Casefile True Crime - Case 32: Grace & Kathleen Holmes

Episode Date: September 4, 2016

After migrating from England to Australia after World War II, the Holmes family were looking forward to embracing a safer and higher quality of life. They’d experienced trauma and hardship during the war years and were ready to start afresh.  That dream was shattered on August 29, 1950, just weeks after their arrival, when 18-year-old Grace Holmes and her 11-year-old sister Kathleen went for a walk along the Canton Beach foreshore in Toukley and never returned home. NOTE: The interviews played in this episode are a re-enactment of actual transcripts. Detective Whalen is played by Sam McCool. William Birtle is played by Craig Forest. For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-32-grace-kathleen-holmes

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It was a time where employment levels were extremely high and there was a very good standard of living across the country. The economy was booming, which is what made it so attractive for hundreds of thousands of people to migrate here after World War II. The Holmes family was one of many who moved to Australia from England after the war. They came here to escape the destruction. To a place they thought would be much safer and would offer a better quality of life. Music

Grace and Kathleen Holmes were sisters. Grace was 18 years old, Kathy was 11 years old. They moved to Australia from England with their parents Eleanor and Clarence Holmes and their brothers Doug and Frank Holmes. They arrived here on the 27th of March, 1950. Clarence served in both World Wars. During World War II, the Holmes family lived just outside of London and were victims of the German Blitz, suffering from heavy bombing.

But they survived. They lived six months huddled in a bomb shelter. Clarence was wounded in the war and he decided to move his family to Australia for a better chance in life once World War II had ended. They arrived in Sydney on Grace's 18th birthday. The family rented two rooms on William Street in King's Cross, Sydney. Grace was able to find work at a clothing factory to help with expenses. In July 1950, they made the move to Tookley on the New South Wales Central Coast.

They rented a room on Pierce Avenue for £3 and 10 shillings a week, which is about $173 in today's money. Clarence was a painter and decorator and he was able to find work in Newcastle, about one hour's drive north of Tookley. Tookley is 107 kilometres, or 66 miles, north of Sydney. It is now a large residential area and popular holiday spot. Tookley is surrounded by the ocean on the eastern side and on the other side by Tuggera and Budgerwee Lakes.

Two large interconnected lakes divided by narrow strips of land. Grace and Kathy were healthy and able to take care of themselves. Grace was described as being particularly strong. They often put on a pair of boxing gloves and sparred with their brothers. Grace and Kathy were both extremely close and were rarely out of each other's company. On Tuesday the 29th of August 1950, Grace and Kathy spent the day at home with their mother Eleanor. They shared lunch together, which was cold tongue, mashed potato and peas. The girl's father Clarence was away working in Newcastle.

About 1pm the girls left the house and went down to the local shop to buy some lollies. They returned home about 1.15pm. Grace got changed into a green striped cotton frock and white sand shoes. She wore a pair of light coloured glasses and a hair ribbon. Kathy put on a green coloured short pleated skating frock and black strapped shoes. Grace grabbed a small red striped hand towel and they left home together at 1.30pm. Both girls were in good spirits and perfectly happy when they left home. They told their mother they were headed to the Norahead Lighthouse, which was a few miles away.

At 1pm that afternoon the three Massey brothers, Bruce, Raymond and Alan, left their home in Tookley to go shooting in an area nicknamed by the locals the jungle. The jungle was a thick scrub overgrown bush area that ran along the edge of Tugra Lake, a quiet and very isolated spot. They walked south along the lakes foreshore, heading about 90 metres down past the spot known as Duncan's Hut. Duncan's Hut was a fisherman's hut that had nearly been overgrown by the jungle and was on the verge of collapse. It was a popular place for underage drinkers and for other things people wanted to do away from prying eyes. From that point, 90 metres south of Duncan's Hut, the Massey's headed east, making their way into the centre of the jungle.

