June 26, 2024 • 33 mins
Send us a text and let us know what you think about the episode!
Could one of Australia's oldest cold cases finally be cracked with modern technology? Join us on an eerie journey back to 1965 as we uncover the chilling details of the Wanda Beach Murders, a case that has haunted a community for almost six decades. We revisit the tragic day when teenage friends Mary Ann Schmidt and Christine Sherrick disappeared during a beach outing, leading to a grim discovery that shocked the nation. Listen in as we recount their last known movements and the agonizing hours that followed, ultimately ending with the discovery of their bodies in the sandhills.
Our exploration doesn’t stop at the crime scene. Hear from Detective Inspector Haynes and former detective Sec Johnson about the exhaustive investigation that followed, filled with thousands of interviews but no concrete arrests. We delve into renewed media interest in the 1980s and 2000s, especially focusing on lost evidence and the promise of DNA technology. Listen to Johnson's compelling argument regarding suspect Alan Bassett and his eerie painting, which he believes depicts the crime scene. Despite decades of persistent efforts, this episode underscores the ongoing quest for answers in one of Australia’s most harrowing unsolved murders. Join us as we piece together the clues and ponder the lingering mysteries of the Wanda Beach Murders.
Source Material: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yB3VN9UabYvsIJN4-YlmjITcsT-hxQQR1bKX_98oeQg/edit?usp=sharing
Thanks for being a loyal Crime Connoisseur! Enjoy your free 30-Day Audible Trial Membership
Discover your dog's DNA with a simple cheek swab for their genetic testing.
Your cat deserves better. Have fresh, human-grade meals for your cat straight to your door each month.
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crimeconnoisseurs
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, hey, crime Connoisseurs, I'm your host,
grace D.
I hope you all enjoyed thebonus case this weekend and that
everyone had a lovely Father'sDay.
Today's case is one that our USlisteners may or may not be
familiar with, but our AussieCrime Connoisseurs are sure to
know exactly which case I'mtalking about in just a few
details.
Our case today is taking us allthe way to Australia For our
(00:26):
first case down under.
We're going to cover one ofAustralia's oldest and most
shocking cold cases, going backto 1965, a time when people
still kept their doors unlockedand felt safe.
Tragedy would soon strike,altering the sense of safety.
Two young women head to thebeach with young siblings to
(00:48):
spend the day.
Sadly, the two teens would headoff by themselves to never be
seen again, sparking one of themost infamous murder mysteries
in Australian history.
Who was responsible for thistragedy?
With the case remainingunsolved for nearly six decades,
we're left with questions aboutwhat really happened on that
(01:11):
fateful day in 1965.
This is the case of Mary AnnSchmidt and Christine Sherrick,
the Wanda Beach Murders.
(01:56):
Elizabeth and Helmut Schmidt hadmoved to Australia from Germany
in 1958 with their childrenHelmut Jr, marianne, hans, peter
, trixie, norbert and another onthe way.
After arriving in Australia,the Schmidt family lived in a
(02:17):
migrant hostel in Unadera, newSouth Wales, before settling in
Tamora In 1963, helmut moved thefamily to West Ryde, a suburb
of Sydney, after being diagnosedwith Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Helmut passed away thefollowing year, leaving
(02:39):
Elizabeth to care for the sevenchildren alone.
After moving to West Ryde,marianne developed a close
friendship with ChristineSherrick, a young girl the same
age as her who lived next doorwith her grandparents, jim and
Jeanette Tague.
Six months after her husband'spassing, elizabeth herself was
(03:01):
sick in the hospital, leavingMarianne and Helmut Jr in charge
of the rest of the kids.
On Saturday, january 9th, maryAnn and Christine asked
Elizabeth, who was still in thehospital, if they could take the
younger children to Cronullathe next day, and were given
permission.
However, rain prevented themfrom making the trip.
(03:24):
Given permission, however, rainprevented them from making the
trip.
On January 11, 1965, the twoteenage girls set off for a day
at the beach with the kids.
