Casefile True Crime - Case 150: The Murchison Murders

Episode Date: July 18, 2020

After the Western Australian gold rush of the late 1800s, there was little work available in the isolated Murchison region. Those lucky enough to find jobs were the ones willing to tough it out in the harsh conditions of the small towns and stations along the Rabbit Proof Fence. Due to the transient nature of these communities, it wasn’t unusual for people to leave without ever being heard from again. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched by Holly Boyd Written by Elsha McGill Creative Director: Milly Raso For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-150-the-murchison-murders

A splash of fresh water will reach the depths of your heart. Those mighty blue waves can propel you forward or they can calm and soothe. Coast to Michigan coast. Simply feel the flow in the moment. And let those vast lakes, rivers and streams create everlasting memories. Jump right in and let fresh wash over you in Pure Michigan. Keep it fresh at Michigan.org. The Merchison is a large bio-region in the state of Western Australia that's known for its agricultural and mining prospects.

Spanning across 281,000 square kilometres, the region is home to many small, sparsely populated towns but consists mostly of rugged outback and arid bushland. During the Western Australian gold rush of the late 1800s, many people flocked to the area in the hopes of securing a fortune which resulted in the construction of several towns that were later abandoned when the short-lived gold rush ended. Afterwards, there was little work available except for agricultural workers, sheep shearers, camel and horse breakers, blacksmiths and boundary riders who were employed to maintain the outer edges of sheep and cattle stations. By the turn of the 20th century, rabbits from the country's eastern states had made their way across the desert and into Western Australia's agricultural areas. European settlers had introduced rabbits to Australia more than 100 years earlier and they eventually became an invasive pest that caused significant damage to the country's ecology and farmland. To combat what became known as the Grey Plague, the Western Australian government decided to build the world's longest fence which stretched all the way from the north coast to the south coast. In 1902, construction of the first phase began in the small wheatbelt town of Barakopin which became the major administration centre for the fence. A 20-foot wide line was cleared through the bush all the way south to a small bay called Starvation Bode Harbour and the mesh fence was then erected two feet west of the centre of the line.

12-foot gates were installed at designated intervals to allow passage through the fence. Wooden posts were also added every mile, each marked with a number that represented the distance from Barakopin. In 1905, the second phase began with the remainder of the fence being built from Barakopin to the far north coast of Western Australia. Stretching for 1,827 kilometres, it became known as the number one rabbit-proof fence. The number two fence was completed in April of 1905 and was 1,158 kilometres long. It began on the south coast, approximately 112 kilometres west of the number one fence and essentially ran parallel to it before turning east and joining the first fence at Gum Creek. The number three fence, which was completed in 1907, started near Geraldton and extended 256 kilometres east until it met the number two fence. Collectively, the rabbit-proof fence was 3,237 kilometres long and building it had cost the equivalent of around 83 million Australian dollars in today's currency.

A government sub-department was established to supervise the constant maintenance of the fence. The maintenance team included a chief inspector, sub-inspector, camel drivers, rabbit hunters and boundary riders. Fines were issued to anyone caught leaving the gates along the fence open and it was also an offence for any member of the public to use any of its maintenance tracks. Scattered along the fence were small government-owned stations and homesteads where maintenance supplies, watersheds and other facilities were housed. Caretakers at the stations typically lived a lonely existence as it was common for weeks to go by in which they wouldn't encounter another person or vehicle. Transient workers, travellers and gold prospectors passing through the area would either stay at the stations or at one of the many campsites along the rabbit-proof fence, which had bores containing fresh ground water. Although the outback was isolated and sparsely populated, work was available in the small towns and stations along the fence for men who were willing to tough it out in the harsh conditions. Due to the lack of communication systems at the time and the transient nature of these communities, it wasn't unusual for people to leave without ever being heard from again.

In the New Zealand city of Gisborne, he received a good education and grew up to be a well-spoken and presented young man. Standing at five foot eight inches tall, Leslie had a medium build, curly brown hair and blue eyes. In December 1926, he married a woman named Minnie and the couple went on to have two children, a daughter named Faye and a son named Desmond. The marriage was an unhappy one, and after a few years, Leslie and Minnie separated. Minnie returned her wedding ring to Leslie, who continued to wear it on the pinky finger of his right hand. It was agreed that Minnie would support herself while Leslie provided for the children, but this arrangement proved difficult given that he was unemployed and virtually broke. Left with few other options, Leslie bordered his children with the Salvation Army at the beginning of 1930. He'd heard rumours that there were jobs available in Western Australia's outback for any able-bodied man who was willing to work and decided to explore this opportunity.

Eager for a fresh start, he applied for a passport in the false name of Louis John Caron, which he intended to go by from then on and set sail for Western Australia with a stopover in Adelaide. On February 6, 1930, Leslie Brown, now known as Louis Caron, arrived in Fremantle, a port city 20km southwest of Perth in Western Australia. During his journey, he'd been robbed of what little cash he had and left with nothing but a few personal belongings. He went to a pawnbroker in Perth and pawned a suit, one of his only items of value, for 15 shillings, which would amount to $90 AUD in today's currency. At the Perth Railway Station, Louis ran into a man named Jack Lemon, who had travelled to Perth from Adelaide on the same boat as Louis. As they were both looking for work, they decided to team up and head to the Merchison region together. It was a long journey that would take them more than two weeks to complete, during which they'd have to sleep rough to make their money last longer. Jack was in a similar financial position to Louis and only had two pounds, or the equivalent of $240 AUD in today's currency.

Desperate for money, Louis sent a telegram to a friend in New Zealand, explaining his dire financial situation and asking for a loan. He requested that the money be telegraphed to Geraldton, a coastal city approximately 400km west of the Merchison region. After Louis sent the telegram, the two men began their long journey. Louis and Jack took the suburban rattler train from Perth to the Midland Junction Railway Station, where they then set off on foot, carrying their belongings in swags. They spent the next few days hitching rides where possible and were occasionally provided with food along the way. Jack drank pots of beer while Louis, who didn't drink alcohol, favoured lemon squash. Without much money to spend on accommodation, they made do with what they could find. On one occasion they slept in a wheat sack, while another time they tried to sleep in some sand dunes, but were thwarted by ants.

Once they arrived in Geraldton, Louis received the funds that had been sent by his friend in New Zealand, giving him a total of five pounds, or the equivalent of around $600 AUD today. The two men used some of this money to send their heavy swags ahead on a freight train to the Merchison gold mining town of Mount Magnan. They then walked and hitched the remainder of the way. Mount Magnan was located near the 206 mile gate of the number one rabbit-proof fence. When Louis and Jack arrived in town, they gathered their belongings and began visiting the local stations looking for work. Within a few days, Jack secured a short-term job working as a station hand at Naur Barra station, while Louis found work at Wiggy station. The two had forged a strong friendship during their time on the road, and while in their new jobs, they began writing to one another fortnightly. Louis was an avid letter writer and also wrote regularly to his family and friends back home in New Zealand.