They walked north up through the thick of the jungle. They had a double barrel shotgun with them on their hunt. They walked about 90 metres back past Duncan's Hut through the jungle and then made their way back out onto the lake foreshore. The Massey brothers continued walking north along the foreshore until they came to a small creek. There was a piece of timber laid down over the creek people used as a bridge to get across. When they arrived at the creek, Grace and Cathy Holmes were trying to walk across the piece of timber. The girls were headed south down the lake foreshore, the opposite direction to the Massey brothers. The Massey's had never met Grace or Cathy before. The time was now about 3.30pm. Raymond and Massey grabbed the girls' hands and helped them both across the creek.

They thanked him and continued south down along the lake foreshore. The Massey brothers crossed the creek themselves and continued north. About 100 metres past the creek, they ran into a man by the name of William Bertle. He appeared suddenly out from behind some oak trees. William Bertle was 25 years old. He was also a native of England, but he had been living in Australia since he was 3 years old. He had previously worked in a coal mine in Lithgow, 200 kilometres or 120 miles west of Tuchly. He had moved to Tuchly two years earlier. He lived with his mother and stepfather, his sister and two stepbrothers. He worked as a weld digger as well as a prawnar and fisherman.

The Massey brothers were keen fishermen themselves and they got talking with Bertle about fishing for several minutes. The Massey brothers described Bertle as wearing shorts and a white athletic singlet. He wasn't wearing any footwear. After their conversation, William Bertle walked south in the same direction as Grace and Cathy. The girls were always home before 5pm. Every night they helped Eleanor prepare dinner and set the dinner table. By 5.30pm Eleanor became worried. She sent her sons Frank and Douglas out to see if they could find the girls. By 7.30pm there was still no sign of them. Eleanor sent Doug and Frank up to notify a family friend, Fred Jackson, and asked for his help. Fred Jackson was an estate agent and quickly got to work helping Eleanor as Clarence was still away in Newcastle working. Fred Jackson organised a search party and about 60 local residents volunteered.

They searched the Tugger Lake foreshore and surrounding areas, but they couldn't find any trace of the girls. They didn't notify the police until about 1.30am that next morning, Wednesday 30th August. Sergeant Campton was familiar with the location the girls had gone missing and he headed up the search team for the police. Sergeant Campton split the search parties into two. He led one party down south to a location known as The Entrance, 13km or 8 miles away. They performed a search heading back north towards the girls home at Tucley. The other search party was led by Fred Jackson and his friend Stuart Breon. Two locals who assisted them included a man by the name of Robert Bertle and his son William Bertle. This search team headed straight to the jungle area of Tugger Lake.

They searched the foreshore, the scrub and the bushland down to about 500 metres south of Duncan's hut. After searching for several hours, both search teams started to feel that if the girls were still alive and had just been lost in the jungle area, they would have been able to make their way to the waters edge by now. A feeling came across the group that they were looking for bodies. Robert and William Bertle were instructed to get in a boat and start searching the waters edge along the lake foreshore. Other members of the search party were sent further south to meet up with the team headed by Sergeant Campton. Stuart Breon and Frank Jackson continued paying attention around the jungle and in particular around Duncan's hut. They kept a lookout for any tracks leading into the jungle they may have missed.

It was in a spot about 50 metres north of Duncan's hut they found a disturbed patch of sand. There were blood stains and a deep impression similar to the front portion of a bare foot in the sand. They also noticed a button and a pair of glasses. This spot was about 40 metres east of the waters edge of the lake. They continued searching and it was about 30 metres east of this disturbed sand area that they found the bodies of Grace and Cathy. Lying face down in shallow swamp water behind a log. That area was referred to as the swamp because after rain shallow pools of water would always form and it had been raining heavily the previous two days. The spot where the girls were found was in total about 70 metres east of the waters edge of Tugra Lake.

