33:
202:
216:
185:(2012) This documentary was produced and directed by student filmmakers Maya Weidner and Becky Newman, respectively, as a university project. The women believed the story was one that could resonate with a modern-day audience. Newman recalled learning about the murder at a young age, as her family was interested in history and had read Ken Blanch's book,
135:
Early in the investigation, police considered the possibility that Shanks was attacked by a sex offender. Another theory suggests that the murderer may have targeted the wrong woman, intending to attack a doctor's receptionist who walked the same route at the same time and had keys to a surgery
98:, after getting off a tram. Her body was discovered the next morning, leading to Queensland's largest criminal investigation at the time. Various theories and false confessions have surfaced over the years, but the case remains Queensland's oldest unsolved murder.
172:(2016, author: Lyle Reed) Reed proposed that Shanks was killed by a police officer riding a motorbike. The author did not reveal the killer's name in interviews prior to the book being published but did indicate he was a member of his family.
117:, where she boarded a tram to Grange. She was last seen alive disembarking at Days Road Terminus in Grange shortly after 9:30 PM. From there, she began her 400-meter walk along Thomas Street towards her home on Montpelier Street.
553:
139:
At the time it was
Queensland's biggest criminal investigation. As of 2024, a reward of A$ 50,000 remains current for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of those responsible for the murder.
131:
Police believe Shanks was murdered within a narrow 12-minute window between 9:38 PM and 9:53 PM. Witnesses reported hearing screams between 9:38 PM and 9:45 PM, and Shanks' wristwatch stopped at 9:53 PM.
113:
On the night of 19 September 1952, Shanks attended a night lecture at the State
Commercial High School in Brisbane, finishing around 9:00 PM. Her lecturer drove her to a tram stop in
123:
Her violently beaten body was found in the garden of a house on the corner of
Carberry and Thomas Streets the next morning at 5:35 AM, by a nearby resident who was a policeman.
110:
graduate and worked as a public servant for the
Commonwealth's Department of Interior. She had grown up in the neighbourhood of Grange and continued to live with her parents.
249:
720:
725:
715:
700:
362:
120:
Shanks' father stayed up waiting for her, and when she did not return home, her parents reported her missing to the local police at 1:30 AM.
153:
Several books have been written about the murder and the authors have outlined who they believe the murderer to be. These works include:
448:
695:
690:
498:
291:
136:
containing drugs. Over the years, several individuals have confessed to the crime, but all confessions have been proven false.
166:(First edition 2014; Second edition 2019; Third edition 2022; author: Ted Duhs) Duhs theorized that Eric Sterry killed Shanks.
705:
653:
316:
710:
685:
524:
627:
256:
680:
578:
333:
229:
107:
601:
471:
388:
654:"Students Recreate Crime: Betty Shanks - The Wilston Murder; Brisbane Crime Inspires Local Filmakers..."
292:"The murder of Betty Shanks has haunted Brisbane for decades. After 72 years, it still remains unsolved"
554:"The 1952 unsolved murder of Betty Shanks in Brisbane sparks battle between publishers of rival books"
32:
414:
366:
114:
160:(2006 (revised in 2012), author: Ken Blanch) Blanch suggested that Shanks was killed by a soldier.
310:
91:
60:
221:
443:
674:
201:
207:
197:
83:
95:
189:
but believed the story was largely forgotten among her generation.
82:
is one of the oldest and most notorious unsolved murder cases in
444:"New light on Brisbane's most infamous murder case - 730 Report"
54:
579:"FROM the VAULT - The unsolved murder of Betty Shanks"
628:"Author to name former copy as Betty Shanks' killer"
334:"Unsolved murder of Betty Shanks - 60th anniversary"
581:. Queensland Police Service Media. 25 November 2014
68:
50:
42:
23:
547:
545:
363:"Murder of Betty Thomson Shanks $ 50,000 Reward"
86:, Australia. On the night of 19 September 1952,
602:"Betty Shanks murder cracked by Ipswich author"
183:The Wilston Murder: The story of Betty Shanks
8:
357:
355:
90:was brutally murdered while walking home in
438:
436:
31:
20:
415:"Police search extends in Brisbane Crime"
241:
308:
7:
328:
326:
285:
283:
281:
279:
277:
46:10 October 1929, Wilston, Queensland
499:"Betty Shanks: An enduring mystery"
449:Australian Broadcasting Corporation
721:September 1952 events in Australia
552:Pierce, Jeremy (16 October 2014).
523:Foley, Peter (29 September 2012).
290:Jones, Ciara (18 September 2024).
16:1952 case in Queensland, Australia
14:
525:"Doctor cleared of Shanks murder"
497:Moore, Tony (21 September 2012).
214:
200:
652:Sim, Jack (14 September 2012).
600:Gould, Joel (6 December 2015).
250:"History Mystery: Betty Shanks"
472:"Shanks Murder suspect traced"
389:"Shanks Murder suspect traced"
164:I Know Who Killed Betty Shanks
37:Betty Shanks in September 1952
1:
726:Unsolved murders in Australia
716:People murdered in Queensland
701:Deaths by person in Australia
626:Gould, Joel (12 June 2016).
72:The University of Queensland
338:State Library of Queensland
742:
315:: CS1 maint: url-status (
696:Australian murder victims
691:1952 murders in Australia
30:
230:List of unsolved murders
187:Who Killed Betty Shanks?
158:Who Killed Betty Shanks?
