Extensive evidence for slain Dunedin man's cold case inquest
An investigation into the murder of three friends while on holiday 46 years ago is gathering "extensive" evidence ahead of hearings into the cold case, a coroner has heard.
Karen Edwards, 23, Kiwi Tim Thomson, 31, and Dunedin man Gordon Twaddle, 21, left Alice Springs with their dog, 'Tristie', for a motorcycle trip to Mount Isa on October 2, 1978.
The trio were found dead with gunshot wounds in remote bushland at Spear Creek,12km north of Mount Isa.
Queensland coroner David O'Connell was given an update on preparations for an inquest into the deaths, which is due to start hearings in October.
Counsel assisting Amelia Hughes said parties involved would receive a copy of the brief of evidence and witness list in September.
"It's quite an extensive brief. That process is still underway with investigations ongoing," she said on Tuesday.
Ms Edwards' sister and other family members listened remotely to the coroner's pre-inquest conference by phone.
Mr Thomson and Mr Twaddle were family friends from New Zealand and shared a passion for motorcycles.
Ms Edwards was Mr Thomson's girlfriend.
Once they reached Cairns, the friends planned to head south to Melbourne for Christmas with family.
They were last seen alive leaving the Moondarra Caravan Park in Mount Isa in a brown and white Toyota Landcruiser station wagon four wheel drive with a man on the morning of October 5, 1978.
Queensland police in 2019 renewed a $250,000 reward for information which leads to the apprehension and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murders.
Former New South Wales prison guard Bruce John Preston was charged in April 2019 with the murders and granted bail in February 2020.
Crown prosecutors dropped all charges against Mr Preston in July 2023.
The inquest will hold hearings over nine days in Brisbane Coroners Court from October 7.
The hearings are due to end days before the 47th anniversary of the victims being found dead.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
1News
3 hours ago
- 1News
Kiwi mum and son, 6, freed from US immigration detention
A young Kiwi mum and her six-year-old son, who were detained at the US-Canada border and held for weeks, have been released from ICE custody. A friend of Sarah Shaw told 1News she had landed in Washington state and was now home safely. They said she intended to speak about her experiences at a later date. Shaw and her son, Isaac, who flew home from a Texas facility, were detained three weeks ago after dropping her other children off in Vancouver to catch a flight. On July 24, the mother had taken her two older children to the Canadian city so they could catch a direct flight back to New Zealand to visit family. It was previously reported that she then planned to travel back to her home in Washington with her younger son. Both were then stopped at the border by immigration agents, who said there was a problem with her documents. The pair were immediately detained. ADVERTISEMENT Shaw's lawyer, Minda Thorward, told local media at the time that she had a temporary immigration document that allowed her to travel and re-enter the US, but there had been an "administrative error" with it. Sarah Shaw and her six-year-old son have been detained by US immigration officials after she tried to return to America from a trip to Canada. (Source: 1News) Shaw and her son were then transferred to a facility in South Texas – one of only two that can house families together. She and her son shared a room with four other families, and were among the only detainees who spoke English. Her detainment came as immigration officials in the US ramped up their efforts under President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. This has led to people being detained who typically were not detained under previous administrations. 'Terrifying' experience with US immigration authorities A friend previously told 1News Shaw was "absolutely terrified" when she and her son were bundled into a giant white van with no markings on it at the Canadian border. "I remember her on the phone being absolutely panicked. She originally thought she was being kidnapped, she didn't even realise she was being detained originally." ADVERTISEMENT The conditions she was being held in were "very similar to a prison," they said. "She is in a locked room with five bunk beds, she's allowed to walk around the facility from 8am to 8pm, but outside of that, she is locked in a cell with other families." A graduate student working towards her master's degree and working for the state in corrections, Shaw had lived in the US for the past three years. Shaw was working at a juvenile care facility run by Washington state.
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Kiwi living in Australia for decades arrested at NZ border over unpaid $58,000 student debt
A Kiwi woman who has lived in Australia for 21 years says she spent months attempting to arrange a repayment plan with Inland Revenue before being arrested at the border over unpaid fees. Te Amo Matangi, 49, studied and paid off her university fees more than two decades ago.
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
New Zealand woman Sarah Shaw and 6-year-old son detained by US immigration to be freed
A young Kiwi mum and her 6-year-old son, currently being held in a US detention facility, are set to walk free, though exact details surrounding their release remain cloaked in secrecy. Sarah Shaw and her youngest son, Isaac, who live in Washington State, were detained on the Canadian border three