Stuart Breon and Fred Jackson walked to the lake's edge and called out to the burdles who were still out on their boat searching about 200 metres away. The burdles came ashore and Breon and Jackson got in the boat and returned to Tucley. They made no mention to the burdles that they had found the girls bodies. The reason for this was that they didn't want other people knowing and going to have a look at the crime scene, disturbing evidence in the process. Upon returning to Tucley the police were notified and the officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Whalen, along with Dr England, the government medical officer, started making their way to Tucley from Newcastle. Eleanor Holmes was notified of her girls death by Fred Jackson. She collapsed and had to be carried home. Newcastle police found Clarence at work and notified him. He made the journey back home. In the meantime, Sergeant Whalen, who had led the Southern Search Party, actually came across the crime scene as well.

He left one officer to guard the scene and he returned to Tucley, where he learnt the girls had already been found and detectives were already on the way. Detective Whalen and Dr England arrived about 1.30pm. It didn't take long for news to spread in the small town and the Massey brothers realised the two girls they helped across the creek were the ones that had been found dead. They notified the police they had seen them about 3.30pm and that a man by the name of William Bertle wasn't too far behind them at the time. The creek where the Massey's had seen the girls was about 500 metres away from where their bodies were later found. So the police had become aware that William Bertle appeared to have been following the girls on the Tuesday of their murder. But they didn't mention it straight away. First, Detective Whalen, Sergeant Campton and Dr England hopped in the Bertle's boat and got them to take them across the lake to the crime scene.

It was about a mile walk along the foreshore track to get to the scene, but by boat it was much quicker as they could get directly there. They made an examination of the scene. Both Grace and Cathy had died as a result of severe head injuries. Cathy was partially covered with branches. The spot 30 metres away from the bodies where there was disturbed sand and blood stains is the spot where they felt the girls had been killed. The killer then dragging their bodies over into the swamp. Both girls had bruises, scratches and dirt on one arm consistent with being dragged. At this site they noticed the deep impression appeared to be caused by a foot and they also noticed two other impressions close by which looked to have been left there by someone nearly. A number of other footprints were found in the vicinity of this site and over around the swamp area where the girls were found.

These footprints had an abnormality about them in that whoever made them appeared to have a deformity on their right foot. After examining the scene, Detective Whalen approached William Burdell who was standing nearby leaning against a tree. Burdell was 5 feet 8 inches tall. He had a strong build weighing in about 90 kilos or 198 pounds. As far as Burdell was concerned, he was just part of the volunteer search team and was helping police get to the scene via boat. Detective Whalen questioned him in relation to being in the area, nearby the girls the day before. Are you quite sure it's a month since you were around here? Yeah, I'll be about that. Well I've received information that you were seen around here yesterday afternoon.

How many saw me? At least three that I don't know of at the present time and there may be more. I've not had time to complete my inquiries. That would be the masses. I've been informed that the masses did see you coming around this way yesterday evening but shortly before they saw you, they saw the two girls whose bodies we've now found the short distance ahead of you headed in the direction where they were found. I didn't come around here though. Where did you come to? Right around that bend.

Burdell pointed north, indicating to Detective Whalen that he didn't go anywhere near the crime scene, which was about 500 metres away from where the masses saw him. When the masses met the two girls, it was at the creek with a piece of timber used for a bridge. Did you come across that creek? Yes, I crossed the bridge but only just across to the point over the bridge and then I went back. Why did you go back after you had crossed the bridge? I was only walking about. I got tired and I went back home. Why were you at the lake yesterday afternoon?

I just went for a walk. What were you wearing? What I'm wearing now but a different singlet and jumper. I had a green jumper on. Would you mind if I have a look at the singlet you were wearing? No. Burdell handed Detective Whalen his singlet. Whalen made an examination of it, then handed it back to Burdell. This is the singlet I was wearing.

Did you tell anyone you'd been around here yesterday when you knew the two girls were missing and you were taking part in the search for them? No, they didn't ask me. What time did you return to your home after you had been here yesterday evening? I don't know what time it was. Time doesn't mean anything to me. Anything mechanical I can tell you about, but it was before dark. Who did you see when you returned home? I saw my mother and my sister.

