Betty Shanks (Unsolved Murder) Part 1

At 9.32 on the evening of Friday September 19th 1952, Betty Shanks stepped off the tram at the Grange terminus, in the Brisbane suburb of Wilston. The 22 year old had spent the evening with some colleagues attending a lecture at a local technical college. She was a couple of minutes walk from her parents home as she headed down Thomas Street. Betty never arrived and her severely beaten body was found half naked in the back yard of a house not far from the tram terminus. It was described at the time as the foulest crime ever to have claimed the life of an Australian. Information poured in concerning several suspicious men seen in the area at the time, including a well-spoken man in a brown suit and a "moon faced" man seen jumping the fence near the crime scene.  Numerous theories have developed over the years and several books on the case have been written. This two part episode will examine all aspects of one of Queensland's oldest open murder investigations. Part two will follow on   February 19th.


Sources for the episode can be found here

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Betty Shanks

22 year old Betty Shanks lived with her mum, Elizabeth, dad, David and a younger brother in a weatherboard clad house on Montpelier Street, Wilston, a northern suburb of Brisbane. Just like she did every weekday, on the morning of Friday September 19th 1952, Betty exited the small garden gate a little before 8am and headed on foot to the Grange tram terminus, a mere five minutes away. Betty was walking off down the road when her mother called after her to say she had forgotten her coat. Betty just laughed and replied the weather was warm. Besides, she kept a spare one at work, just in case. 

Betty had been employed as a trainee personnel officer with the Department of the Interior (the government department dealing with home affairs) since March 1951. She was based at Interior House on Ann Street in the centre of Brisbane. Prior to that Betty had graduated in 1950 with a Psychology degree from Queensland University. She then became a Research Fellow in Experimental Psychology at the University. 

The 22 year old was very bright and keen to learn and as part of her work Betty would attend lectures on Wednesday and Friday evenings at State Commercial High School, a technical college established to allow those in full time employment to gain further qualifications and advance their careers. Some of her colleagues were also members of the class. 

This Friday was no exception and Betty planned to go to a lecture that evening; but before her classes began Betty had her daily work tasks to complete. 

During her morning break Betty called one of her closest friends, Betty McDougall, who worked as a university librarian. The pair had met three years ago as undergraduates. They arranged to get together the next day to go shopping and have lunch. At 1.10 pm, while on her lunch break, Betty met up with her mother Elizabeth on Adelaide Street. They chatted for 40 minutes before it was time for Betty to return to work.  

At 5.30pm Betty was driven by a colleague, John Frederick Ducey, to State Commercial High School for the evening class. Both attended a lecture given by Edwin P Milliken. Milliken worked part time as a lecturer and also had a role as a vocational guidance officer with the Commonwealth employment service. Betty had known Milliken since university when she had gone to him for career guidance. About a dozen people were in attendance and the lecture finished at 8.50pm. 

During the evening Betty and two of her colleagues bought a Golden casket lottery ticket together. The previous April, Betty had won £3000 playing the lottery so was hoping for another pay out. Betty also bought two Art Union lottery tickets; the prize was a Holden car.  John Ducey had to leave promptly at the end of the evening and drove himself home.

Betty, along with fellow classmates Ray Fredericks and Neil McCrystal, were then driven part way home by lecturer Edwin Milliken. It was customary for him to drop them at a tram or bus stop and they would continue their journey home via public transport. In the car the group chatted about another lecture they had all attended earlier in the week. Milliken made plans to ring Betty on Monday, as he had a list of textbooks he wanted to recommend.

Occasionally if it was raining heavily Milliken would take Betty all the way home. However, the evening was warm and dry so Betty was dropped off on Magyar Street at tram stop 19 on the Lutwyche line. The time was 9.10pm. (I can’t find any reference to a Magyar street today so it may no longer exist) Edwin Milliken then took Ray and Neil to their respective stops. When they left Betty was in good spirits. She was wearing a blue skirt, white blouse and red coat (the one she kept at work). She was not wearing a hat but had with her a handbag, notebook and separate sheets of paper.  