By mid-1930, the Merchison area was feeling the impact of the depression, and many station hands lost their jobs, including Louis. He wasn't overly concerned, as he was confident it wouldn't take him long to find another job. On his search for employment, he planned to travel to the Hamlet of Campion, where Jack Lemon was now living, to pay him a visit. Jack was staying at the fountain, a Stockman's hut and out camp located alongside the rabbit-proof fence between Camel station and Nandi station. It was a remote area characterized by desert sands, mulga scrub and acacia trees, and it mostly had winding bush tracks instead of paved roads. The closest towns were Painesville, a one-stop former gold mining town 120km to the north, and Ewan Mee, another former mining town 65km northeast via bush tracks. Jack Lemon was thrilled when he heard that Louis was heading his way. He mentioned the news to Snowy Rolls, a 27-year-old self-employed dogger and foxtrapper who had been coming and going from the fountain campsite.

Snowy asked Jack whether Louis might be interested in working with him as he's off-sider. This idea pleased Jack, as he liked Snowy, and was happy that Louis would be able to stay in the area. Snowy had been working throughout the Merchison since 1928 and had earned a reputation as a skilled bushman and respected Jack of all trades. He had a charming disposition and was known for his keen sense of humour, composed temperament and willingness to oblige. Louis arrived at the fountain campsite on May 17, 1930, and he, Jack and Snowy stayed up chatting well into the evening. Louis was in good spirits, and at one point he mentioned that he had recently made several purchases, including a pair of high-quality hair clippers. He'd also sent two of his watches to Perth for repairs and had paid to buy his suit back from the pawnbroker, though he still needed to collect it. He also flashed his final Wiggy station paycheck for £25, which was the equivalent of around $3,000 in today's currency.

The money amounted to approximately five weeks' pay, and Louis aimed to live off it for the next two months. This seemed possible, as he didn't drink or have a car to maintain. He agreed to work as Snowy's off-sider until something more permanent arose, and the two decided to see what job opportunities were available in the remote town of Waluna. The following day, the men loaded up Snowy's 1926 Dodge Utility truck and took turns posing for photos in front of the vehicle. Louis told Jack he'd return in around five weeks, then he and Snowy headed off towards Waluna. Five weeks passed, but Jack didn't see or hear from Louis again. This was unusual, as the two wrote to one another regularly. In June, Jack heard through the grapevine that Snowy was back in the Ewanme area, so he sent a reply-paid telegram to Snowy, care of the Ewanme Post Office, inquiring as to Louis's whereabouts.

With a population of around 45, Ewanme offered nothing more than a general store, a post office, a bank, a pub, a cafeteria, and a small hospital, meaning it was nearly impossible for anyone to pass by unnoticed. Jack explained that the telegram was urgent, but he never received a response. On August 9, Jack wrote a letter directly to Snowy. Snowy replied, explaining that he had responded to the original telegram and was unsure why Jack didn't receive it. He said that he and Louis had first travelled to Mount Magnan, but Louis had then continued on his own into Geraldton. Louis had promised Snowy he would send some photographs, but Snowy never heard from him again. Snowy urged Jack to come for a visit, writing, I will explain to you better. I'm no good at writing letters, as you can see by this. I'll be going away for a few weeks. I'll write when I come back.

The letter did nothing to ease Jack's concerns. It made sense to him that Louis would have travelled to Geraldton, but he couldn't understand why he would stop writing if everything was okay. Jack wrote to Geraldton inquiring about his friend, but with no result. He also wrote to the pawnbrokers in Perth to see if Louis had collected his suit yet, but he had not. By this point, Jack was growing increasingly worried about his friend's safety. Meanwhile, in the New Zealand city of Dunedin, Louis' friend, WA Jackson, was also worried. He hadn't heard from Louis since May, which was suspicious given how prolific he was at letter writing. Jackson wrote directly to the Mount Magnant police, who got his letter on December 31, 1930. Due to the transient nature of many workers in the area and to the limited means of communication available, the police were accustomed to receiving many such inquiries every year.

As most of the people in question turned up in due course, no further action was taken to find Louis. Almost a month later, on January 21, 1931, Jack spoke with Constable Walter Hearn of the Mount Magnant police. He reported that his friend, Louis Caron, hadn't written to him since leaving the Fountain Out camp in May of 1930. Constable Hearn recalled the letter he'd received a few weeks earlier from WA Jackson of Dunedin, who was also inquiring about Louis. The Constable was due to take annual leave, but decided to postpone his departure so that he could get to the bottom of the matter. On February 17, 1931, Constable Hearn was joined by Constable Christopher MacArthur, who was a veteran bushman, and the two set out to make inquiries. They travelled 320km north of Mount Magnant to Waluna, the location where Louis and Snowy had initially told Jack they were heading to look for work. No one in Waluna recalled ever seeing the two men, so Constable Hearn and MacArthur headed south down the Rabbitproof Fence to Camel Station, where they set up their investigation headquarters.

The police soon learned that on May 20, 1930, two days after leaving the Fountain Out camp, Snowy rolls had driven through Painesville and stopped at the town pub, which was owned by Ted and Laura Moses. He asked Laura if she could cash a check for £25, but Laura didn't have enough money to do so. She advised Snowy to speak to her husband, Ted, who indicated they would have enough cash later that day. At around six o'clock in the evening, Snowy returned to the pub and told Ted he also needed petrol and supplies. He agreed it could wait until morning, and decided to spend the night in one of the pub's rooms. The following morning, Snowy loaded his Dodge with petrol, groceries, a pair of boots, a gold panning dish, and a few other small items. To pay for his haul, he handed over a check for £25 that was made out in the name of Louis Caron. When Ted asked who Louis was, Snowy replied,

He's my mate. We're camped out in the bush and he's looking after the fox traps. He's probably thirsty by now. I'd better get some beer for him. After placing the beer in the car, Ted accepted the check and gave Snowy his change in the form of a £17 check and some small cash. Snowy gave the Dodge some maintenance and told Ted that he was heading to Waluna. He then drove out of Painesville, but instead of heading north to Waluna, he turned south towards Ewanme. Constable Hearn interviewed Jimmy and Charlotte Jones, who owned the general store in Ewanme. They confirmed that Snowy Roles had arrived in town a few days after leaving Fountain Camp with Louis, but nobody in Ewanme had actually seen Louis. The police soon learned that Snowy was now working at Hillview Station near Meekathara, a small town 190km north of Mount Magnet. The Constables worked their way along the bush tracks from the Fountain Out Camp in order to retrace Snowy's route to Painesville and on to Ewanme.