Around 8 am, marianne,christine and the kiddos headed
out with their bags and a picnic.
(03:46):
They went down the coast toCronulla by train.
Around two hours away, holmettJr and Hans opted out of going
to the beach and instead stayedhome to clean.
The girls arrived at Cronullawith Peter, trixie, wolfgang and
Norbert, but the beach wasclosed because of strong winds.
The group then walked down tothe southern end of the beach
(04:07):
and took shelter among the rocks.
Eight-year-old Wolfgang stillwanted to swim, so Marianne went
with him to the shallow part ofthe surf, away from the rocks.
After they returned to thegroup, they had a picnic At some
point.
During this time, christineleft the others and went off by
herself.
When Christine returned to thegroup, they decided to go for a
(04:30):
walk into the sandhills behindWanda Beach.
Before walking into the dunes,the girls hid their bags on the
beach to lighten their load.
Soon the wind was too strong.
Soon the wind was too strong,and around 1 pm the group
reached a point around 400meters or 430 yards, beyond the
(04:51):
Wanda Surf Club.
They stopped to take shelterbehind a sandhill.
As the younger childrencomplained about the conditions,
mary Ann and Christine decidedthat they would go back to get
their bags before going home.
Marianne told her youngersiblings that she and Christine
(05:12):
would return to the rocky areaat the south end of the beach
where they had hidden their bags, then return to get the
children and head home.
However, the girls continuedinto the sand hills.
When Peter noticed, he calledout to them that they were going
the wrong way, but they justlaughed at him and walked on.
It would be the last time thetwo friends were seen.
(05:33):
Four hours went by but theydidn't return.
By 5 pm Peter decided that theyshould go home without
Christine and Marianne.
The kids found the bagsuntouched on the beach and
caught the last train arrivinghome around 8 pm.
Confused and concerned, hanswent to see his mother in the
(05:56):
hospital.
In an article withthatslifecomau, hans told his
mom quote the girls didn't comeback from the beach end quote.
He said quote.
A huge sadness came over her.
They're gone, she cried.
End quote.
Marianne and Christine werereported missing at 8.30 pm by
(06:20):
Christine's grandmother.
The next morning, on Tuesday,january 12th, peter Smith took
his young nephews for a walkthrough the Wanda Beach
Sandhills.
Some distance north of theWanda Surf Club, he discovered
what appeared to be a storemannequin buried face down in
(06:40):
the sand.
It wasn't until he brushed awaythe sand from the head that he
realized it was a body.
He scooped up his nephews andran to the nearest surf club
where the police were called.
Police arrived and found thebody of Mary Ann Schmidt.
When members of the New SouthWales Police arrived, they
(07:03):
encountered the horrific scene.
While investigating, someonenoticed a foot belonging to a
second body.
It was then discovered thatChristine Sherrick had been
buried with Marianne.
When the murder scene wasexamined, marianne was found
lying on her right side with herleft leg bent.
(07:25):
Christine was face down, herhead against the sole of her
friend's left foot.
Both of them had scratch markson their faces From a nearly
40-yard-long bloody drag mark inthe sand leading to the scene.
Police determined thatChristine had fled, possibly
(07:46):
while Marianne was dying, onlyto have been caught
incapacitated and dragged backto the body of her friend.
The bodies were partiallyclothed and the girls were
brutally attacked, and at thetime it was believed they were
sexually assaulted.
Bloodstains on nearby scrub andrecently made car tracks were
(08:08):
discovered leading from wherethe bodies were found.
The bodies were moved to theSutherland District Hospital,
where a relative lateridentified them.
Both girls had been viciouslyattacked, beaten, stabbed
multiple times and left exposedto the elements.
The exact time of death was notdetermined, but it was believed
(08:33):
that they were killed shortlyafter leaving the younger
children.
An intensive search waslaunched to find the murder
weapons a long knife and somesort of blunt instrument but
they were never found.
Tons of sand from around themurder scene were sifted through
(08:54):
and various items were found,including a blood-stained knife
blade, but police were unable tolink it to the murders Trigger
warning the topic of sexualassault.
