Deaths of Karen Edwards, Tim Thomson, and Gordon Twaddle re-examined in inquest

A German Shepherd-Bermanman cross, Tristie was shot while Thomson lived there. He told a friend that he was very upset about the incident and did not know who was responsible.

The 31 -year -old boy said he was afraid that he was afraid that he would be shot and killed if his dog remains.

By September, Thomson and his friend Tweed at Alice Springs at the time, Plan to travel to Queensland on his motorcycles.

Thomson wrote to Edwards, an inter -provincial living girlfriend and invited him to join. Alice accepted to meet the pair by flying to Springs.

Before he left, Thomson put his red BMW motorcycle with a basket, so his dog traveled with him.

Although the band did not have an official route, they planned to return to Melbourne at Christmas to spend the holiday with his family. Edwards and Thomson met while living in Melbourne a few years before moving from New Zealand. Twadle from New Zealand had become a close friend with Thomson and shared his love of motorcycles.

A witness living near Thomson at that time said that he saw a 31 -year -old Toyota Landcruiser’s 31 -year -old job and his mission parked in his property.

Talking to a friend outside, he said he saw Landcruiser passing through the door. He also told Thomson to the investigation with a man he didn’t know about driving.

Thomson finally abandoned the task and a few people reported him that he saw him, his girlfriend and friends. The investigation took a traveler photo on the road because he saw seeing a dog in the basket.

There were also views of the group traveling in the company with a man with a third motorcycle driver.

Hughes has now read a police statement from a man who saw a group of friends while working at Aileon Hotel in the north of Alice Springs. He told a third man who explained that they tested Thomson and his tweeble and his bike before his trips to Cairns.

The man told the police that all three of them heard that he said “quite high on drugs ve and that Thomson said to Tweed:” Did you get anything from that man in Alice Springs? “

Later in that night, the worker reported that the problem developed outside the hotel with some Aborigines ”and the group went out for 10 minutes. Thomson returned to .22 rifles, and the worker believed.

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“I said to him, ‘What do you want to do, start a rebellion that brought it to the bar?’ Hughes read without a statement.

“I was worried about the rifle and I said [Thomson] If the Aborigines saw, they would probably get theirs and would be a problem. “

The group made a speech with the worker who said it was difficult to understand the indigenous people. Thomson arranged to quit the tongue tapes for his worker the next morning.

The band did not see it again until October 2, 1978, but this time the party consisted of Thomson, Tweedle and Edwards. They also had a dog with them.

Before coming to MT Isa, he stopped in the triple Moondarra Karavan Park and a receipt showing that three adults stayed for two nights worth $ 6.

Witnesses in the park saw the group, including someone who saw that he had visited a Toyota Landcruiser, and friends left the site in the car.

One night, around 20:00, a witness reported that a Landcruiser came with a brown-white four-door. Later, he noticed that the basket on Thomson’s bike was packaged in Toyota.

“Toyota remembers that a man’s voice calls and calls the dog into the car,” Hughes said.

Hughes went on both tents and said the smaller bike wasn’t there anymore.

The group was later seen in MT ISA, including three real estate employees who remembered that they saw their windows in West Street.

Twadle’s Blue Suzuki Motoid was left near a service station in MT ISA since October 5, 1978.

Hughes said there was evidence that there was a dog in MT Isa Dump on 6 October.

Hughes remembered that the MT ISA Council had collected Dogcatcher Tristie from the garbage … October 6, 1978. He believed that the dog wasn’t there for more than a few days. Tristie was kept on the pound for four days before sleeping ”.

“The police also found a series of personal goods lining the entrance of MT Isa City casting in 44 Gallon drums.

“They included three motorcycle helmets … Police questions were similar to those known to be used by Mr. Thomson and Mr. Twadle. The other items recovered from the drums were consistent with Ms. Edwards’s belongings.”

Thomson’s body was discovered by a couple walking with greyhound on the morning of October 24, 1978. One of the dogs was bolt after a wild pig, and the body was discovered in a bank while chasing the dog.

The couple later went to the town to warn the police who discovered two more bodies from his girlfriend Edwards and Tweeds – about 50 meters from Thomson.

After Mortem, the exams, each of the friends, fiery weapons wounds .22-a rifle died in a rifle. The scientific examination of bullets determined the view that two different types of ammunition were used.

However, even if the police found the gun, it would not be possible to prove that there was a weapon used to kill friends through ballistic.

The police were able to define Edwards with signs on their watch by associating them with a jeweler in Victoria where he was born. His father recognized the clock in a newspaper article and confirmed that he had bought him for him.

How the group was killed in Spear Creek has been the subject of police investigations, which covers almost twenty years, and cold case detectives are still investigating the case.

It was believed that the police had made a breakthrough in 2019, when NSW was arrested by former prison guards Bruce John Preston, who previously worked in Goulburn Supermax prison, and was accused of Outback murders.

However, in July 2023, prosecutors fell all the charges against Preston.

Hughes said the court would give Preston evidence in the investigation. Red BMW said that his motorcycle was in the hands of Preston and that he was guilty and fined $ 300.

Coroner David O’Connell is scheduled for the investigation before October 17, and will investigate how the trio died, travel movements, including the place where they stop, and the conditions of the camps of Modarra Karavan Park.

In addition, the group will examine a fourth rider and Toyota Landcruiser.

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