Even though more than nine months had passed since Louis and Snowy left on their journey, tire marks remained in the area for a long period of time due to the isolation and the police were hoping to find some clues. They eventually reached the 183-mile gate on the number one rabbit-proof fence, which was located in an isolated spot populated by dense, narrow-leafed mulga shrubs. The gate was rarely used, as it merely opened to a remote 800m track that led to a small iron hut and campsite that had no access to water. A boundary rider was required to check on the hut's condition twice a year, but other than that, people seldom had any reason to visit and few likely knew of its existence. After deliberating whether or not to check out the campsite, the Constables decided to venture through the gate and down the track. 300m west of the hut was a dysfunctional water bore, and within the vicinity of this bore, the Constables found evidence of a large fire having been burned. They scoured the ashes and soon found a number of bone fragments, including what appeared to be pieces of a human skull. They also found animal bones, charred woollen material, and a button made of bone.

After detecting the remnants of ash trails, the Constables followed them deeper into the bush, where they discovered two more piles of ash. The grass under these piles hadn't been burned, indicating that the ashes had been dumped at these locations rather than burned there. Among the ash, the Constables found artificial teeth, gold clips from a dental plate, metal eyelets from a pair of shoes, and a wedding ring. Convinced they had discovered evidence of foul play, Constables Hearn and MacArthur sent the evidence back to the Mount Magnant police station. Detective Sergeant Harry Manning, a revered investigator from the Perth Criminal Investigation Department who had spent many years working in the bush, was assigned to lead the case. He departed for Mount Magnant immediately, and after arriving on March 1, 1931, he and Constable Hearn returned to the 183-mile gate to conduct a more thorough examination of the camp. Inspection of the main fire site determined it had measured 8 feet by 6 feet, with the ground underneath burnt to a depth of 3 inches. A nearby coffee tin had been severely scorched on one side, indicating the fire had been very intense.

The officers sifted through the ashes using a fine mesh sieve and discovered more bone fragments, a molar tooth, and several unusual wire stitches. Detective Manning also inspected the camp oven near the main fire and noticed that ash was stuck to the outside. To him, this suggested that the oven had been used to transport some of the ashes to the other two piles. Tire tracks from a car or truck led from the 183-mile gate to the side of the fire and then back again. The officers returned to town and Detective Manning started gathering witness statements. Louis' friend, Jack Lemon, confirmed that Louis had false teeth as he had seen him clean them on several occasions. Detective Manning began inquiring with dentists and orthodontists throughout Western Australia and New Zealand. He soon discovered that a dentist named Arthur William Sims had constructed dentures for Louis that consisted of a complete lower set of artificial teeth and a partial upper set that could be fixed to Louis' existing teeth using two gold clips, similar to those found in the ashes.

Jack Lemon also confirmed that Louis wore a wedding ring that was, quote, so tightly fitting that he once said he would have to have it filed off. Detective Manning tracked down Louis' ex-wife, Minnie Brown, in New Zealand, who said her former husband's wedding ring had been bought from a jeweller named A.T. Long. Mr Long examined the ring found in the ashes and determined that its unique markings and parent number confirmed it had been made in New Zealand. He also recognised a visible discolouration in a join on the ring, which had been made by one of his inexperienced employees during the resizing process. Mr Long recalled that it had been resized at Louis Caron's request, confirming it to be his wedding ring. Detective Manning learned that prior to Louis' disappearance, he had sent two of his watches for repairs to a jeweller in Perth named Levinson & Sons on April 11, 1930. One was an open-faced Omega pocket watch, and the other was a wrist watch. Detective Manning contacted Levinson & Sons, who had recorded details of the repair in their register.

After the watches were repaired, they were returned on April 29 in a cardboard box. The box had been constructed using wire stitches, similar to those found in the ashes of the fire. The manufacturer of the box that contained Louis' repaired watches recognised the stitches, as they had a slight defect that matched the floor in one of his machines. Levinson & Sons also said that on June 29, 1930, a jeweller from Mount Magnant named Fleming & Co. had sent them Louis' same two watches seeking further repairs. Detective Manning spoke to the owner of Fleming & Co. who confirmed that the person who had brought the watches to him for repair was Snowy Rolls. Louis' travel companion when he was last seen leaving the fountain outcamp on May 18, 1930. Detective Manning followed the trail that Snowy and Louis had initially set out on. As later stated by author Arthur Upfield, he covered hundreds of kilometres, filling books with notes about various places, distances, dates and names.

Eventually, he had the name of every working man who was in the district at the time of Louis' disappearance. Word had it that Snowy Rolls was currently employed on Hillview Station. Those who knew him described him as a man of excellent character and a fine bushman. Detective Manning learnt that Snowy had purchased his 1926 Dodge Utility truck from a man named James Ryan who had since left the district. According to locals, James Ryan had left Bernandie Station with a man named George Lloyd in early December of 1929 and neither of the men had been seen for almost 18 months. James Ryan was a former sailor aged in his early 50s. Known as a tough man, he was five feet eight inches tall, heavily tattooed and spoke with a thick cockney accent. He'd arrived in the Merchison area around 1920.

Rumours spread that he had deserted the Royal Navy to work in Calgooly's gold mines. For years, James had mostly been based at the former Gold Rush sites of Pains Find and Mount Magnon where he was known for being a conscientious worker and an excellent singer. He was also known to drink a lot and had been arrested a number of times for drunkenness as well as thrown out of all three pubs in Mount Magnon on various occasions. In mid-1929, James travelled to Perth to purchase a 1926 Dodge Touring Car that had been converted into a light utility truck. He drove it north to Nandi Station to begin his next work assignment. He was hired by the station manager Herman Bogle to build a fence along the eastern edge of the station. James set up camp at the newly constructed Chally Boar, a campsite and water access site that contained little other than a water tank, a shed and yards. His first task was to clear a long strip of land through the mulgar scrub, known as a skyline, and then erect the fence down the centre.

It would take approximately four months of solid work, which meant James was scheduled to finish the job just before Christmas of 1929. This was perfectly timed as James intended to spend the festive season in Perth with a female friend. He hired an off-sider named Doug Bell to assist him, whom he ultimately sacked a few months later. In September 1929, 30-year-old George Lloyd had arrived in the Merchison area after a long and arduous drive from his hometown of Adelaide, South Australia. This was an epic journey at the time, as there were no constructed roads and all travellers had to take their own supplies and fuel. George was a tall, fit young man with fair hair, who was married with two children. A motor mechanic by trade, he had headed to the Western Australian Outback after struggling to find work in Adelaide and was prepared to tackle any kind of job. He soon accepted a position as James Ryan's new off-sider, and to celebrate, James started on a drinking bender.

George abstained, as he didn't drink alcohol. Snowy Rolls had also been working at Nandi station around the same time that he resigned in early December 1929. He'd heard that James Ryan had sacked his previous off-sider Doug Bell and was looking for a replacement. Snowy, unaware that the position had already been filled, set off to take on the job. On December 6, he drove out to Camel station looking for James, only to be told he had passed through two weeks earlier on his way to Perth to stock up on supplies. Knowing that James was a heavy drinker, Snowy predicted he wouldn't have yet made it past the pub at the Wheatbelt town of Boracopin and headed there in search of him. Driving his old Hupmobile, Snowy only made it as far as the 100-mile post on the rabbit-proof fence before his vehicle broke down. He decided to walk to a rain shed located at the 96-mile point and wait for James or another traveller to pass through.

