Barrels and Maps Could Solve 1973 Adelaide Oval Girls Abduction Mystery
Two metal barrels and maps leaked from a state inquiry may hold the crucial answers to the abduction and suspected murders of two young girls more than five decades ago. Joanne Ratcliffe, aged 11, and Kirste Gordon, just four years old, were last seen alive at 3.45pm on August 25, 1973, when they walked together to the toilets during a football match at Adelaide Oval in South Australia.
Witness Account and Initial Investigation
Thirteen-year-old Anthony Kilmartin, who was selling lollies at the oval, told police he witnessed a man carrying a young girl under his right arm while dragging an older girl, who appeared to be trying to rescue the younger child. He described the kidnapper as a stooped man wearing a brown hat with a wide brim, a grey checked sports coat, and brown trousers. Over the years, a range of suspects were investigated, including known paedophiles Arthur Stanley Brown, Stanley Arthur Hart, and Errol George Radan, all of whom are now deceased. A coronial inquiry in 1979 failed to determine what happened to the girls.
New Evidence Uncovered by Citizen Journalist
Now, citizen journalist Bryan Littley, who has a close relationship with Joanne's family, claims that unearthed evidence not only indicates that Hart kidnapped the girls but also that he killed them and concealed their dismembered bodies in two barrels. The barrels were hidden in an abandoned irrigation tunnel near Pekina Reservoir, approximately 300km north of Adelaide. Mr Littley located them by following a map drawn by Hart's grandson, Mark Trevor Marshall.
The maps, obtained by Daily Mail, were uncovered in 2009 and appear to contain graphic details about the treatment of Joanne's body. However, Mr Littley stated that police have shown very little interest in the barrels until recently. 'I offered to deliver them to police last year but they said they weren't interested,' he revealed.
Police Response and Ongoing Concerns
A letter from police to Mr Littley, also obtained by Daily Mail, shows that officers have now requested access to the barrels for forensic testing. Despite this, Mr Littley does not trust them to conduct proper tests or make the results available. He is also demanding assurance that an inquest into the abductions will be reopened. 'We've uncovered a lot of compelling information in this case which absolutely changes the scene from 1979, when it was last heard before a coroner,' he asserted.
Details from the Maps and Supporting Evidence
The new information includes a police statement by Marshall, maps that appear to show where the bodies were killed and dumped, and a hat found at Hart's shack that matches the description provided by witness Anthony Kilmartin. Mr Littley claims that two maps were drawn by Marshall when he was interviewed from his prison cell by Commissioner Edward 'Ted' Picton Mullighan during a 2008 inquiry into the sexual abuse of children in state care. He said the maps and statements formed part of a tranche of documents stolen from state archives in 2009, eventually falling into his hands.
Although Marshall participated in the state inquiry along with more than 700 others, Daily Mail has not been able to independently confirm the map's origin or that it was drawn by Marshall. Police initially dismissed the map as fantasy because Marshall, now 57, is a serial child sex offender who was only four years old when Joanne and Kirste were taken. The presentation of the maps is child-like and filled with spelling errors, but Mr Littley believes the evidence should be taken seriously.
Graphic Content and Disturbing Details
One map appears to show where Joanne and Kirste were killed at Hart's shack, while the other leads directly to the tunnel where the barrels were concealed. They contain graphic notes naming the girls directly and seem to detail where the bodies were taken, how they were transported and placed inside the barrels, and abandoned in the tunnel. While difficult to decipher, the tunnel map appears to read: 'Joanne putted in tunnel ... chop up and putted in papa's roo bags and in tank.' It then says, 'I see leg falled out,' which suggests a leg fell out of the tank.
According to notes on the map, Hart appears to have collected the tank from the reservoir once it floated to an 'underground tunnel', labelled and marked with a large 'X'. The remnants of a rain tank were also found with the barrels at the tunnel site in 2009. A second map is a diagram of Hart's shack and clearly points to locations where Joanne and Kirste are claimed to have been killed, marked with small stick figures. Disturbing details include references to 'papa's sexing room' and 'papa mostest second sexing place', with an arrow pointing to the garage.
The Hat and Its Significance
In December 2008, police raided Hart's shack in Yatina, about 20km south of Pekina Reservoir. Mr Littley said a hat matching the description provided by Anthony Kilmartin was sitting on a table inside the shack, but police did not retrieve it. The hat was eventually given to Mr Littley by police after they determined Hart was no longer a suspect. When Mr Littley met Mr Kilmartin in 2023, he took the hat out of his bag, and Mr Kilmartin 'went ghost white and burst into tears', confirming it was the same hat.
Forensic Testing and Independent Analysis
The two metal barrels were found inside the tunnel near Pekina Reservoir in various states of decay in 2009. Both barrels were open when uncovered, filled with sand and debris, with no obvious human remains inside. Police tested samples but findings were inconclusive. Independent testing organised by Mr Littley revealed traces of blood without haemoglobin, which is present in all blood samples from humans and animals. He believes the bodies were broken down with acid, which would destroy haemoglobin. His independent tests also indicated the presence of acid, though police said their testing showed no acid was present.
Mr Littley is now seeking to test the full contents of the barrels for bone fragments and any residue left on the metal. A rainwater tank from the site will also be tested, as the map suggests it was used to transport Joanne's body to the tunnel. The tank has a distinctive rust pattern on the inside, which Mr Littley said could be consistent with the leaching of body fluids. Further independent testing is scheduled for April.
Police Stance and Case Status
SA Police declined to comment on Mr Littley's claims. A spokesperson stated, 'The investigation into the disappearance of Joanne Ratcliffe and Kirste Gordon remains an open investigation. No further comment will be made at this time.' The case continues to haunt those involved, with the new evidence offering a potential breakthrough in one of Australia's most enduring cold cases.