Is it to the murders Triggerwarning?
The topic of sexual assault isabout to be covered.
Christine's skull had beenfractured by a blow to the back
(09:14):
of the head and she had beenstabbed six times.
Marianne's throat had beendeeply slashed and she had been
stabbed 14 times, had beendeeply slashed and she had been
stabbed 14 times.
Marianne's bathing suit hadbeen cut and pulled up over her
breasts and the killer attemptedto rape Marianne and Christine.
(09:34):
Semen was found on both girls.
However, the autopsy showedthat their hymens were intact.
Marianne's brother, hans, hadviewed photos of the body and
said, quote she'd been stabbed25 to 30 times.
She'd almost been decapitatedbecause her throat had been cut
(09:56):
so viciously.
At her funeral, marianne wasdressed in a high neck dress,
but you could still see theslash marks above the collar.
That's how vicious it was.
End quote.
Marianne and Christine'sfunerals were held on January 20
, 1965.
(10:19):
During Christine's absence, oneof Marianne's little brothers,
wolfgang, noticed a teenage boyhunting crabs.
Later he claimed to have seenthe same boy two more times,
once in the company of the girlsand again sometime much later,
but walking alone.
There has been doubt about hisdescription of this person, as
(10:43):
Wolfgang's testimony over timevariously suggested that he had
had a homemade spear gun, afishing knife or both.
The last official sighting ofthe girls was around 12.45 pm by
local fireman Dennis Dostein,who was walking in the area with
his son and saw the girlswalking about 730 meters north
(11:08):
of the surf club.
Dostin told police they seemedto be hurrying and one of the
girls often looked behind her asif they were being followed.
He did not see anybody else,though A number of people were
seen in the area who had neverbeen identified and never came
(11:28):
forward.
The autopsy for Christine founda blood alcohol content of
0.015, but alcohol was not found.
In Marianne's autopsy.
It was also discovered thatChristine had consumed food
cabbage and celery, possibly aChico roll that differed from
(11:52):
the rest of the group.
It is suspected that thisoccurred while she was alone.
Police launched one of thelargest manhunts in Australian
history, questioning numerousindividuals and sifting through
countless leads.
Witnesses reported seeing thegirls walking with a man in his
(12:13):
mid-20s, though descriptionsvaried.
Another witness saw a manrunning from the dunes around
the estimated time of themurders.
The estimated time of themurders In February 1965, a
10,000 pound reward was set andlater increased to 20,000 pounds
.
Several suspects emerged overthe years, but no charges were
(12:36):
ever filed.
One year later, on January 26,1966, the three Beaumont
siblings, jane, arna and Grant,disappeared from Glen Egg Beach
in Adelaide.
Both cases captured theattention of the nation, which
(12:57):
became consumed by the searchfor their assailants.
Both cases remain unsolved tothis day.
Initially, police encounteredinterest in both cases, using
media appearances to call forinformation from the public.
Detective Inspector Haynes, wholed the investigation into the
(13:19):
Wanda Beach murders, issued suchan appeal in his interview with
Ian Ross on National NetworkNews in January 1965.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
We have received information from possibly a
thousand people.
We have interviewed betweenfive and six hundred people
personally and obtainedparticulars five and six hundred
people personally and obtainedparticulars In this state as
well as in other states.
Many suspects who could beconsidered to have committed
this crime have been interviewedand their movements checked.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
What would you consider your most important
lead in the investigation so far?
Speaker 2 (13:58):
The most important and possibly the outstanding
thing is the description of thesuspect who was last seen in the
company of the girls whilstthey were still alive.
That is Wolfgang Smith, thebrother of one of the deceased
girls.
He describes a lad about 16years of age whom he saw
(14:23):
disappearing in the sand duneswith his sister and the other
girl about 1.30 on the fatefulday.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Now, even though Wolfgang is a very young boy
he's only seven years old youstill feel that you could place
a fair amount of importance onwhat he's told you.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Yes, when we first received his testimony, being so
young, we were loathe to acceptit, but we have checked and
rechecked his information Duringthe inquiry.