When Snowy arrived at the shed, he found a noisy party in full swing. Those in attendance included an acquaintance by the name of George Ritchie, who was in charge of Camel station and responsible for keeping the buildings and equipment in working order. James Ryan and George Lloyd were also there. Like James, George Ritchie was a big drinker and his wild drunken behaviour had put him under the dog act, which meant he was banned from all the pubs in the region. It turned out that the trio had been travelling along the rabbit-proof fence, making their way through a stash of booze they'd purchased. George Lloyd was the only sober one. Snowy was disappointed that James Ryan had already found a new off-sider, but was grateful for the company and for a lift back to Camel station. He helped James and George Ritchie finish their booze and the four camped at the rain shed overnight.

The next morning of December 7, 1929, both James Ryan and George Ritchie were too hungover to drive. So George Lloyd drove James in his Dodge and Snowy drove George Ritchie in George's truck. Late in the afternoon, the convoy rolled into Camel station, where they all camped the night. The following day, Snowy, James and George Lloyd loaded up the Dodge and headed to James's camp at Chale Boar. During the evening, James entertained the men by singing, while George Lloyd played along on his brand new accordion. On December 9, the trio drove to the 100-mile post to pick up Snowy's broken-down hub mobile. They brought it back to Camel station and left it in the shed there before returning to Chale Boar. The next day, the manager of Nandi station, Herman Bogle, drove to Chale Boar to check on the progress James Ryan had made to the fence.

When he arrived, Snowy was the only one there. He explained that James and George Lloyd were out in the scrub, cutting the skyline for the fence. Satisfied that the work was progressing, Herman headed back to Nandi. The following day of December 11, a mineral prospector named James Yates decided to camp the night at Watson's Gate, another stopping point along the rabbit-crew fence. There, he noticed James Ryan's Dodge parked at the gate, loaded up with supplies. Mr Yates knew both the James and Snowy well, and he soon spotted Snowy drinking some water. Snowy told him that James was a few kilometers west in the bush at Yalinga Boar, collecting timber to build a yard. That evening, Snowy left in the Dodge, heading north.

This struck Mr Yates' odd. If James was out west as Snowy had said, then it didn't make sense that Snowy had driven away in a different direction. Mr Yates decided to investigate the next morning. He followed the Dodge's tire tracks and found that Snowy had made his own route through the scrub, purposely avoiding Camel Station. His tracks eventually linked up with Chally Boar, indicating that he never went to Yalinga Boar, where he claimed James Ryan was looking for timber. Mr Yates was confused as to why Snowy had lied. He drove over to Camel Station to discuss the matter with George Ritchie, who was an old maid of his. The two men were puzzled.

They wondered whether James and Snowy had perhaps discovered gold in the bush and were trying to keep it a secret. Eight days later, on December 21, Nandi station manager Herman Bogle arrived at Chally Boar. The fence was expected to be nearing completion. However, Herman discovered no one at the job site. James Ryan, George Lloyd and Snowy Rolls were missing. Herman assumed they must have gone to Barra Coppin, perhaps for a Christmas bender. He searched the site and found a crowbar and a couple of shovels, which he recognized as belonging to James. Herman was annoyed as James owed him some money and had also borrowed his compass and steel surveying tape, which Herman wanted back.

Herman returned to Chally Boar three days later to check if James had returned. But it appeared as though he and the others had cleared out for good, leaving the fencing job unfinished. Arthur Upfield was born in England in 1890 and by age 20 had been sent to Australia by his father in the hopes that he would prove himself as a man. He spent several years working in the outback, accepting whatever jobs came his way, including boundary rider, shearers cork, fur trapper, bullock driver and opal gouger. Arthur was a keen rider who spent his spare time penning manuscripts. His first novel, a thriller titled The House of Cain, was published in London in 1928 and his publisher quickly commissioned him to write three more novels. After completing his second book, Arthur travelled to Mount Magnon, where he secured a job as fence runner and camel breaker at Camel Station. As the southern boundary rider, he was responsible for the portion of the number one rabbit-proof fence that stretched 163 miles south from Camel Station down to Barakopin.

It was during this time that he met Snowy Rolls, who was working as a casual station hand, fox hunter and horse breaker in the area. By late 1929, Arthur had heard Snowy was constructing a stretcher fence line in the northwest with the James Ryan and George Lloyd. On December 23, Arthur arrived in the town of Ewen Me, where he spotted Snowy Rolls on the steps of the Ewen Me Hotel. Snowy informed Arthur that James Ryan had quit the fencing job because he owed station manager Herman Bogle too much money. Snowy, George and James had left the area and travelled to Mount Magnon, where the latter decided to stay. James let Snowy borrow his dodge to drive to Ewen Me for Christmas. Snowy had since picked up temporary work at the local hotel, where he also stayed. After crossing paths with Arthur Upfield, Snowy ran into Arthur's mate and boundary rider counterpart Lance Madison.

He told Lance that James had sold him the dodge for £75, or the equivalent of about $9000 in today's currency. Neither Lance nor Arthur found Snowy's comments suspicious and didn't mention his conflicting stories to one another. They both knew he was in the market for a new vehicle given his hub mobile had died and that he had family in Perth who had sent him money in the past. Additionally, they knew how much James Ryan loved to drink and thought he'd be willing to sell the shirt off his back in order to afford more booze. It also made sense to Arthur and Lance that George Lloyd could have stayed in Mount Magnon to keep an eye on his friend. Days later, on December 26, a prospector named Ted May bumped into Snowy driving the dodge in Ewen Me. Ted recognised the vehicle as he had worked for James Ryan earlier that year. Surprised to see Snowy driving it, he asked after James to which Snowy replied.

Last I heard he was in Mount Magnon, he was talking about going up to Waluna so I expect that's where he is now. I bought the truck off him for £80. Snowy continued working at the Ewen Me Hotel until February 10, 1930 after which he returned to the Rabbitproof Fence where he worked as a freelance fox hunter and dog trapper. He mostly stayed in the Ewen Me, Dromedary Hills area but occasionally ventured further afield. One day he bumped into James Ryan's former off-sider, Doug Bell, who asked whether James was in town. Snowy said the last time he had seen James was in Nandi and he believed he was heading to Boracopin from there. He told Doug that James had owed him £30 which he didn't have so Snowy had struck up a deal to clear the debt, paying James £40 in exchange for the dodge. In April 1930, Snowy made his way to the Fountain Camp which was where he met Louis Caron.