It was at tram stop 19 that the Grange line split from the Lutwyche line. The Grange stop was Betty’s destination. After waiting seven or eight minutes Betty boarded a tram. Another woman, Mrs Jane S Osborne, also got on the tram at this stop. She had been visiting friends in the nearby suburb of Kedron. Both women had their tickets checked and stamped by the conductor.  Already in the tram was 17 year old Marie Patton. Marie had also attended a class at State Commercial High School that night and had caught the tram at the City Hall stop. Marie had known Betty for some time but the pair did not speak to each other during the journey. Betty was way up at the front of the tram whereas Marie was toward the back. Marie attempted to make eye contact with Betty in order to nod hello but Betty did not notice her. 

The tram soon pulled up to the Grange stop. Mrs Jane Osborne was behind Betty as they waited for the doors to open. As it did, Betty hesitated slightly and Mrs Osborne, thinking Betty wasn't going to move, went around Betty to another free doorway. Mrs Osborne did not see anyone loitering around the tram stop and headed straight home. Though Betty had hesitated for some unknown reason she did in fact get off the tram. From here it was a short walk down Thomas Street to reach her parents house on Montpelier Street. The time was 9.32pm. 

That evening Elizabath Shanks' sister (Betty’s aunt) had paid a visit to the Shanks residence. When she left at 8.45pm Elizabeth walked her sister up to the Grange tram stop. It was a pleasant stroll and she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Elizabeth returned to the house,  expecting Betty would be home at around 10pm.

Elizabeth and her husband David were not overly concerned when 10pm came and Betty had not yet arrived home. Elizabeth thought her daughter may have decided to catch a late showing of the new movie “Ivanhoe'' with its stellar cast including Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Fontaine. Betty had mentioned to her mum that she was keen to go and see it. Elizabeth was trying not to worry. She knew Betty was a grown, independent, sensible woman but this wasn’t like her. The couple went to bed but could not sleep a wink. They heard the last tram of the night come rattling into the Grange but still there was no sign of their daughter.  

Betty Thomson Shanks was born on October 10th 1929 and from an early age her intelligence and academic prowess was evident. Betty attended Wilston State School just around the corner from the family home until age 13, before spending four years at a girls grammar school where she flew through her examinations with consummate ease. Betty then attended the University of Queensland where she studied in the Arts department, gaining an honours degree in psychology. 

After starting work at the Department of the Interior in 1951 much of Betty’s time was taken up with work and study. In what little free time she had, Betty enjoyed music and had apparently recently bought a selection of new records. In the past Betty had been a keen golfer and painted, though she found she had less time for those activities now she was working full-time. Her course lecturer Edwin Milliken said Betty had very high ideals and a good character with a jolly disposition.  

In her job with the Department of the Interior Betty had recently received a glowing report praising her conduct, diligence and efficiency. She was awarded an A1 Grade by the department head, which usually signified an upcoming promotion. Betty earned between £12 and £15 a week (Australia did not adopt the dollar until 1966). She paid her parents £5 a week for rent and board.

It was said that in the past Betty had shown an interest in radical politics, though she was not a member of any political party or group. At an inquest in 1953 Betty’s mother Elizabeth was questioned on the matter and was forced to deny rumours that her daughter had been a communist. 

Betty was popular and had lots of girlfriends. As mentioned, one of Betty’s best friends was Betty McDougall. The pair enjoyed attending the theatre and orchestra together. According to an article in the Brisbane Truth on February 15th 1953, Betty wasn't that interested in men. At the time of these events friends and family said she did not have a boyfriend, although we will later see that some have disputed this.

Betty had a good relationship with both of her parents. She talked with her mother often and confided in her about issues in her life. Betty was also close to her father. Roman Catholic Archbishop Duhig described Betty as the joy of her father. Betty would also confide in her friend Betty McDougall about any stress or drama in her life. Betty was also good at letting people know her plans, so when she failed to return home after the final tram of the night Betty's parents knew something was wrong.  

After lying there for a couple of hours waiting for Betty, her father David Shanks decided he had to do something. At 1.20am, (some reports have the following incident timed a little later at 2.30am) the worried father got on the telephone and called the lecturer, Edwin Milliken. Milliken explained that he had dropped Betty at stop 19 a little after 9pm. After hearing David’s account and realising the seriousness of the situation, Milliken asked if there was anything he could do to help. He offered to phone the police on David’s behalf. David declined the offer and after hanging up, immediately contacted the Roma Street police station. For his part Milliken got straight in his car and went out to search for Betty. On the way he collected Ray Fredericks, who had been at the lecture earlier that evening. 