108:University of Queensland
80:Murder of Betty Shanks
706:Female murder victims
711:Murder in Queensland
632:The Queensland Times
606:The Queensland Times
529:The Queensland Times
369:on 15 September 2009
170:The Thomas St Affair
686:1950s in Queensland
421:. 22 September 1952
340:. 15 September 2012
106:Betty Shanks was a
419:The Canberra Times
61:Grange, Queensland
681:1950s in Brisbane
262:on 7 January 2009
222:Queensland portal
76:
75:
55:19 September 1952
733:
665:
664:
662:
660:
649:
643:
642:
640:
638:
623:
617:
616:
614:
612:
597:
591:
590:
588:
586:
575:
569:
568:
566:
564:
558:The Courier-Mail
549:
540:
539:
537:
535:
520:
514:
513:
511:
509:
494:
488:
487:
485:
483:
476:The Courier-Mail
468:
462:
461:
459:
457:
440:
431:
430:
428:
426:
411:
405:
404:
402:
400:
393:The Courier-Mail
385:
379:
378:
376:
374:
365:. Archived from
359:
350:
349:
347:
345:
330:
321:
320:
314:
306:
304:
302:
287:
272:
271:
269:
267:
261:
255:. Archived from
254:
246:
224:
219:
218:
217:
210:
205:
204:
56:
35:
21:
741:
740:
736:
735:
734:
732:
731:
730:
671:
670:
669:
668:
658:
656:
651:
650:
646:
636:
634:
625:
624:
620:
610:
608:
599:
598:
594:
584:
582:
577:
576:
572:
562:
560:
551:
550:
543:
533:
531:
522:
521:
517:
507:
505:
496:
495:
491:
481:
479:
470:
469:
465:
455:
453:
442:
441:
434:
424:
422:
413:
412:
408:
398:
396:
387:
386:
382:
372:
370:
361:
360:
353:
343:
341:
332:
331:
324:
307:
300:
298:
289:
288:
275:
265:
263:
259:
252:
248:
247:
243:
238:
220:
215:
213:
206:
199:
196:
179:
151:
146:
129:
104:
69:Alma mater
64:
58:
38:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
739:
737:
729:
728:
723:
718:
713:
708:
703:
698:
693:
688:
683:
673:
672:
667:
666:
644:
618:
592:
570:
541:
515:
503:Brisbane Times
489:
478:. 3 April 2007
463:
452:. 3 April 2007
432:
406:
395:. 3 April 2007
380:
351:
322:
273:
240:
239:
237:
234:
233:
232:
226:
225:
211:
195:
192:
191:
190:
178:
175:
174:
173:
167:
161:
150:
147:
145:
142:
128:
125:
103:
100:
74:
73:
70:
66:
65:
59:
57:(aged 22)
52:
48:
47:
44:
40:
39:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
738:
727:
724:
722:
719:
717:
714:
712:
709:
707:
704:
702:
699:
697:
694:
692:
689:
687:
684:
682:
679:
678:
676:
655:
648:
645:
633:
629:
622:
619:
607:
603:
596:
593:
580:
574:
571:
559:
555:
548:
546:
542:
530:
526:
519:
516:
504:
500:
493:
490:
477:
473:
467:
464:
451:
450:
445:
439:
437:
433:
420:
416:
410:
407:
394:
390:
384:
381:
368:
364:
358:
356:
352:
339:
335:
329:
327:
323:
318:
312:
297:
293:
286:
284:
282:
280:
278:
274:
258:
251:
245:
242:
235:
231:
228:
227:
223:
212:
209:
203:
198:
193:
188:
184:
181:
180:
176:
171:
168:
165:
162:
159:
156:
155:
154:
148:
144:Related works
143:
141:
137:
133:
127:Investigation
126:
124:
121:
118:
116:
111:
109:
101:
99:
97:
93:
89:
85:
81:
71:
67:
62:
53:
49:
45:
41:
34:
29:
22:
19:
647:
635:. Retrieved
631:
621:
609:. Retrieved
605:
595:
583:. Retrieved
573:
561:. Retrieved
557:
532:. Retrieved
528:
518:
506:. Retrieved
502:
492:
480:. Retrieved
475:
466:
454:. Retrieved
447:
423:. Retrieved
418:
409:
397:. Retrieved
392:
383:
371:. Retrieved
367:the original
344:19 September
342:. Retrieved
337:
301:19 September
299:. Retrieved
295:
264:. Retrieved
257:the original
244:
186:
182:
169:
163:
157:
152:
138:
134:
130:
122:
119:
112:
105:
88:Betty Shanks
87:
79:
77:
25:Betty Shanks
18:
482:20 February
63:, Australia
675:Categories
657:Retrieved
637:7 December
611:7 December
585:7 December
563:7 December
534:7 December
508:7 December
456:9 February
425:9 February
399:9 February
373:9 February
266:9 February
236:References
208:Law portal
84:Queensland
311:cite news
659:22 April
296:ABC News
194:See also
102:Overview
96:Brisbane
115:Windsor
92:Grange
260:(PDF)
253:(PDF)
149:Books
661:2018
639:2016
613:2016
587:2016
565:2016
536:2016
510:2016
484:2010
458:2010
427:2010
401:2010
375:2010
346:2024
317:link
303:2024
268:2010
177:Film
78:The
51:Died
43:Born
677::
630:.
604:.
556:.
544:^
527:.
501:.
474:.
446:.
435:^
417:.
391:.
354:^
336:.
325:^
313:}}
309:{{
294:.
276:^
94:,
663:.
641:.
615:.
589:.
567:.
538:.
512:.
486:.
460:.
429:.
403:.
377:.
348:.
319:)
305:.
270:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