Every piece of information wehave received has tended to
confirm and corroborate hisstory and we now feel that he
(15:01):
can be relied upon and histestimony is acceptable.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Well now, sir, we might be able to perhaps move
down to the Wonder Beach sceneand take up the story there.
Yes, we will.
Detective Inspector Haynes,during your investigations, have
you been quite happy with thesupport the public has given you
in coming forward withinformation?
Speaker 2 (15:27):
We have been amazed and overwhelmed at the response
the public have made.
Every piece of information,however seemingly unimportant,
has been investigated.
Many suspects as a result ofthat have been questioned and we
feel that by the continuedresponse of the people we will
be able to put our finger on theman who has committed this
(15:50):
crime.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Do you think that there are still some people who
may have been here on the beachor who may otherwise be able to
help, who have not yet comeforward?
Speaker 2 (15:57):
I feel very definitely only as late as
yesterday.
We have people coming who havepreviously known something but
have not thought it important byreason of the publicity and the
interest that has been created.
They have come forward and wehave received much information
which will help us to form apattern of the people who are on
(16:21):
the beach and what may havehappened on that fateful day.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Public interest in these cases was often so intense
that it became the news.
In February 1966, nine Newsreported on the overwhelming
turnout of volunteers to assistpolice in combing the beach for
clues to help find the Beaumontchildren.
However, the Wanda Beach andBeaumont cases, like several
(16:48):
other equally notorious crimescommitted during the 60s, are
cited as the moment whenAustralia lost its innocence.
In April 1966, the coronerhanded down his report.
By then, police had interviewedroughly 7,000 people, making it
(17:09):
the most extensiveinvestigation in Australian
history.
Despite this, the murdersquickly became a cold case and
none of the three main suspectsfit the description of the
surfer youth who has never beenidentified.
In March 1967, police believedthey were close to arresting a
(17:32):
man in connection with themurders of Marianne and
Christine and the attacks onseveral women at Wanda Beach.
On several women at Wanda Beach, fresh information was given to
them by a woman named BrendaGalvin who was attacked on March
(17:53):
16th at the beach, and by theman who ran to her assistance,
which helped to narrow thesearch for the killer.
Detectives said that they hadbeen overwhelmed by telephone
calls from people claiming toknow or have seen the killer,
and each one was beinginvestigated.
A massive police hunt wasunderway for an old white car
(18:14):
and the man seen driving away init after the latest beach
attack beach attack.
Both their descriptions fit thesketch made by police using
details obtained from otherwomen who had been attacked in
the beach area.
Police were confident that theman was also the killer of
Christine Sherrick and MarianneSchmidt.
(18:36):
In 1981, the Wanda Beach murderswere again the subject of media
interest when reporter HarryPotter yes, my fellow
Potterheads, that is his realname, but not our beloved Harry
(19:04):
Potter's broadcast did notpresent any new evidence, but
his delivery style wasindicative of recent
developments in newsbroadcasting, particularly in
crime reporting.
Compared to Ian Ross, potterfrequently uses subjective, even
sensational, language.
Marianne and Christine weredescribed as quote pretty
unpopular end quote, and WandaBeach Sand Dunes as a quote
(19:27):
playground for deviants endquote.
The report also began bywarning young women to quote be
on their guard end quote.
In the interview we learnedthat during the investigation,
police interviewed more than16,000 people up to this point,
including roughly 5,000 suspects.
(19:49):
It's also revealed that atleast five of the 5,000 suspects
admitted to the murders ofMarianne and Christine.
However, police were able toquickly determine those to be
false confessions due to thelack of information they were
able to provide that only thereal killer and the police knew
(20:12):
to be true.
The case was reopened in 2000,and in February 2012, the New
South Wales Police Forces ColdCase Unit announced that a weak
male DNA sample had beenextracted from a pair of white
shorts worn by Christine.