Three police officers responded to David Shanks’ call expecting a routine job. A missing young person who had failed to come home after a night out was usually resolved in a swift and uneventful manner. In all likelihood Betty had decided to stay at a friend's house, she would no doubt turn up in a few hours. 

When the officers drove up to the house on Montpelier Street, Wilston, they sensed straight away this job was going to be more complicated than they had assumed. The forlorn and ashen appearance of both Elizabeth and David left no doubt over the seriousness of the situation.

Elizabath went with two of the police officers by car and searched the route from stop 19 to Wilston School which was close to the Shanks’ home. They failed to locate Betty or find any hint of where she might be or what had happened to her.

Constable Alex Stewart lived on Thomas Street near where it intersects with Carberry Street, and just a few minutes walk from the Grange tram stop. He was up early on Saturday 20th September ready to start work as a traffic police officer. At 5.39am he popped outside to collect the morning newspaper. He got the shock of his life. Lying in his neighbour Kate Hill’s back yard was the dead body of a young woman.  

The body was lying on its back in a pool of blood with the arms outstretched above the head. The face was covered in blood and there were shocking injuries to the face, shoulders and neck. The upper body was dressed in a red coat, and white blouse. A navy blue skirt had been pushed up to the waist, exposing the lower half. Underwear had been removed and was lying close by. The dead woman was still wearing leather gloves. 

Detective Sergeant E.P Chandler had first received a call over his radio that a young girl was missing at 3.30pm. When he was notified a body had been discovered he was the first detective at the scene. Edwin Milliken and Ray Fredericks were contacted and told to come to Thomas Street. They swiftly did so and were able to identify the body as being that of Betty Shanks. She had been murdered just 180m from her front door.

D S Chandler was a seasoned police officer but he was horrified at what he witnessed. Betty  had terrible injuries that indicated the person who had done this had been full of anger and rage.   Chandler bent down and lifted the arm and saw a small gold wrist watch which had stopped at 9.53pm. As he put the arm back in place the watch restarted. Betty was also still wearing a gold sapphire ring. Such was the force used to beat Betty’s head that her gold earrings were found buried deep in the turf.

Betty’s head was partly resting on her black handbag. Some of the contents, including a cigarette lighter, a broken string of pearls, a make up set, and a bloody two shilling coin, were strewn around the lawn. Some of these items were found under the body, in addition to the tram ticket Betty had bought the previous evening.

Other items found (these may have still been inside the handbag) were a fountain pen, two blood stained pennies, a blood stained powder puff, a tin containing fourteen cigarettes, a clothes brush, a comb, a powder compact and two handkerchiefs. Most gruesomely a blood stained tooth, a molar to be precise, belonging to Bettty, was found just over a metre from the body. Betty had been hit so hard in the face that the tooth had actually ripped through the other side of her cheek.  There were blood stains on both rails of the small fence that surrounded the yard and on the footpath outside the yard.

Betty’s wallet was not found at the scene and a search of her parents house failed to locate it. It was estimated she may have had around £2 on her person when she was attacked. I believe the lottery tickets she had bought the night before were also missing. Although these items were missing, robbery was not considered a motive, as the gold watch and ring were untouched.

Forensic evidence was left at the scene by the killer as they vaulted over the small fence to escape. Two bloody hand prints were found on the top rail, which suggested the culprit had very large hands. Decades later a DNA profile was extracted from evidence found on Betty’s clothing. As we shall see, in recent years this has been used to rule out suspects, although not without a degree of controversy. 

After a pathology report was made the medical examiner informed the public that Betty had died from strangulation and a fractured jaw. The face bore marks that suggested Betty had been kicked by a boot. Some reports suggest boot polish was found on her face. The examination showed that an attempt had been made to rape Betty though this act had not been carried out. 

The Barrier Miner Newspaper on September 20th 1952 called it one of the most vicious murders on record. The violence displayed shook local people. Speaking at a memorial for Betty the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brisbane said it was the foulest crime ever to have claimed the life of an Australian. He suggested a monument should be built to honour Betty’s bravery, as she had died in defence of her virtue. A phrase and sentiment that does not necessarily sit well in 2024. In 1922 Queensland had become the first Australian state to abolish capital punishment but Betty’s murder caused the debate over the death penalty to resurface. Such was the outrage over this senseless and evil act.