Where were they? My mother was out the back looking for me. Why did you say she was looking for you? She asked me where I'd been. Why would she ask you where you'd been? We think a lot of one another and they get worried when I'm out. Well, what did you tell her? I told her I had been out for a walk.

Will you come with us and show me the point that you came to yesterday? Burdell walked north along the foreshore to a spot about 100 metres south of the creek and timber bridge. So a spot about 400 metres north of the crossing. This spot is where Burdell informed Waylon that he had come to and that he had gone no further. Summers just around the corner, so give your body the care it deserves with Osea's best-selling Andaria algae body oil. Created by infusing Andaria seaweed in barrels of botanical oils, it leaves skin silky, soft and glowing. Plus, it's clinically proven to improve elasticity and deeply moisturize without feeling greasy. It's safe, clean, vegan skin care.

Get 10% off your first order at OseaMalibu.com with code GLELL, plus free shipping on orders over $60. Burdell was barefoot at the time, and Waylon noticed that the footprints he was leaving bore a close resemblance to the footprints he observed around the crime scene. Burdell had a deformity on his right foot. The right footprints at the scene showed a similar deformity. He also noticed similar-looking footprints nearby to where they were standing. They were heading south in the opposite direction. Waylon believed these were burdells as well, and he was lying about how far south along the foreshore he had walked.

The police had already checked with other searches about Burdell's movements. Burdell had not ventured up that far on the foreshore during the search, and he hadn't been in the area around the crime scene. In fact, most of his searching had been done in a boat on the lake itself. When Burdell stopped at the point he claimed was the furthest he had been, he said, Waylon pointed to the line of footprints Burdell had made walking up north from the crime scene. Waylon pointed out the other set of prints heading south along the foreshore. I won't admit that they're my tracks. I'd like to show you similar footprints down here. Will you come with us?

Yes. Waylon walked back south a few hundred metres along the foreshore to an area about 70 metres away from the crime scene. Waylon pointed out similar-looking footprints to those Burdell was making. Do you see these footprints? Yes. They seem to be identical to yours. Do you still deny you came this far south? No, I didn't come to this point, but I didn't go any further and I didn't see the girls. I would like to show you similar footprints further on. Will you come with us?

Yes. Waylon took Burdell to a spot within 10 metres of the area where there was disturbed sand and blood stains. The spot where they believed the girls were killed. These are similar footprints to the ones I've already shown you. I won't admit that they're my tracks. I can show you similar footprints on the point opposite Duncan's hut. Will you come with us? All right. Waylon walked with Burdell south about 80 metres down past the crime scene.

Waylon pointed out more footprints that resembled Burdells. But along with these footprints, there were other prints made by a pair of sand shoes. I've already shown you footprints up near where we owe the pinion the girls were killed. Are these footprints on the sand I consider identical with your footprints? I want you to have a look at them. Burdell looked at the prints and said, I'm not going to admit that they're mine. Do you see other marks here which appear to be made by a sand shoe?

Yeah, they look like sand shoes. Grace was wearing sand shoes and I am of the opinion that these marks were made by her. And these footprints which are very similar to yours are very close to the imprint of her shoes. Can you offer any explanation of the similarity of these footprints and yours? I am not going to admit that they are my footprints. I haven't been on this beach for about a month. And that was when I told you that I came around about Winterbottom's net. Will you have a look at the freshness of these footprints?

In my opinion, they've been made within the last 24 hours and they are quite fresh and will not be anything like a month old. Burdell remained silent for quite some time before saying, Well, I might have made them when I was around here on Sunday. What were you doing around here on Sunday? Looking for Winterbottom's net. Why did you tell me that you had not been here for a month when you were here on Sunday? Burdell didn't reply.

After this conversation, a crime scene officer, Detective Clark attended the scene. At the site where the girls bodies were found, he located a broken wine bottle in the water next to them. An examination of the broken edges revealed that the bottle had been smashed very recently. A bloodstained beer bottle was located three metres away and there were also blood stains on a log adjacent to where the girls bodies were found. There were no fingerprints on either bottle. Back over at the spot where police believed the attack occurred, Clark found that the button on the sand came off the dress worn by Cathy.

