Murder of Betty Shanks

Betty Shanks

Betty Shanks in September 1952

Betty Shanks in September 1952
Born c. 1930
Died 19 September 1952
Grange, Queensland, Australia

The Murder of Betty Shanks is one of the oldest and most notorious unsolved murder cases[1] in Queensland, Australia.

Overview

On the night of 19 September 1952, 22-year-old Betty Shanks got off a tram at Days Rd. Terminus in the Grange, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, and started her short walk home. Her violently beaten body was found in the garden of a house on the corner of Carberry and Thomas Streets the next morning at 5.35am,[2] by a policeman who lived nearby.[3] At the time it was Queensland's biggest criminal investigation ever,[4] and as of 2010 a reward of A$50,000 is still current.[2]

Investigation

An attack by a sex offender was considered very early in the investigation.[5] Another theory is that the murderer attacked the wrong woman, and was actually interested in a doctor's receptionist - who also walked home down the same street at the same time, and had keys to the surgery which contained drugs.[4] A number of people have confessed over the years, however all have proved to be false.[6]

See also

References

  1. "History Mystery: Betty Shanks" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 January 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Murder of Betty Thomson Shanks $50,000 Reward". Archived from the original on 15 September 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  3. "Shanks Murder suspect traced". The Courier-Mail. 3 April 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  4. 1 2 "New light on Brisbane's most infamous murder case - 730 Report". 3 April 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  5. "Police search extends in Brisbane Crime". The Canberra Times. 22 September 1952. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  6. "Shanks Murder suspect traced". The Courier-Mail. 3 April 2007. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
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