Detective Manning was now certain that Louis Caron had met with foul play after leaving the Fountain Camp with Snowy roles and he continued his investigation into the New Zealanders disappearance and suspected death. During Detective Manning's inquiries he also learned another interesting detail. According to Arthur Upfield and a few of his associates, Arthur had been working on his fourth manuscript in the months leading up to James Ryan and George Lloyd's disappearance. It was a follow-up to his second novel, The Barracky Mystery, which focused on a murder investigation conducted by a fictional character named Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte, known simply as Boney. The character of Detective Boni was based on a friend of Arthur's, an indigenous man named Leon whose mother had been murdered when he was a baby. Consequently, Leon had been raised on a Queensland mission and was later employed as a tracker with the Queensland police. The Barracky Mystery experienced a moderate success and Arthur Upfield planned to write more novels in the Detective Boney series. By mid-1929 he started brainstorming ideas for his next book.

As Arthur understood it, a murder mystery required three key plot points, the discovery of a corpse, followed by a detective beginning their investigation and then finally, the killer being identified and arrested. Wanting to be original, Arthur questioned whether the first plot point was even necessary to his story. Without a victim's body, Detective Boni would have to prove a murder had been committed, along with how and by whom, resulting in a unique take on an otherwise predictable narrative. While the idea was very attractive to Arthur, he quickly realised the practical difficulties. The biggest problem was how the killer could dispose of a body so thoroughly as to leave no trace. Most real-life murderers had failed to do so, despite all their ingenuity. Arthur contemplated the use of a crematorium or bath of corrosive acid, but ruled them out as they weren't resources that the average person in his fictionalised, though realistic, Australian outback story would have access to. One night in the winter of 1929, Arthur was playing cards with George Ritchie at Camel Station Homestead, when he asked George for a good way of completely destroying a human body without leaving any trace.

George suggested the killer lure the victim into the bush, shoot him and then burn the body, clothes and all. After a few days, the killer could return to the bush with a sieve and sift through the ashes to find any metal parts and remaining bone fragments. The metal objects could be thrown down a well, while the bones could be crushed to dust using a dolly pot, a manual device used to crush rock specimens when peering for gold and other minerals. The killer could then shoot and burn a couple of kangaroos on top of the same ash pile as a disguise. Arthur marvelled at the simplicity of his friend's method, but viewed it as too perfect. If there was no evidence of a corpse, Arthur questioned how Detective Boney could prove to a judge or jury that a murder had even been committed. The police and courts would require some identifiable remains before they could charge a suspect with murder. Arthur decided that the killer would have to make a mistake, as there needed to be evidence, no matter how small.

He offered to pay George Ritchie one pound, or the equivalent of around 120 Australian dollars in today's currency, if he could identify an error in the killer's disposal plan. George Ritchie was determined to find a solution and reap the reward. A few weeks later, he ran into Snowy Rolls, who was on his motorbike near Camel Station. George was carrying a rifle, and without providing any context, he asked, Hey Snow, if I was to shoot you stone dead, drag your body over to that dead scrub, burn it thoroughly, then come back tomorrow with a sieve and go through the ashes for the bones and the metal objects on your clothes. Dump the metal objects down a well, and dolly your bones to dust. How could my crime be discovered? Snowy looked afraid and rode away on his motorbike without responding. He arrived at Camel Station, where he found Arthur Upfield and told him about the odd exchange.

He feared George Ritchie had gone mad and wanted to shoot him. Amused, Arthur explained his new Detective Boney project and the offer he had made to George to come up with a flaw in his otherwise perfect murder scenario. Arthur openly discussed his conundrum to others, and it became a talking point during a small party held at Camel Station in October 1929. Everyone in attendance, including Snowy, tried to come up with a solution. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to find fault in George Ritchie's idea. Arthur started to give up. Then, one morning, while he was preoccupied with his camels, he had an epiphany. His fictional killer would not be aware that his victim had a small silver plate in his head that was used to repair a war wound. When the killer shot the victim in the head, Arthur decided the little silver plate would be sent flying to be eventually found by Detective Boney.

Boney would then be able to deduce that the missing victim was dead. Arthur also fine-tuned the disposal of any remaining metal fragments with the body, so that instead of throwing them down a disused well, his fictional killer would dissolve them in nitric acid, small jars of which were available at the stations in the area. The plot was finally complete. Arthur began writing the manuscript, which he titled The Sands of Windy. To Detective Manning, it didn't appear to be a coincidence that Louis Caron had been disposed of in the same manner described in Arthur's upcoming novel. Armed with this new information, he returned to Nandi with Constable Hearn, and the duo drove down to James Ryan's former campsite at Chully Boar. It was a remote area 800 metres west of the Rabbitproof Fence that was very rarely used. At the camp, they discovered the remnants of eight fire sites, similar to those where Louis Caron's remains were found. The officers scoured the ashes and found some metal eyelets from pairs of shoes, metal parts from an accordion, and various bone fragments that were badly burned and broken.

The bone fragments were so damaged that it was impossible to determine whether they were human or animal. However, the presence of the shoe eyelets and accordion pieces convinced the officers there was a high probability they were human and belonged to James Ryan and George Lloyd. Had the men chosen to vacate the camp without their shoes or George's accordion, they would have simply left these items behind instead of burning them. Furthermore, it made no sense for them to depart into the dense bushland without their shoes. As Snowy Rolls was the last man seen with the James and George and was now driving James's Dodge, Detective Manning concluded that Snowy had likely murdered both men as well as Louis Caron. Although it was unlikely that Snowy was motivated to commit the murders by Arthur Upfield's fictional plot, there was a high chance the novel had provided the inspiration. As it was highly improbable that all three men had been killed in separate fits of rage, Detective Manning determined that the deaths were calculated and had been financially motivated. In early March 1931, Detective Manning and Constable Herne travelled with Constable Thomas Penn from the Maker Thera police to Hillview Station looking for Snowy Rolls.

After learning he was stationed at an out-camp several miles from the Hillview homestead, the officers dressed undercover in worn Bushman's clothing and made their way to the camp. When they arrived, Snowy wasn't at his hut, so they kept a discreet presence. The following afternoon at 2.30, Snowy drove up in a lightweight horse-drawn cart known as a Sulky. Detective Manning was a short distance away in the bush, but Constable's Herne and Penn were sitting in their car nearby. They watched as Snowy unharnessed the horses from the Sulky and led them away. The Constables approached the cart and found a .22 bore rifle in the back. When Snowy returned to the Sulky after a short absence, Constable Herne was casually examining the rifle. At this point, Detective Manning arrived on the scene.

To his surprise, he recognized Snowy Rolls as none other than John Thomas Smith, a convicted criminal who was wanted for escaping from Dalwala New Prison in 1928. He asked Snowy how long he had been going by the name Rolls. Snowy, who evidently also recognized Detective Manning, replied, You know very well who I am, and if I had known who you were, you wouldn't have got me so easily. The officers said they were looking for Louis Caron, James Ryan and George Lloyd, all three of whom were last seen in Snowy's company. When Snowy was asked where he'd gotten the Dodge Utility truck that was in the shed, he explained he'd purchased it from James Ryan. Snowy let the officers into his hut, where they found two loaded .32 bore rifles. Detective Manning asked Snowy if everything in the hut was his, to which he said yes, except for the rifles, the sewing machine and the gramophone.