In cases such as this, one of the first people investigators would usually question would be a husband, boyfriend or partner. Betty had no boyfriend, as was attested to by her parents and friends. Betty’s mum Elizabeth later said at the inquest that Betty always spoke to her about men. Betty seemed happy and she did not believe her daughter was keeping any secrets. Close friend Betty McDougal said Betty had not been out with many men over the last year. She would ignore strange men who approached her and Mcdougal could think of no jilted men who may want to get back at Betty. That being said, The Mail Courier ran a story just a few days after her death that suggested Betty was in love with a married 29 year old man. According to true crime researcher and author Ted Duhs this was divulged to the press by a friend of Bettys. Her family did not believe this but it would be an angle that would resurface.

All of Betty’s known family, friends and associates were interviewed and all were eventually cleared. 

The investigation centred on the suburb of Wilston but moved out to other parts of Brisbane. Forty detectives were assigned the case, with others working part time. Door to door inquiries were carried throughout the district and thousands of people were talked with. Lists were compiled of the occupants of every house they visited. Laundrettes were searched for anyone washing blooded clothing and people were asked if anyone had found discarded, blood-stained clothing. 

It wasn't long before information began pouring in regarding what local people had seen and heard on the evening of September 19th. Some of this information came out in newspapers over the first few weeks of the investigation but it was all aired in full at an inquest into Betty’s death in February 1953,which took place at the Supreme court on William and Margaret streets, Brisbane. It was presided over by Coroner Schaffer.

Several people reported hearing two screams between 9.30 and 10.00pm. One such person was William Mildren, who lived on the corner of Carberry and Thomas Streets, a little distance from the tram stop and close to where Betty's body was found. This ear witness definitely recognised the scream as coming from a woman. On hearing the frightening noise he looked out of his window for a full five minutes but saw nothing at all.

Constable Alex Stewart, who had found the body, had also heard a scream. He was lying in bed when he was awoken by the sound. He woke up his wife Evelyn who was sleeping next to him and told her what he had heard. Some reports say he then went to the window to look out while others say he actually went outside the house to investigate. Either way Constable Stewart did not see anything untoward and went back to bed. There is a possibility that when Constable turned on his bedroom light it disturbed the killer and forced them to flee before they were able to commit a sexual assault.

Another resident of Thomas Street, Emily Davies (some reports say Daniels), was reading in bed when she heard 2 screams at 9.45pm. Emily believed they came from the three Bauhinia trees on the corner of Thomas and Carberry Streets. She paused her reading and listened for a while but did not go and investigate. Marjorie Hill (daughter of Kate Hill) who lived at the house where Betty's body was found went to bed at 9.15pm. 15 minutes later she was awoken by two cries. She did not think much of it and believed it was a child playing around mimicking the call of a Skylark. Shortly after the cries she heard a motorbike go past the house, though she added it was not too loud.

Ex-professional cricketer named Jimmy lived a couple of houses away from the Bauhinia trees. He arrived home at 8.15pm that evening and turned on the radio to listen to a boxing match. The fight finished at 10.30pm after which he retired to bed. At 10.40pm (this is almost an hour after the attack on Betty is believed to have taken place), Jimmy reported hearing a quote “slight moan” from outside, followed shortly afterwards by the sound of a motorcycle going down the street. The motorbike had a loud exhaust and seemed to be backfiring. Jimmy looked out of the window but saw nothing and heard no more nosies. It seems some that police at the time believed Jimmy was mistaken about his timings but his statement given would later go on to form the basis of two theories about Betty’s murder. More on that in part 2. 

Another witness, Jessica Ruth Lee, said she had walked from the Grange tram stop down Thomas Street at 9.50pm. When she went past Kate Hill’s house she thought she saw something white in the yard near a fir tree. She did not notice any person and did not look closer to identify what this white thing was. 

Jessica walked that route often and could not be certain of the day or time of the following sighting. Jessica had seen a man, possibly on Wednesday 17th at around 9pm (two days before the murder) or possibly that Friday night at 9.50pm, emerge from the trees on the corner of Carberry Street and walk in the direction of the Grange terminus. Shortly afterwards, another man walked up behind her, wearing a light brown overcoat. She did not recognize either man. 