(20:32):
While admitting that currenttechnology was unable to provide
more information, police wereconfident that future advances
would offer more support.
Despite periodic reviews andadvances in forensic science,
the case remains unsolved.
In 2012, police announced thatthey were re-examining DNA
(20:57):
evidence in hopes of finding newleads.
In July 2014, police said thata semen sample taken from
Marianne's body had been lostand could not be located,
despite an extensive search.
Regardless of exhaustiveefforts, the case faced
(21:18):
significant obstacles.
The crime scene wascontaminated by the elements and
by people who showed up beforeit was secured.
Conflicting witness testimoniesand limited forensic technology
at the time also hindered theinvestigation.
Recent advances in DNAtechnology have given
(21:40):
investigators new tools tore-examine the evidence, but the
case remains unsolved.
Investigators have three menthey believe could all be the
man responsible for the murdersof Christine and Marianne.
Former detective Sec Johnson,who had investigated the murders
(22:01):
, was given a painting in 1975by Alan Bassett.
Bassett had been imprisoned forthe brutal rape and murder of
Carolyn Orfin in Wollongong onJune 11, 1966.
Bassett's painting, titled ABloody, awful Thing, showed an
(22:22):
abstract landscape.
Johnson believed the paintingshowed blood trails, a broken
knife blade and the body of avictim and became convinced that
Bassett was the Wanda Beachkiller.
He also became convinced thatthe painting showed a scene from
the murders that only thekiller would know, as well as
(22:43):
clues to the also unsolvedmurders of Wilhelmina Kruger and
Anna Dallin-Koa.
Despite the doubt andskepticism of other detectives,
johnson wrote a book about thecase.
However, before it could bepublished he was killed in an
accident.
While retaining professionalrespect for Johnson, other
(23:07):
detectives expressed that he waswrong in his belief.
However, one person Johnsonconvinced was Bill Jenkins, a
crime reporter for Daily Mirror,who repeated Johnson's claims
in his ghost-written memoirs ascrime goes by.
In a chapter devoted to theWanda Beach murders, most of
(23:28):
which is essentially a repeat ofwhat he had written in his
earlier book, crime ReporterJenkins mentions Bassett and his
painting.
Bassett, who had been releasedfrom prison in 1995, started
proceedings for defamation inthe Supreme Court of New South
Wales.
The publisher pleaded defensesof justification, meaning
(23:52):
Bassett's being a convictedmurderer, and the proceedings
never went further.
Since his release, bassett hasvoluntarily given a DNA sample
to clear his name, but whetheror not he has been eliminated as
a suspect in the Wanda Beachmurders has yet to be publicized
.
A second suspect is a serialkiller, christopher Wilder.
(24:16):
Two years before the murders,wilder had been convicted of a
gang rape on a Sydney beach,which led police to include him
as a suspect.
Wilder had immigrated to theUnited States in 1969.
However, while visiting hisparents in Australia in 1982, he
(24:37):
was charged with sexualoffenses against two 15-year-old
girls whom he had forced topose nude.
Wilder fled back to the US andin the first half of 1984, he
committed eight murders andattempted several more.
Versions of what happened nextvary, but on April 13, 1984,
(25:01):
state troopers in New Hampshirespotted Wilder's car at a
service station and confrontedhim.
It's said that one of thetroopers grabbed Wilder from
behind and in the scuffle,wilder's weapon discharged,
firing a bullet that passedthrough his body and into that
of the trooper, seriouslyinjuring them both.
(25:22):
It's then said that Wilderfired another bullet into his
own chest, ending his life andhis rampage of murder across
America.
The trooper recovered andeventually returned to his post.
A third suspect not wellpublicized until 1998, is Derek
(25:43):
Percy, who had been in prisonsince 1969 for the murder of a
child on a beach in Victoria.
Percy was considered toodangerous to be released and the
prime suspect for several othermurders of children in
Melbourne and Sydney.
Percy died in 2013 from cancer.
(26:05):
He was considered a leadingsuspect in the Wanda Beach
murders by police.