The officers gave Snowy permission to cook himself some food while they searched the hut. In the drawer of the sewing machine, they found a pair of expensive hair clippers, which Snowy claimed to have bought from a traveling salesman. One of the officers found a parcel wrapped in newspaper sitting high on a shelf. When he reached for it, Snowy said, Where the hell did you get that? I know nothing about it. Inside the parcel was a wristwatch, three shirts, a watch chain, a pair of scissors and a razor marked as being made in New Zealand. The officers also searched the Dodge and found an open-faced watch that Snowy claimed was already there when he purchased the vehicle from James Ryan. As there was an outstanding warrant for Snowy's arrest from the Dalwala New Jailbreak, he was informed that he would be returned to custody.

After finishing his meal, he asked for permission to change into a blue surge suit. Detective Manning pointed out that this was unnecessary given the long, dusty ride ahead, but eventually agreed. The four men then drove 130km to the Mika Thara police station, where Snowy Rolls, aka John Thomas Smith, was returned to custody. John Thomas Smith was born in Western Australia on August 8, 1905, to parents Ernest and Catherine. He was one of seven children and the family lived in a rented house in the suburb of North Perth. As a child, John had white blonde hair, which earned him the lifelong nickname of Snowy. Although intelligent, he was a lazy student and prone to petty theft. By the age of 11, he was already known to the police and had appeared in children's court three times.

Snowy left school at age 14 and worked sporadically as an unskilled labourer. He was almost always broke and continued to get in trouble with the law. By the time he was 20 years old, Snowy had accumulated a string of fines, predominantly for theft and unlawful possession. He acquired a motorcycle and whenever it needed a new seat, he simply stole one from someone else's bike and installed it on his own. In April 1926, Snowy robbed two employees from the WA Boot Manufacturing Company as they returned from the National Bank, carrying a briefcase full of cash for the weekly paychecks. The briefcase contained £333, which would amount to approximately $40,000 in today's currency. Snowy was arrested, found guilty of the crime and sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment with hard labour. He was released less than two years later on February 2, 1928 at the age of 22.

Five months later, he broke into a cooperative store in the small Wheatbelt town of Nungaran and stole some food, a suitcase and clothing. Four days after that, he and another man burgled a store in the remote town of Dalwollenew taking £7, the equivalent of around $840 Australian dollars today, as well as an assortment of goods and clothing. The police found a can of petrol and jellignite left behind at the scene. It appeared as though the culprits had intended to blow up the shops safe, but abandoned their plan at the last minute. Snowy and his accomplice, Thomas Wilson, were found hiding in the bush and were placed under arrest. They were taken to Dalwollenew, where they were charged and held in the wooden lock-up behind the police station. On July 23, Detective Manning was dispatched from Perth to appear at their committal hearing before the district magistrate, during which both men were committed to stand trial in Perth. The following day of July 24, Detective Manning returned to Perth to organise secure transport for the two thieves.

That evening, an officer entered Snowy and Wilson's cell to deliver their dinner, but the men knocked the tray into the officer's face and bolted out of the open cell door. They fled into the darkness as police brandishing rifles pursued them. Wilson was hit and injured by one of the officer's bullets, so he surrendered, while Snowy escaped into the night. The next day, the only trace that police could find of him was a report of a stolen horse. The search eventually wound down, but the warrant for Snowy's arrest remained active. Snowy soon found himself a motorcycle and made his way to the Merchison District, where he adopted the name Stanley Rolls, while continuing to go by his nickname of Snowy. With Snowy now held in the Mika Thara lock-up on account of his outstanding arrest warrant, Detective Manning questioned him about the trip he took with Louis Caron. Snowy claimed that after leaving the Fountain campsite, the two men spent the night camping at Windamara.

The following day, Snowy went to Painesville to cash Louis' check and pick up supplies before spending the night at the Painesville Hotel. On the third day, he returned to Windamara, where he and Louis began work shooting kangaroos. On day four, the two men travelled to Mount Magnon, where they parted company. That night, Snowy slept by the roadside and then continued on to you and me the following day. Detective Manning then questioned him about his time spent with the James Ryan and George Lloyd. Snowy claimed that after leaving Nandi Station in early December, the trio travelled to Chalibor Camp, where they stayed for several nights. On their third day there, James and George made a day trip to Nandi, and when they returned, all three men started to cut the skyline for the fence. On day four, James was having trouble with the tyres on his dodge, so Snowy rode his motorcycle to Nandi to retrieve the puncture repair kit.

The next day, he fixed the puncture, and a man named Herman Bogle paid a visit to Chalibor. James was working on the fence about two kilometres down the track at the time and didn't see Herman, which he was relieved about, as he owed Herman quite a bit of money. Snowy, James and George stayed at Chalibor for a few more days before deciding to leave on the eighth day. When they reached the 202 Mile Gate, the dodge broke down, so they camped out on the track for the night. The following day, some men in two separate vehicles drove by, saying they were heading north. James and George decided to hitch a ride with the men, and James sold his dodge to Snowy. According to Snowy, that was the last he ever saw of either of the men. After Snowy signed his statement, he remarked,

A man must have a kink to do this sort of thing. I am sorry I did not take my old lady's advice. She wanted me to give myself up when I escaped from Darwollenu, and if I'd taken her advice, I would have had that all over by now, and would not have had this other thing to face. Manning asked what other thing he was referring to, as Snowy was only being held on his outstanding arrest warrant, and hadn't yet been charged with anything else. Snowy replied, Oh, the less said about that the better. Snowy was taken to Perth to stand trial for his original crime of breaking and entering in Darwollenu in early 1928. He was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison, giving the authorities plenty of time to continue their investigation into the disappearances of Louis Caron, James Ryan, and George Lloyd.

Two eminent pathologists studied the bone fragments that were discovered in the remains of the fire at the 183-mile gate. They confirmed that the non-artificial teeth were human, with one proving to be a molar tooth. Some of the smaller bones were suspected to be human finger or toe bones, although the pathologists couldn't conclusively rule out the possibility that they were from animal pores. The few skull fragments were fitted together, and it was determined they had most likely come from a Caucasian male. These skull fragments, along with the teeth, were the only decisive evidence that the fires had indeed contained human remains. On January 7, 1932, Snowy Rolls, aka John Thomas Smith, was formally charged with the murder of Louis Caron, and a mandatory coroner's inquest was ordered. On January 9, the media reported that earlier the previous year, Snowy had made two suicide attempts while in the Makathara lockup. Constable Penn told the Western Argus newspaper that he'd found Snowy attempting to hang himself in his cell, at which point Snowy also admitted that he'd tried taking strychnine, a highly toxic poison typically used as a pesticide.

