In this episode, we take a journey into one of Australia’s most gruesome true crime cases — the Snowtown murders, also known as the "Bodies in the Barrels" case. Between 1992 and 1999, a group of killers led by John Bunting targeted individuals they believed to be pedophiles, homosexuals, or otherwise "unacceptable," resulting in the deaths of 12 people.
Love the episode? Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with fellow true crime enthusiasts!
Want to Support us?
Follow Us On:
Instagram: @Fatal_Blend TikTok: Fatalblend1
Facebook: Fatal Blend Facebook Group: Fatal Blend Podcast
ReferencesAAP. (2024, May 19). Snowtown's Murders Grim Legacy. Retrieved from The New Daily: https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/2024/05/19/snowtown-murders-grim-legacy
James Spyridion Vlassaskis. (n.d.). Retrieved from Murderpedia: https://murderpedia.org/male.V/v/vlassakis-james.htm
John Justin Bunting. (n.d.). Retrieved from Murderpedia: https://murderpedia.org/male.B/b/bunting-john-justin.htm
Key Witness in Snowtown Murders James Vlassakis Seeks Parole after 26 years. (2025, May 4). Retrieved from Neos Kosmos: https://neoskosmos.com/en/2025/05/04/news/australia/key-witness-in-snowtown-murders-james-vlassakis-seeks-parole-after-26-years/
Noble, F. (March, 2019 13). Bodies in a Barrels killer Robert Joe Wagner's eerie handwritten letter. Retrieved from W9 News: https://www.9news.com.au/national/bodies-in-the-barrel-killer-seeks-to-have-term-set/b3bd5162-3722-4fc1-afcc-f8fb37abf722
Robert Joe Wagner. (n.d.). Retrieved from Murderpedia: https://murderpedia.org/male.W/w/wagner-robert-joe.htm
Robert Joe Wagner. (n.d.). Retrieved from Serial Killer Calendar: https://www.serialkillercalendar.com/Robert%20Joe%20WAGNER.php
Rosewood, J., & Lo, R. (2017). The Big Book of Serial Killers. LAK Publishing.
Rosewood, J., & Lo, R. (n.d.). The Big Book of Serial Killers Another 150 Serial Killer Files of The World's Worst Murderers (Vol. 2). LAK Publishing.
Snowtown bodies in barrel killer Robert Wagner denied non parole period. (2019, May 9). Retrieved from SBS News: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/snowtown-bodies-in-barrel-killer-robert-wagner-denied-non-parole-period/a2ogd9mp8
Snowtown killer seeks non parole release date from jail. (2019, March 12). Retrieved from ABC.net: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-13/snowtown-killer-seeks-non-parole-release-date-from-jail/10895224
Snowtown Murders. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowtown_murders
The Snowtown Murders. (n.d.). Retrieved from Crime Library: https://crimelibrary.org/serial_killers/weird/snowtown/index_1.html
Thomson, L. (2025, May 2). Snowtown killer James Vlassakis to apply for fredomas he reaches his 26 year non parole period. Retrieved from 7News: https://7news.com.au/news/sa/snowtown-killer-james-vlassakis-to-apply-for-freedom-as-he-reaches-his-26-year-non-parole-period-c-18560850
Wakelin, J. (2024, May 25). Snowtown murdererJames Vlassakis up for parole in a year after accomplce Mark Haydon was released into the community. Retrieved from ABC.ne: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-26/sa-stateline-james-vlassakis-eligible-for-parole-in-a-year/103888232
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.