An 18 year old man named Elwin Neale Keag said that evening he had been fixing his motorbike with a friend on Thomas Street. Between 9.30-10pm he took the bike for a test drive down to the Grange and back. By his own admission the bike was making quite a bit of noise. Elwin said he saw no one outside the Hill’s property, but did see two people cross the road about 15m along Thomas Street from the Grange terminus. The pair were walking toward the Wilston School grounds. Elwin could not be certain if this was a man and woman, or two men.

Finally Marie Patton, who had been on the same tram as Betty, had alighted just a little bit before Betty. She walked down Thomas Street a matter of minutes ahead of Betty. In interviews with police Marie said she saw no one loitering along the way, though she did remember seeing the garage door open at the property owned by Kate Hill. Marie said this was unusual. When Marie initially spoke to police she mentioned seeing two men but later said she might have been getting confused with the night before. The men had crossed the street and Marie thought they were going to intercept her but they did not. She was walking very quickly as she was hungry and the only description Marie could offer was that both men were wearing hats.

With all this information police began speculating that the killer had been lurking around the terminus and had seen Betty get off the tram. They proposed he had followed her down Thomas Street where he attacked her. It was the perfect place as the spot was shadowed by 3 large Bauhinia trees. Detectives were mulling over a few scenarios. Firstly, Betty was attacked on the path, knocked unconscious and lifted or thrown over the small fence into the back yard. The attacker then made an attempt to rape Betty but she regained consciousness and screamed. The man then panicked and strangled Betty. Another possibility was that Betty was attacked and left unconscious, with the culprit returning an hour later to kill Betty after he realised she could identify him. This scenario is obviously based on the statement given by ex professional cricketer Jimmy. He claimed he heard a slight moan at 10.40pm.  A third possibility was that the killer met Betty at the tram stop and accompanied her down the road. This could mean the killer was known by Betty. Although as I have mentioned, all her known friends and family had been ruled out. 

There was a tangible fear that the killer may strike again. A “sex maniac” (a term bandied about a lot in the press) was thought to be on the loose. Women and children were warned not to go out after dark and investigators wasted no time in rounding up potential suspects.

Known sex offenders in the Brisbane area were spoken with. Indeed the search went out of state and police in NSW were asked to check the whereabouts of convicted sex offenders. Several persons of interest came on the radar in those first few days and weeks of the investigation. 

On the evening of Saturday September 20th, less than 24 hours after Betty's body was discovered, a man was escorted by police from a dance in Toowoomba, a town one and a half hours west of Brisbane. He was taken to a police station for questioning, though he was released without charge.

Police then announced they were looking to trace a 23 year old escapee from what was then called Goodna Mental Hospital (now the Park Centre for Mental Health). The patient had climbed over a fence and fled on foot. Police were acting following alleged sightings of this man in the Wilston suburb of Brisbane shortly before the murder. This man was quickly found and after questioning it was concluded he had nothing to do with Betty’s murder. Even so, every patient who had been discharged from Goodna Hospital over the last twelve months was tracked down and questioned.

There then emerged several sightings of suspicious people seen in the vicinity on the night in question. 

A taxi driver came forward to say he had seen “a moon faced” man jump over a fence at the location of the murder at 10.30pm. Three hours later the taxi driver saw the same man again on a bridge over a railway line ¾ mile or 1km away. He described the man as over 20, 5 ft 8-10 or 172-178 cm tall, with a medium build. He had a large head and a “moon face”. His hair was cut short and was sticking up at the front. He was wearing blue jeans with a shirt made of blueish material which had a stripe. Police scoured the streets throughout the day and night looking for this man. This “moon faced” man is never mentioned in modern reporting on the case. I have no explanation for this and  I’m uncertain if he was ever traced and cleared of involvement. 

Another taxi driver, Murray Temptleon, said that at 10.40pm that evening he had picked up a well-built man near the New Market Hall. This is around a 30 minute walk from the scene of the murder. The man had blood on his face and clothing. He asked to go to Ashgrove, then changed his mind and requested to be dropped off at Red Hill Post Office. He explained the blood by saying he had gotten into a fight over a game of cards. The man paid for the fare and left a generous tip. He then walked towards the Kelvin Grove side of Windsors Road. The taxi driver described the man as 30-35, 5ft 9 or 175 cm tall, and wearing a grey shirt and trousers. A passerby who saw the man get out of the taxi described him as much younger, around 20, and wearing light clothes. This man was never identified and it is unknown if he had anything to do with Betty’s murder. 