According to Constable Penn, Snowy said he would prefer execution to spending life in prison, but would rather hang himself before the authorities were given the chance to kill him. After the media reported this, Snowy's lawyer denied any suicide attempts had taken place. A few weeks later, the coroner's inquest commenced with the aim of determining for certain whether Louis Caron was deceased, and if so, who or what was the likely cause of his death. Louis's ex-wife, the jeweller who had sold Louis his wedding ring, and Louis's dentist were all flown over from New Zealand to testify, with their expenses covered by the State of Western Australia. Several other witnesses also gave evidence, including Detective Manning, Arthur Upfield, Louis's friend Jack Lemon, Nandi station manager Herman Bogle, and publican Ted Moses. The inquest concluded on February 13, 1932, with Magistrate Edward Butler finding that Louis Caron was indeed dead, and while there was no evidence of the cause of death, Snowy Roles was responsible. Prison officers escorted Snowy to free mental jail to await trial. On March 10, 1932, Snowy's trial commenced before a jury of 12 men, with Justice Percy Draper presiding.

At the time, it was the most sensational murder trial in Western Australia's history, and public interest in the case was enormous. Many people were strongly against Snowy, though a majority of Murchison locals who knew him personally wanted to believe that he was innocent. Not only did they find him to be enthusiastic, warm, and hardworking, but they also knew how easily men could disappear in the bush. Sometimes years would pass before a missing person's remains were found, while other times, nothing was recovered at all. Additionally, residents of Murchison were aware that many of the region's transient workers could have various reasons to voluntarily disappear, and believed that the three missing men might have gone off the radar of their own accord. However, the fact that all three had disappeared around the same time, with two of them giving their belongings to Snowy, made it impossible for Murchison locals to disassociate one disappearance from the others. As the trial progressed, Constable Hearn detailed his discovery of the fire pit at the 183-mile gate and the items he found amongst the ashes, while Detective Manning clearly described the course of the investigation. Pathologists testified as to their findings, in particular that the skull fragments and molar tooth were definitely human.

The jeweler and dentist who had travelled from New Zealand also provided evidence confirming that the wedding ring, dentures, and molar tooth belonged to Louis Caron. When it was Arthur Upfield's turn to testify, the prosecution alleged that although he was in no way an accessory to the crime, he had inadvertently provided Snowy with a way to destroy the bodies of his victims. Arthur detailed how the fictional disposal method came about for his book, and confirmed that Snowy's roles was fully aware of these details. Crown Prosecutor Clifford Gibson called Snowy's original police statement a tissue of lies. He called witnesses to the stand who were able to rebut Snowy's version of events around the time of Louis Caron's disappearance. Snowy was eventually called to the stand by his defense counsel, Fred Curran. He impressed the court with his unhesitating responses and clear, well-modulated voice, as he essentially repeated the original statement he had provided to Detective Manning. In concluding the defense case, Curran asked Snowy if he knew anything of Louis Caron's present whereabouts, to which Snowy replied, No.

Curran then asked his client if he had done anything to bring about Louis's death. Again, Snowy said no. Under cross-examination, Prosecutor Gibson asked Snowy why Louis would send him a letter from Geraldton, as Snowy had claimed, yet not make any contact with his close friends Jack Lemon or WA Jackson in New Zealand, whom he wrote to regularly. Snowy responded that he didn't have to account for that. At the conclusion of the trial on March 19, Justice Draper summed up the case for the jury, noting that the discussion between Arthur Upfield and Snowy Rolls about how to destroy a human body without leaving any trace was a curious thing. While he agreed that the evidence indicated the method of disposal had been used in Louis Caron's case, he told the jury, quote, whether Rolls did it is a matter for you to decide. In relation to the wedding ring and artificial teeth found in the fire, Justice Draper observed, quote, It would be a strange coincidence seeing that Caron possessed things identical to all these articles if those found in the fire did not belong to him.

That afternoon, the jury retired to consider their verdict. Their first task was to decide whether the remains found at the 183-mile camp were in fact those of Louis Caron. According to one juror who spoke to the Daily News after the trial, while the jury was compelled by the presence of the false teeth, shoe eyelets and metal stitches, it was the wedding ring that convinced them that the charge remains belonged to Louis. The evidence given by Jack Lemon that Louis wore the ring on his little finger and had remarked that it was so tight he would have to cut it off, convinced the jury that the ring couldn't possibly have fallen into the fire by accident. They therefore concluded that Louis' finger was either cut off or his whole body was thrown into the flames. The next task for the jury was to decide whether Snowy Rolls was the person responsible. They were unconvinced that Louis had been shot, but were satisfied that the manner in which the bones had been crushed and the ashes were distributed indicated intentional concealment. It was this that they believed was evidence of murder.

After deliberating for just over two hours, the jury delivered their verdict. Snowy was brought up from the holding cell and stared intently at the jury, shaking his head as though he knew what was coming. The verdict was then read aloud, with the jury finding Snowy Rolls, aka John Thomas Smith, guilty of the murder of Louis Caron. When Justice Draper asked if Snowy had anything to say, he responded, I have been found guilty of a crime that has never been committed. Justice Draper handed down his sentence immediately, declaring, John Thomas Smith, the sentence is that you be returned to your former custody and that at a time and place to be appointed by the governor, you be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May the Lord have mercy on your soul.

On March 30, Snowy's defense counsel, Fred Caron, lodged an appeal against the conviction. He cited that evidence relating to James Ryan and George Lloyd shouldn't have been admitted, and nor should the evidence provided by Arthur Upfield that Snowy was present during a discussion about the disposal method of a fictional victim. Caron also argued there was no evidence that Louis was dead, and claimed that Justice Draper had misdirected the jury, resulting in a miscarriage of justice. The appeal was heard before the Court of Criminal Appeal on April 15, 1932. Two weeks later, it was unanimously dismissed, with the appellate judges disagreeing with Caron's arguments, and pointing out it was Snowy's own legal counsel who initially raised the association with the James Ryan and George Lloyd during the trial. Snowy's legal team then appealed to the High Court of Australia, but this too was rejected, leaving Snowy with no more formal avenues for appeal. A non-denominational Christian organization known as the Groper Brotherhood protested against Snowy's sentence due to their moral objection to the death penalty.