While Percy can be linked toCronulla on the date of the
murders, no other links havebeen found.
It was hoped that he would makeconfessions on his deathbed,
but sadly those never came.
Elizabeth Schmidt died fromstomach cancer in 2009, but she
(26:30):
always held out hope that herdaughter's killer would be found
.
Despite the time that haspassed, hans Schmidt still
believes the person who killedMarianne and Christine can be
found and, if still alive, bepunished.
He believes more than oneperson knows what happened to
the girls and if pictures oftheir injuries were finally
(26:54):
released, those people may becompelled to come forward with
information, hans told theSydney Morning Herald.
Quote I believe now, as Ialways have, that if the public
was shown pictures of the girlsand the horrific way they were
killed, then this case might besolved.
(27:14):
End quote.
The Wanda Beach murders continueto resonate in Australia's
cultural memory, symbolizing theterror and tragedy of unsolved
crimes.
The case has been the subjectof numerous books, documentaries
and media investigations,reflecting society's enduring
(27:37):
fascination and the ongoingquest for justice for Marianne
Schmidt and Christine Sherrick.
The Wanda Beach murders remainone of Australia's most
perplexing and tragic unsolvedcases.
Despite extensiveinvestigations and numerous
suspects, the brutal killings ofMarianne Schmidt and Christine
(27:59):
Sherrick continue to haunt thenation.
Advances in forensic technologyoffer some hope for resolution,
but until then, the mystery ofWanda Beach remains, reminding
us of the fragility of life andthe enduring quest of justice.
And the enduring quest ofjustice.
(28:23):
The Wanda Beach murders are achilling reminder, the dark
mysteries that sometimes eluderesolution.
While advancements in forensicscience offer hope, the answers
to what happened to MarianneSchmidt and Christine Sherrick
on that day in 1965 remainelusive.
Marianne and Christine'smemories live on, urging us to
(28:47):
seek justice and closure for thefamilies.
Will this case ever be solvedor will it remain shrouded in
darkness forever?
Only time will tell, and that'sthe case of Marianne Schmidt
and Christine Sherrick, alsoknown as the Wanda Beach Murders
.
Thank you for joining me.
If you enjoyed this podcast,please subscribe and leave a
(29:11):
review, and be sure to share itwith your friends and family.
You can find Crime Connoisseurswherever you listen to your
podcasts.
Be sure to follow CrimeConnoisseurs on Instagram and
TikTok at Crime Connoisseurs allone merd.
In the meantime, keep it classy, connoisseurs, and I'll catch
you on the next case.
(29:31):
Thank you, you.
Hey, hey, crime Connoisseurs, I'm your host,
grace D.
I hope you all enjoyed thebonus case this weekend and that
everyone had a lovely Father'sDay.
Today's case is one that our USlisteners may or may not be
familiar with, but our AussieCrime Connoisseurs are sure to
know exactly which case I'mtalking about in just a few
details.
Our case today is taking us allthe way to Australia For our
(00:26):
first case down under.
We're going to cover one ofAustralia's oldest and most
shocking cold cases, going backto 1965, a time when people
still kept their doors unlockedand felt safe.
Tragedy would soon strike,altering the sense of safety.
Two young women head to thebeach with young siblings to
(00:48):
spend the day.
Sadly, the two teens would headoff by themselves to never be
seen again, sparking one of themost infamous murder mysteries
in Australian history.
Who was responsible for thistragedy?
With the case remainingunsolved for nearly six decades,
we're left with questions aboutwhat really happened on that
(01:11):
fateful day in 1965.
This is the case of Mary AnnSchmidt and Christine Sherrick,
the Wanda Beach Murders.
(01:56):
Elizabeth and Helmut Schmidt hadmoved to Australia from Germany
in 1958 with their childrenHelmut Jr, marianne, hans, peter
, trixie, norbert and another onthe way.
