333:
Bailey could produce a body. Bailey and a fourteen-man team of police trackers, lawyers and gaol wardens flew to Alice
Springs then drove south to the crime scene at Sundown Station. Bailey's story was that on the night of the murders he came across a man removing Mrs Bowman's shoes and after a fight he stabbed the man to death and then buried the man 4 miles (6.4 km) north of where the victims' bodies were found. After a three-and-a-half-hour search found no body, Bailey stated, "I have nothing more to say."
354:
unconscious. During his trial, Bailey claimed that he had only signed the confession after hearing his wife crying in another room. Bailey told the court that detectives then told him that they would leave her alone if he signed. A grey Ford Zephyr was seen near the murder scene while Bailey drove a black 1938 DeSoto. Footprints believed to belong to the killer had been found at the murder scene, and were estimated as being a size 7 or 8. Bailey wore a size 5½ shoe.
317:, in September 1957. Bailey and Iles struck up a friendship and the men went rabbit shooting. Iles later agreed to sell to Bailey his huntsman rifle but Bailey skipped town without paying for it. Iles took Constable Grope to the spot where the men fired the rifle and Grope recovered used cartridge cases. The cartridges later matched cartridges found at the murder scene.
92:
women with Whelan's gun (a
Remington), put the bodies in the Bowman's Vanguard and drove to the opposite side of the road to hide them. He helped himself to Whelan's wallet before he hid the bodies. "Petrol is dear up in that neck of the woods and Bailey's old car and caravan would not be doing more than 10 or 12 miles to the gallon." Mr. Scarfe said.
353:
before the murders, was never found. The description of the murders in Bailey's confession contradicted the post mortem results. Bailey claimed to have shot all three of the victims as they ran from him; however, the autopsies indicated that the
Bowmans and Whelan were shot while lying on the ground
332:
Bailey managed to get a stay of execution of one week by claiming that he was not the trio's killer but he himself killed the real killer in self-defence. The State
Cabinet made a decision to test the accuracy of Bailey's new statement. The police flew Bailey back to the scene of the crime to see if
91:
Mr. Scarfe said that what really happened might never be known. He suggested, however, that
Raymond John Bailey held up the Bowman party at gunpoint and demanded money for petrol for the journey to Mount Isa, 1,000 miles away. Whelan went for his gun and was shot in the back. Bailey then clubbed the
341:
Author and investigative journalist
Stephen Bishop claims that detective Glen Patrick Hallahan lied on oath and in records of police interviews with Raymond Bailey. Detective Hallahan was one of the three high-ranking Queensland detectives known as the "Rat Pack" who had been exposed as corrupt by
298:, when the law caught up with him. Bailey was arrested in Mount Isa in January 1958 on charges of false pretences in relation of a motor vehicle and being in possession of an unlicensed weapon. Two days later he was charged with the murder of Thyra Bowman. He was extradited to
71:
found the bodies. All three victims had been beaten about the head and then shot. The trackers also found the spot where the killer had parked his car. They noted that the car was towing a two-wheel trailer. First reports announced that witnesses had seen a grey
56:
The remaining three travelled by car, with two family dogs. They had £85 in cash and were last spotted at
Kulgera Homestead near the South Australian border, where the party purchased petrol. They then continued south towards Adelaide, but never arrived.
641:
268:
on 3 December 1932. He had four brothers and a sister. Bailey left school at 14 and got work as a carpenter. He married young and worked for a time as an itinerant worker. He purchased a black 1938
479:
655:
49:. In November 1957, a family friend named Thomas Whelan (22) travelled north to visit the family while on holiday. The Bowmans agreed to travel with Whelan back to Adelaide via
699:
694:
490:
287:
car and caravan with his wife and young son. Bailey had told another traveller on the Alice
Springs road that he was heading north looking for work.
33:
were the murders of Sally (Thyra) Bowman (43), her daughter Wendy Bowman (14), and family friend Thomas Whelan (22) on
Sundown Station in northern
610:
585:
560:
452:
402:
377:
76:
towing a green trailer travelling north to Alice
Springs in the area around the time of the slayings. The car was later sighted east of
60:
A huge ground search was launched, bosses and workers from nearby properties joining in. Eight days later, the vehicle was spotted by a
719:
709:
704:
714:
77:
50:
427:
349:
The main points that Bishop advanced included that the murder weapon, which Bailey claimed he had sold to a man near
535:
265:
61:
37:
outback in December 1957. The search for their killer was one of the biggest manhunts in South Australian history.