A groper is a slang term for people from Western Australia, taken from the name of an insect native to the state. The Groper Brotherhood made a submission to Western Australia's Executive Council, arguing that the death penalty was designed to be reserved for cases of, quote, repulsive willful murder where there are not mitigating circumstances and where no atonement or reformation can be looked for. As the circumstances of Louis Caron's death had never been established and the evidence used to convict Snowy was mostly circumstantial, the Brotherhood argued it wasn't justified to take Snowy's life. They also claimed that a systematic search hadn't been carried out for James Ryan and George Lloyd and therefore the two men shouldn't have been mentioned at Snowy's trial. According to the Brotherhood, he should be granted mercy pending further police activity on their whereabouts. On June 3, 1932, the Attorney General received the Brotherhood's submission, but declined their request. As explained by Terry Walker in his book Murder on the Rabbit-Proof Fence,

forbidding the use of circumstantial evidence in murder trials would essentially prevent the prosecution of virtually all murders, other than those committed in front of an impartial and reliable witness. Undeterred, the Brotherhood joined forces with the Housewives Association, who viewed themselves as acting on behalf of Snowy's mother. Together, they amended their objection to the circumstantial evidence. They drew up a formal petition, requesting that Mercy be extended to Snowy so that, quote, He may live to atone in the body for the deeds done in the body, and we, as a Christian society, may discharge our creative and reformative responsibilities to the Father of all. The petition was printed and distributed throughout Perth in the hopes of accumulating signatures. On June 4, 1932, Snowy's lawyer Fred Curran held a press conference in which he announced that Snowy had confessed to what really happened to Louis Curran. Snowy had prepared a statement that read,

Curran and I were together. It is true that we camped at the old Windemurrah homestead. The police said we didn't camp there, but we did. We were getting short of stores, and Curran asked me to slip into Painesville and cash his check. He didn't sign it. We hadn't any pens and ink. Curran said to me, You can sign it. And I did. When I got back, I found Curran dead. He had apparently eaten by mistake one of our poisoned butterpats, which we had for poisoning foxes. The body was in terrible condition. The crows had been at it. I was in a rotten position. I had just come back from cashing Curran's check. I had a record and was an escaped prisoner. My first impulse was to go and tell the police, but I knew they would take me and put me in prison. So I decided to do away with the body and say nothing about it. The alleged confession seemed to sway many Perth residents, and the petition against Snowy's execution gained 50,000 signatures. However, it was a different story in the outback, where people became even more convinced of Snowy's guilt.

To them, this version of events seemed utterly impossible, especially considering the Windamara homestead where Snowy claimed Louis had died was 80 kilometers from the camp where his remains were then burned. The petition was submitted to the Attorney General on June 7, 1932, with the Executive Council declining to reprieve Snowy, citing that the law must take its course. The following day, a letter from the Groper Brotherhood appeared in the Daily News announcing the organization felt it had discharged its spiritual obligation and was relieved of any further responsibility. Snowy's execution was scheduled for June 13, 1932. Five days prior, his mother and sister visited him at Fremantle Prison, where they described him as being wasted away to a shadow with sunken eyes. Snowy told his mother that he would rather the death sentence over a life in prison. He was also surprised to learn that his confession to his lawyer had been published, as he had only intended for it to be made public after his death. On June 9, the family of George Lloyd sent a telegram from Adelaide, making a final plea for Snowy to tell the truth about what happened to their loved one, but he declined to offer any information. On June 11, Snowy's lawyer Fred Curran published a letter his client had written to him that served as a final public statement. The letter read, There was no receipt. Things are different up in the north to what they are in town. You take a man's word for it.

What I told you the other day was the truth about Louis Curran. I have never taken a man's life. It is not me who has committed murder, but the law. Death can be no worse than what I have gone through for the last few months. I should have told the truth in the first place, but I had to make a fool of myself and I have to pay for it. The law will be satisfied. I can die with a clear mind. At 8am on June 13, Snowy Rolls was hanged at Fremantle Prison. Some news outlets reported that Rolls made no final statement, yet others asserted that his final words were, I did not kill Louis Curran. Snowy's mother inherited her son's small estate, which included the Dodge truck. She attempted to sell it to a motor wrecker, but the police refused to release the vehicle into her possession, arguing that it technically still belonged to the estate of James Ryan. Given that James never married or had children, he had no known heirs, and the Dodge was eventually auctioned off by the government. The proceeds were placed in a trust in case any of James' heirs ever came forward to claim the money, but none ever did. As a result of the case and its links to Arthur Upfield's novel, interest in Arthur's books surged. During Snowy's trial, his first three books were serialised in Western Australian newspapers, further adding to their popularity. Consequently, Arthur moved to Perth's eastern suburbs and started writing full time. In late 1932, he relocated to a small town in Victoria and began writing articles for the Herald newspaper, before once again travelling the countryside.

In 1934, Arthur penned his recollection of the Snowy Roll saga for a book titled The Merchants and Murders. Arthur Upfield was essentially Australia's first crime fiction writer. Over the course of his career, he wrote and published 36 novels, the majority of which were part of the Detective Boney series. In 1954, Arthur was the first non-American author to be awarded full membership into the Mystery Writers Guild of America, and in 1957, he was nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Mystery Novel Published in the United States. At the age of 73, Arthur Upfield died of a heart attack in his home in Bowerl, New South Wales. His deep love of the Australian outback lasted throughout his lifetime, with Arthur commenting in his later years, quote, In me was born a passionate love for the Australian bush which will burn until the end, a love stronger than love of family, so strong that even now it threatens to claim me. Capital punishment was abolished in Western Australia in 1984, with Snowy Rolls being the sixth last person ever executed in the state. Although James Ryan and George Lloyd were eventually declared legally dead, no one was ever charged for their murders, and none of their remains were ever formally identified.

However, many were convinced that they both suffered the same fate as Louis Caron. Detective Manning stated, As a result of my inquiries, I don't think there is any doubt that both Ryan and Lloyd were murdered at Charlie Bore, and then their bodies cut up and burned on the different fires. Over the years, the rabbit-proof fence proved ineffective, with rabbits and other animals managing to make their way through gaps or via open gates, which travelers often failed to close. By the late 1940s, the grand ideal of one great vermin-thwarting coast-to-coast fence had started to fade. This feeling of defeat, coupled with the fact that many Aussie men were called away from the upback to go to war, meant it became difficult to keep the fence in good repair. As the century progressed, the Western Australian government abandoned stretches of the number one rabbit-proof fence, from Gum Creek Junction to the North Coast, and from the South Coast to the 76-mile post north of Barakopin. The remaining portion became important for repelling wild dogs and emus, and therefore continues to be maintained.

In 1989, author Terry Walker visited the untended 183-mile camp north of Camel Station, where the remains of Louis Caron were found. In his book about the case titled, Murder on the Rabbit-Proof Fence, Terry wrote, Much has changed at the haunted camp. New fences passed through the area, although the 183-mile gate still swings, rather reluctantly, on its rusty hinges. There is nothing there to suggest that it was the scene of a murder. Despite its dilapidated state, Camel Station was added to the Western Australia Heritage Register in March 2018, for its association with the killings. In an article for the West Australian newspaper, Heritage Minister David Templeman said the heritage listing, Incapsulates the fascinating story of the mergers and murders, and the hard and isolated life of boundary riders, on the rabbit-proof fence. Copyright© OSHO International Foundation