australian and Herald Sun were convicted on contempt of court charges for the publication of a photograph of Vlassakis on 11 July 2002.

Outcome

Vlassakis was sentenced to four consecutive terms of life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 26 years for his role in the Snowtown murders.

Other details

Victims and dates

The victims were listed as:

• Troy Youde, 21 (d. Sep 1998). He was Vlassakis' half-brother and son of Elizabeth Harvey who was living with them at Bunting's Murray Bridge house at the time of his death. He was killed in the house after being dragged from his bed while asleep.
• Fred Brooks, 18 (d. Sep 1998). He was the intellectually disabled son of Jodie Elliott, a woman in love with Bunting, was chosen by Bunting as an easy victim and lured to his house where he was attacked and brutally tortured.
• Gary O'Dwyer, 29 (d. Nov 1998). Man disabled in an earlier car accident and on a pension, O'Dwyer was a stranger, picked as an easy target. Was killed in his home in Frances Street, Murray Bridge, by Bunting, Wagner and Vlassakis.
• David Johnson, 24 (d. May 1999). Vlassakis' half-brother. Murdered by Bunting in the bank building having been lured there by Vlassakis. He was the only victim to have died in Snowtown.