646:
314:
299:
277:
81:
273:
53:
by car. After arriving in Alice Springs on 4 December 1957, Pete and Marion took a plane and flew to Adelaide.
163:
284:
269:
45:
Pete and Sally Bowman with their two daughters Wendy and Marion managed Glen Helen station in the
343:
217:
68:
46:
508:"Bailey Found Guilty Of Sundown Murder - The Canberra Times (ACT: 1926–1995) - 21 May 1958"
151:
128:
34:
688:
679:
321:
143:
358:
17:
324:. He was hanged on 24 June 1958. His two brothers had visited him the day before.
350:
73:
295:
276:
in September 1957 and took a rifle he had agreed to buy but never paid for in
201:
507:
291:
147:
124:
84:
police and trackers played an important part in the murder investigation.
651:
189:
357:
In February 2013, Bishop appealed to the Governor of South Australia,
207:
642:"Justice sought for hanged man Raymond John Bailey — 57 years later"
64:
aircrew under a clump of trees at the deserted Sundown Station.
361:, to grant a posthumous pardon for Bailey, but was declined.
611:"The Sydney Morning Herald - Google News Archive Search"
428:"The Sydney Morning Herald - Google News Archive Search"
453:"Packed courtroom hear footprint story by trackers"
248:
240:
228:
223:
213:
199:
185:
177:
169:
159:
136:
110:
103:
313:David Iles met Bailey when both men worked around
480:"A Museum in Finke: An Aputula Heritage Project"
530:
528:
8:
320:Bailey was tried, convicted and executed in
100:
635:
633:
631:
369:
586:"The Age - Google News Archive Search"
561:"The Age - Google News Archive Search"
536:"The Age - Google News Archive Search"
403:"The Age - Google News Archive Search"
378:"The Age - Google News Archive Search"
290:He was working at Mount Isa Hospital,
7:
700:Deaths by firearm in South Australia
87:The prosecution case is as follows.
283:Bailey was travelling north in the
67:Reaching the car some hours later,
310:The trial took place in Adelaide.
25:
695:December 1957 events in Australia
264:Raymond John Bailey was born at
680:Adelaide Gaol Official Website
640:Robertson, Doug (6 June 2015).
489:. pp. 1–97. Archived from
478:Kelham, Megg (November 2010).
1:
736:
62:Royal Australian Air Force
720:1957 murders in Australia
710:Child murder in Australia
705:Murder in South Australia
457:The Sydney Morning Herald
315:Wirrulla, South Australia
258:
195:
715:1950s in South Australia
459:. 16 May 1958. p. 5
302:where he stood trial.
140:25 June 1958 (aged 25)
337:Later investigations
164:Execution by hanging
346:in the late 1980s.
160:Cause of death
105:Raymond John Bailey
69:Aboriginal trackers
18:Raymond John Bailey
344:Fitzgerald Inquiry
47:Northern Territory
487:Territory Stories
328:Stay of execution
262:
261:
236:Thomas Whelan, 22
16:(Redirected from
727:
668:
667:
665:
663:
654:. Archived from
637:
626:
625:
623:
621:
607:
601:
600:
598:
596:
582:
576:
575:
573:
571:
557:
551:
550:
548:
546:
532:
523:
522:
520:
518:
504:
498:
497:
495:
484:
475:
469:
468:
466:
464:
449:
443:
442:
440:
438:
424:
418:
417:
415:
413:
399:
393:
392:
390:
388:
374:
365:Cited references
250:Date apprehended
234:Wendy Bowman, 14
232:Sally Bowman, 43
218:Death by hanging
214:Criminal penalty
204:
170:Other names
120:
118:
101:
21:
735:
734:
730:
729:
728:
726:
725:
724:
685:
684:
676:
671:
661:
659:
639:
638:
629:
619:
617:
615:news.google.com
609:
608:
604:
594:
592:
590:news.google.com
584:
583:
579:
569:
567:
565:news.google.com
559:
558:
554:
544:
542:
540:news.google.com
534:
533:
526:
516:
514:
506:
505:
501:
496:on 10 May 2019.