Two days after the murder, on the evening of Sunday 21st, following reports of a man acting suspiciously 24 officers were looking through bushland out beyond the areas of Bardon and Ashgrove. This is a ten minute car journey from Wilston. They found nothing.

A couple of witnesses who had been near the number 28 tram terminus on the Grange mentioned a suspicious man they had seen loitering there over the course of a couple of hours. It is this as-yet unidentified man around which the case has largely revolved. 

Between 8.15 and 8.45pm, Clarice Ansell, along with her children, was sitting in a parked car near the Grange terminus. She was waiting for her husband who had an appointment with Dr Knott at the nearby surgery. As Clarice sat there she couldn't help but notice a tall, around 5 10- 6 ft (178 cm -183cm), well-built man pacing to and fro by the terminus. The man had a good head of hair which was brushed back. He was dressed in a light brown, double-breasted suit. It looked like the man was waiting for someone. The man was pacing back and forth from the telephone box to the post office on the corner of Thomas Street and Days Road. At one point the man even walked up to Clarice’s car and peered inside. This startled Clarice and she found it most unsettling. Clarice also noticed two parked cars in the vicinity, one was bottle green in colour. Several weeks later Clarice said she thought she saw the man again on a tram. She informed the police straight away. 

Sometime between 9 and 9.15pm a man named Clarence Hovelroud left Dr Knotts’ surgery and headed to a pharmacist to collect a prescription. As he was walking he suddenly caught a glimpse of a tall figure in the darkness. Clarence was a friendly chap and asked the man if he had missed the tram? The man ignored him. Undeterred by the man's silence, Clarence said he could give the man a lift as far as the cinema, as that was where he was going. The man replied curtly that he had waited for a couple of trams, and he’ll wait for another. Clarence concluded the man must be waiting for someone and let the man be.

Clarence Hovelroud described the man as 5ft10, 178cm tall, with a medium build (around 154 lbs or 70 kg), and full features. His hair was brushed straight back. He also noted the man was wearing a double-breasted suit and had a loud, but not too loud, tie. It was said to have a red stripe on it. He believed the man was an Australian.

In an article in the Northern Star on October 4th 1952, the man's hair was said to be wavy and he was reported to have a suntanned complexion. He was also said to have been well spoken and to have had a grey hat with him. Police speculated that the bottle green car seen parked near the terminus may belong to this man. Apparently it was a late model green sedan with a large column gear stick. 

Detectives from Lismore in the south of Brisbane believed that this description of the man seen at the terminus fitted a person already known to police. He was a criminal of some repute and was a sex offender. He had first come to Lismore three months before the murder, driving a green car. This man had been questioned by Lismore detectives concerning a robbery in early September but was released without charge, after which he headed to the centre of Brisbane. All of a sudden over the last week he had shown back up in Lismore. 

Detectives had no direct evidence that this known sex offender was the man at the terminus but they needed to follow the lead. There had also been reports on Monday September 29th that a man in a green car had offered a lift to a teenage girl. After getting in the vehicle the man attacked her. Somehow the girl had managed to escape from the car. Police believed this incident could be linked to Betty's murder. I am not sure if the known sex offender was ever traced and whether or not he was ruled out as being the man in the brown suit.

A major focus of detectives were two mystery phone calls that were received at Betty's place of work two days before her murder. On Wednesday September 17th a call came into the office and was answered by Betty’s colleague, John Ducey. A man with an Australian accent asked for Betty. Ducey explained that Betty was out of the office and the man hung up. Moments later the man called again and John Ducey answered. Betty was now back so he passed the receiver to her. Betty had a short conversation with the man on the phone. When she had finished she did not say anything about the call. This was unusual as usually permission was needed to use the phone for private matters at work. If someone called you would explain to the manager who you were speaking to and the reason. Betty did not do this and offered no explanation for the call. After the conversation on the phone Betty didn't seem herself and appeared quiet.  She didn’t mention this call to either of her parents or her friend Betty McDougall.  

On Christmas Day almost 1000 km south of Brisbane in the city of Sydney another murder occurred which drew the attention of the detectives working Betty’s case. 21 year old Shirley Butler spent Christmas Eve in the company of a sailor. Between 11.30 and midnight she started walking toward Wynward in the central business district in order to catch a train to her home in the suburb of Waverton. Shirley did not make it to her house. The next morning her body was found in a vacant allotment near Waverton railway station. The location was just 50 m from her front door. Shirley had been brutally beaten, and her face showed wounds consistent with being hit with a wine bottle. She was then strangled. Unfortunately there had been extremely heavy rain during the morning and it had washed away footprints at the scene. Detectives from both city’s liaised with each other as they theorised that perhaps Betty’s killer had struck again. Shirley even resembled Betty in appearance.