And it was near this button where there were two impressions in the sand looked to be caused by someone kneeling. Clark also noticed the deep impression in the sand made by the ball and toes of somebody's right foot. He made a plaster cast of that footprint. He also took a plaster cast of the footprints located close to the crime scene and the other footprints south of the scene near Duncan's hut. He also took a plaster cast of the sand shoe imprints from this spot. They then got William Bertle to walk along the sand in a natural manner. A plaster cast was made of his right foot impression.

Bertle suffered from hammer toe on his right foot, meaning his toes were bent under in a claw-like fashion. They dug deeply into the sand, making the impression the toes were pointing down instead of along the surface in a normal manner. It was Detective Clark's evidence that Bertle's footprint matched all the other footprints they suspected were his. The ones near the crime scene, the ones near Duncan's hut, near the sand shoe impressions. All of them. The sand shoe impressions were confirmed as a match to those worn by Grace Holmes.

Police escorted Bertle back to his home at Tookley. The police requested that Bertle hand over the clothing he was wearing when he was seen by the Massies. Bertle agreed and got undressed as he'd already told police he was wearing the same clothes. He handed over a pair of shorts, the green jumper, and a blue singlet. Bertle then got changed into another set of clothes and was taken back to the police station. Detective Whalen visited with the Massie brothers and got a more detailed statement from them. While Whalen was off speaking to the Massies, Bertle remained at the police station being watched by another detective, Detective Dogen. Bertle suddenly started talking to him.

Now I remember why I went around Jungle on Sunday. Two women came up from Sydney to see me about digging a well on their property. The two women, my brother Albert and my sister Sally, left to go home and view the place where the well was to be put down. I didn't go with them though. I said I would follow later, I soon left after them, but I couldn't find them so I walked to Duncan's hut and returned home. Detective Dogen made note of what Bertle had told him. Whalen later returned and had a further conversation with Bertle. I've seen Raymond Massie and he informs me when he and his brothers were out talking to you, you were wearing a plain white Bond singlet and not the blue singlet you handed to me. They also said you weren't wearing a green jumper at all, only the white singlet and a pair of shorts.

I was wearing the clothing I handed to you. Do you have a white singlet? Yes, I only wear them occasionally. What have you got on now? Bertle took off the sweater he was wearing and revealed a white singlet underneath. Did you see anyone else apart from the Massies that afternoon? Yes, I saw two young fellas shooting and one had a bow and arrow. Did you know Grace or Kathy?

No, I have not met them. I only saw them once up around Fred Jackson's place. He was having a sale. They walked past and Mr. Jackson pointed them out to me. After this conversation, Detective Dogen informed Detective Waylon about Bertle's new story as to why he was walking around the jungle and Duncan's hut on Sunday, the 28th of August. Waylon spoke with Bertle about that. But you have already told me that you were there for the purpose of looking for Mr. Windbottom's net. That is not right. This is the true story. Well, where were you going to dig the well? On Reed's property.

But Reed's property isn't in that direction. I found out later it wasn't. With this information, Detective Waylon returned to Bertle's house. Bertle's sister handed over a number of white singlets belonging to Bertle. She confirmed with Waylon that he only wore his white singlets occasionally, but that he had washed them all the morning the girls bodies were found. Bertle's sister and stepfather also answered a number of questions about Bertle's movements on Sunday, the 28th of August. With the information received from this visit, Waylon spoke with Bertle again. We have spoken to your father and your sister and they each say you were only away from home for about 15 minutes on Sunday when you went out after the people who wanted to put the well down.