493:
482:
477:
476:
472:
462:
460:
451:
450:
446:
436:
434:
432:news.google.com
426:
425:
421:
411:
409:
407:news.google.com
401:
400:
396:
386:
384:
382:news.google.com
376:
375:
371:
367:
339:
330:
308:
251:
244:5 December 1957
235:
233:
200:
186:Criminal status
155:
152:South Australia
141:
132:
129:New South Wales
122:
121:3 December 1932
116:
114:
106:
99:
43:
35:South Australia
31:Sundown murders
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
733:
731:
723:
722:
717:
712:
707:
702:
697:
687:
686:
683:
682:
675:
674:External links
672:
670:
669:
658:on 8 June 2015
647:The Advertiser
627:
602:
577:
552:
524:
499:
470:
444:
419:
394:
368:
366:
363:
338:
335:
329:
326:
307:
304:
260:
259:
256:
255:
252:
249:
246:
245:
242:
238:
237:
230:
226:
225:
221:
220:
215:
211:
210:
205:
197:
196:
193:
192:
187:
183:
182:
179:
175:
174:
173:Raymond Carter
171:
167:
166:
161:
157:
156:
142:
138:
134:
133:
123:
112:
108:
107:
104:
98:
95:
94:
93:
42:
39:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
732:
721:
718:
716:
713:
711:
708:
706:
703:
701:
698:
696:
693:
692:
690:
681:
678:
677:
673:
657:
653:
649:
648:
643:
636:
634:
632:
628:
616:
612:
606:
603:
591:
587:
581:
578:
566:
562:
556:
553:
541:
537:
531:
529:
525:
513:
509:
503:
500:
492:
488:
481:
474:
471:
458:
454:
448:
445:
433:
429:
423:
420:
408:
404:
398:
395:
383:
379:
373:
370:
364:
362:
360:
355:
352:
347:
345:
336:
334:
327:
325:
323:
322:Adelaide Gaol
318:
316:
311:
305:
303:
301:
297:
293:
288:
286:
281:
279:
275:
271:
267:
257:
253:
247:
243:
239:
231:
227:
222:
219:
216:
212:
209:
206:
203:
202:Conviction(s)
198:
194:
191:
188:
184:
180:
176:
172:
168:
165:
162:
158:
153:
149:
145:
144:Adelaide Gaol
139:
135:
130:
126:
113:
109:
102:
96:
90:
89:
88:
85:
83:
79:
78:Tennant Creek
75:
70:
65:
63:
58:
54:
52:
51:Alice Springs
48:
40:
38:
36:
32:
27:
19:
660:. Retrieved
656:the original
645:
618:. Retrieved
614:
605:
593:. Retrieved
589:
580:
568:. Retrieved
564:
555:
543:. Retrieved
539:
515:. Retrieved
511:
502:
491:the original
486:
473:
461:. Retrieved
456:
447:
435:. Retrieved
431:
422:
410:. Retrieved
406:
397:
385:. Retrieved
381:
372:
359:Kevin Scarce
356:
348:
340:
331:
319:
312:
309:
289:
282:
263:
254:January 1958
86:
66:
59:
55:
44:
30:
28:
26:
351:Coober Pedy
154:, Australia
131:, Australia
97:The accused
74:Ford Zephyr
689:Categories
296:Queensland
178:Occupation
117:1932-12-03
292:Mount Isa
266:Gilgandra
181:Carpenter
148:Thebarton
125:Gilgandra
652:Adelaide
644:. News.
300:Adelaide
278:Wirrulla
190:Executed
620:14 July
595:14 July
570:14 July
545:14 July
517:14 July
437:14 July
412:14 July
387:14 July
274:Renmark
229:Victims
224:Details
41:Murders
463:8 July
285:DeSoto
270:DeSoto
208:Murder
662:8 May
512:Trove
494:(PDF)
483:(PDF)
306:Trial
82:Finke
664:2023
622:2016
597:2016
572:2016
547:2016
519:2016
465:2011
439:2016
414:2016
389:2016
342:the
241:Date
137:Died
111:Born
29:The
272:in
691::
650:.
630:^
613:.
588:.
563:.
538:.
527:^
510:.
485:.
455:.
430:.
405:.
380:.
294:,
280:.
150:,
146:,
127:,
80:.
666:.
624:.
599:.
574:.
549:.
521:.
467:.
441:.
416:.
391:.
119:)
115:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.