After arriving in Australia,the Schmidt family lived in a
(02:17):
migrant hostel in Unadera, newSouth Wales, before settling in
Tamora In 1963, helmut moved thefamily to West Ryde, a suburb
of Sydney, after being diagnosedwith Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Helmut passed away thefollowing year, leaving
(02:39):
Elizabeth to care for the sevenchildren alone.
After moving to West Ryde,marianne developed a close
friendship with ChristineSherrick, a young girl the same
age as her who lived next doorwith her grandparents, jim and
Jeanette Tague.
Six months after her husband'spassing, elizabeth herself was
(03:01):
sick in the hospital, leavingMarianne and Helmut Jr in charge
of the rest of the kids.
On Saturday, january 9th, maryAnn and Christine asked
Elizabeth, who was still in thehospital, if they could take the
younger children to Cronullathe next day, and were given
permission.
However, rain prevented themfrom making the trip.
(03:24):
Given permission, however, rainprevented them from making the
trip.
On January 11, 1965, the twoteenage girls set off for a day
at the beach with the kids.
Around 8 am, marianne,christine and the kiddos headed
out with their bags and a picnic.
(03:46):
They went down the coast toCronulla by train.
Around two hours away, holmettJr and Hans opted out of going
to the beach and instead stayedhome to clean.
The girls arrived at Cronullawith Peter, trixie, wolfgang and
Norbert, but the beach wasclosed because of strong winds.
The group then walked down tothe southern end of the beach
(04:07):
and took shelter among the rocks.
Eight-year-old Wolfgang stillwanted to swim, so Marianne went
with him to the shallow part ofthe surf, away from the rocks.
After they returned to thegroup, they had a picnic At some
point.
During this time, christineleft the others and went off by
herself.
When Christine returned to thegroup, they decided to go for a
(04:30):
walk into the sandhills behindWanda Beach.
Before walking into the dunes,the girls hid their bags on the
beach to lighten their load.
Soon the wind was too strong.
Soon the wind was too strong,and around 1 pm the group
reached a point around 400meters or 430 yards, beyond the
(04:51):
Wanda Surf Club.
They stopped to take shelterbehind a sandhill.
As the younger childrencomplained about the conditions,
mary Ann and Christine decidedthat they would go back to get
their bags before going home.
Marianne told her youngersiblings that she and Christine
(05:12):
would return to the rocky areaat the south end of the beach
where they had hidden their bags, then return to get the
children and head home.
However, the girls continuedinto the sand hills.
When Peter noticed, he calledout to them that they were going
the wrong way, but they justlaughed at him and walked on.
It would be the last time thetwo friends were seen.
(05:33):
Four hours went by but theydidn't return.
By 5 pm Peter decided that theyshould go home without
Christine and Marianne.
The kids found the bagsuntouched on the beach and
caught the last train arrivinghome around 8 pm.
Confused and concerned, hanswent to see his mother in the
(05:56):
hospital.
In an article withthatslifecomau, hans told his
mom quote the girls didn't comeback from the beach end quote.
He said quote.
A huge sadness came over her.
They're gone, she cried.
End quote.
Marianne and Christine werereported missing at 8.30 pm by
(06:20):
Christine's grandmother.
The next morning, on Tuesday,january 12th, peter Smith took
his young nephews for a walkthrough the Wanda Beach
Sandhills.
Some distance north of theWanda Surf Club, he discovered
what appeared to be a storemannequin buried face down in
(06:40):
the sand.
It wasn't until he brushed awaythe sand from the head that he
realized it was a body.
He scooped up his nephews andran to the nearest surf club
where the police were called.
Police arrived and found thebody of Mary Ann Schmidt.
When members of the New SouthWales Police arrived, they
(07:03):
encountered the horrific scene.
While investigating, someonenoticed a foot belonging to a
second body.
It was then discovered thatChristine Sherrick had been
buried with Marianne.
When the murder scene wasexamined, marianne was found
lying on her right side with herleft leg bent.
(07:25):
Christine was face down, herhead against the sole of her
friend's left foot.
Both of them had scratch markson their faces From a nearly
40-yard-long bloody drag mark inthe sand leading to the scene.