They said you definitely wouldn't have had time to get the Duncan's hut and you would only have been able to make it a quarter of the way. They can please themselves about that. I still say I went around there. The masses have also informed me that it rained very heavily and was blowing a gale on Sunday night and it rained all on Monday as well. Had you been there on Sunday like you say, your footprints would have been obliterated. You got me now. I want a lawyer. I refuse to answer any more questions until I see a lawyer. Are you prepared to make a written statement of what you say happened? I won't make any written statement or answer any further questions until I see a lawyer. Bertle was driven up to Newcastle Police Station and was charged with the murder of Grace and Cathy Holmes.

During the post-mortem, some strands of hair were found clasped between the fingers of Cathy's right hand. Some glass matching the broken bottle was also found on the bottom of Cathy's neck. Hair was taken from Bertle to compare to the hair found on Cathy, but it didn't match. It was later discovered that the hair actually belonged to Grace. The police also conducted a visibility test walking along the foreshore of Tuggera Lake. They found that the girls would have been in view of Bertle for the majority of the time whilst walking along the foreshore. Bertle was found to have superficial scratches on his right forearm, a scab wound on his right knuckle, and two fresh-looking wounds on his right finger. There were no fingerprints, DNA wasn't a thing yet, but no blood was found on Bertle's clothing.

There were no witnesses to the crime. But Bertle was placed close to the scene, walking behind the girls. There was also the footprint evidence and Bertle's changing story during questioning. Just denying being anywhere near the crime scene, saying the closest he had gotten was 400 metres away, but then changing his story when footprints similar to his were pointed out to him. That was the basis of the case against Bertle. While waiting to stand trial, police were provided with information from Bertle's cellmate, Robert Humphries. Robert gave evidence that he asked Bertle, did you do it?

To which he says Bertle replied, yes, but they've got to prove me guilty because I can't have people saying my family had a murderer in it. Robert Humphries was in jail for dishonesty and fraud offences, and cellmate confessions are notoriously unreliable. Humphries gave evidence at the coronial inquest, however he was not called by the prosecutor in the criminal trial. The trial was held at the Central Criminal Court in Sydney from the 11th to the 20th of December, 1950. The trial was for the murder of Cathy Holmes only, even though the prosecution had the same case and same evidence for both. The trial for Grace's murder was going to be held separately. Detective Clark gave evidence about the footprints. There were minor differences in the plaster casts taken of Bertle's footprints and those taken from near the crime scene.

Clark testified that despite the differences, they showed the same characteristic of the deformed right foot, and he was satisfied they were a match. He put the minor differences in the plaster casts down to the different quality of the sand from which they were taken. The defense called their own expert witness, who testified that Bertle's footprint was not a match to those found near the crime scene at all. After hearing all of the evidence, the jury returned with a verdict. Not guilty. The case was deemed too circumstantial and the footprint evidence too complicated and unreliable for the jury. Bertle was held in custody until the trial of Grace Holmes. However, given there was no new evidence that would be presented in that trial, the prosecution elected to drop the charge.

Bertle was a free man. The police believed they had the right man, but they simply didn't have enough evidence to satisfy a jury. But Clarence Holmes kept hearing other things from members of the community. He was quoted in a newspaper years after the trial, saying, Ever since the day of the murder, we have been disturbed by a succession of rumours which various people have recounted to us. We have been told that a dangerous sex maniac escaped from a mental health hospital at Morissette, or Maitemont, a couple of days before the murder. And he was captured in the Tukely district on the day which our girls were found. Then there was the strange suicide of one of the crown witnesses who assaulted his wife and left her for dead, and then hanged himself just before the trial.

Did he know anything about our girls' murder? We don't even know what evidence he was supposed to give. Clarence Holmes went on to plead to the government to offer a reward to help solve the murders, after which he said, Nothing could ever replace them, but the knowledge that their killer had been brought to justice would be some satisfaction to us. I'd shoot them in if I knew who he was. The escaped patient from the mental health hospital was one of many rumours that was circulating at the time, but it was totally false. No patients had escaped. No reward has ever been offered. No other suspects have ever been publicly named.

William Burdell remained around the Tukely area for a number of years after he's acquittal, after which it's not known where he moved to or what he did with the rest of his life. It's almost as if he disappeared.