A description was given of a man police were hoping to trace. He was aged 25-30 and around 5ft 7-8 or 172cm tall. He was powerfully built with a physically strong upper body. He had black hair brushed back and possibly had pock marks on his lower face. He also wore what was described as a Hitler moustache. The man spoke with an accent and had told people he was from Russia and had been in Australia for 7 months. He told people his name was Richard or Dick.

The man was said to have been a good conversationalist and very interested in sports like soccer and golf. Perhaps the most revealing part of the description was that he was said to be skilled at card tricks and sleight of hand games. He also played musical tunes on a comb covered in paper. He had been seen in hotels and bars in the city centre. The man was seen on December 22nd carrying a Christmas tree down the street. The police were eager to talk to the man about Shirley's murder and other attacks on women in Waverton.

Shirley was known to be friendly with sailors and frequently spent time with them in bars. Brisbane detectives pondered the theory that Betty and Shirley’s killer may have been a sailor. They gave  a list of ships that had been at port in Brisbane on September 19th-20th to their Sydney counterparts and asked them to check if any had been in Sydney on Christmas Day. Detectives could not find any that had.  

Despite this, investigators did continue working on a theory that the murders could be linked. Then a third murder was added to the list in September 1953. On the 12th of that month 14 year old Shirley Collins’ mutilated body was found in the driveway of an empty holiday home in Mount Martha on the Mornington Peninsula. This is about an hour's drive south east of Melbourne, Victoria. A witness saw Shirley talking with a man in a car near a train station. He was aged around 40 with a good crop of black hair brushed back and had a fairly full face with a fresh complexion. 

There are certainly some similarities between these witness accounts and the man in the brown suit seen at the Grange terminus. These two other murders do not seem to crop up in modern day reporting on Betty’s case. After further Investigation detectives may have concluded a connection was unlikely.  In Shirley Butler’s case a detective came across a possible clue when interviewing a man about a separate matter in north Queensland. Detectives travelled from Sydney and for a while things looked promising but nothing concrete materialised. Like Betty's murder, both Shirley Butler and Shirley Collins' cases are currently unsolved. 

There was another violent incident in Brisbane itself that was seen as possibly being connected to Betty's murder. In November 1953 there was concern that Betty’s killer had tried to strike again. 18 year old Beryl Elizabeth Stone was attacked just 45 m from her front door in the Camp Hill area of Brisbane. This is a 20 minute drive south from where Betty was murdered. Just like Betty, Beryl was walking home from a tram stop. As Beryl was approaching her house a man jumped from the shadow of a large tree. He started strangling Beryl but the young women fought back. From inside her coat pocket she produced a 12.5 cm hat pin and drove it into the man's back and face. With this the man released his grip from around Beryl's neck and she let out a loud scream. In panic the man fled. Beryl's father heard the scream and came running out of the house just in time to see a tourer or convertible car speed away. 

Beryl had read an article only the day before which suggested women should carry a hat pin in their pocket to use in self defence. That day for the first time she had put a hat pin in her coat pocket. It ended up saving her life. Police were convinced that the man's intention had been to murder Beryl. Despite searching through newspaper records I can not find out if the man who attacked Beryl was ever found.

This is where Emma stopped xx

In terms of Bettys murder it was it was announced in the press on several occasions that investigators were questioning someone in connection with the case.

In July 1953 a man voluntarily flew into Brisbane from Sydney to be questioned. Just over a year later in August 1954 a new lead was developed after a man was brought into a psychiatric ward of a Brisbane hospital mumbling an account of the murder of Betty Shanks. The man was very unwell and police had to wait to question him. In both instances the lead led nowhere and fizzled out.  Over the years thousands of people have been interviewed but Betty’s case has remained unsolved. 

Several theories have developed concerning who killed Betty. Some of these were sprung up during the initial investigation and others have come to light over the ensuing decades. The most recent theory has only come to prominence over the last couple of years. 

In part two I will explain the many theories surrounding who killed Betty Shanks.