Police determined thatChristine had fled, possibly
(07:46):
while Marianne was dying, onlyto have been caught
incapacitated and dragged backto the body of her friend.
The bodies were partiallyclothed and the girls were
brutally attacked, and at thetime it was believed they were
sexually assaulted.
Bloodstains on nearby scrub andrecently made car tracks were
(08:08):
discovered leading from wherethe bodies were found.
The bodies were moved to theSutherland District Hospital,
where a relative lateridentified them.
Both girls had been viciouslyattacked, beaten, stabbed
multiple times and left exposedto the elements.
The exact time of death was notdetermined, but it was believed
(08:33):
that they were killed shortlyafter leaving the younger
children.
An intensive search waslaunched to find the murder
weapons a long knife and somesort of blunt instrument but
they were never found.
Tons of sand from around themurder scene were sifted through
(08:54):
and various items were found,including a blood-stained knife
blade, but police were unable tolink it to the murders Trigger
warning the topic of sexualassault.
Is it to the murders Triggerwarning?
The topic of sexual assault isabout to be covered.
Christine's skull had beenfractured by a blow to the back
(09:14):
of the head and she had beenstabbed six times.
Marianne's throat had beendeeply slashed and she had been
stabbed 14 times, had beendeeply slashed and she had been
stabbed 14 times.
Marianne's bathing suit hadbeen cut and pulled up over her
breasts and the killer attemptedto rape Marianne and Christine.
(09:34):
Semen was found on both girls.
However, the autopsy showedthat their hymens were intact.
Marianne's brother, hans, hadviewed photos of the body and
said, quote she'd been stabbed25 to 30 times.
She'd almost been decapitatedbecause her throat had been cut
(09:56):
so viciously.
At her funeral, marianne wasdressed in a high neck dress,
but you could still see theslash marks above the collar.
That's how vicious it was.
End quote.
Marianne and Christine'sfunerals were held on January 20
, 1965.
(10:19):
During Christine's absence, oneof Marianne's little brothers,
wolfgang, noticed a teenage boyhunting crabs.
Later he claimed to have seenthe same boy two more times,
once in the company of the girlsand again sometime much later,
but walking alone.
There has been doubt about hisdescription of this person, as
(10:43):
Wolfgang's testimony over timevariously suggested that he had
had a homemade spear gun, afishing knife or both.
The last official sighting ofthe girls was around 12.45 pm by
local fireman Dennis Dostein,who was walking in the area with
his son and saw the girlswalking about 730 meters north
(11:08):
of the surf club.
Dostin told police they seemedto be hurrying and one of the
girls often looked behind her asif they were being followed.
He did not see anybody else,though A number of people were
seen in the area who had neverbeen identified and never came
(11:28):
forward.
The autopsy for Christine founda blood alcohol content of
0.015, but alcohol was not found.
In Marianne's autopsy.
It was also discovered thatChristine had consumed food
cabbage and celery, possibly aChico roll that differed from
(11:52):
the rest of the group.
It is suspected that thisoccurred while she was alone.
Police launched one of thelargest manhunts in Australian
history, questioning numerousindividuals and sifting through
countless leads.
Witnesses reported seeing thegirls walking with a man in his
(12:13):
mid-20s, though descriptionsvaried.
Another witness saw a manrunning from the dunes around
the estimated time of themurders.
The estimated time of themurders In February 1965, a
10,000 pound reward was set andlater increased to 20,000 pounds
.
Several suspects emerged overthe years, but no charges were
(12:36):
ever filed.
One year later, on January 26,1966, the three Beaumont
siblings, jane, arna and Grant,disappeared from Glen Egg Beach
in Adelaide.
Both cases captured theattention of the nation, which
(12:57):
became consumed by the searchfor their assailants.
Both cases remain unsolved tothis day.
Initially, police encounteredinterest in both cases, using
media appearances to call forinformation from the public.
Detective Inspector Haynes, wholed the investigation into the
(13:19):
Wanda Beach murders, issued suchan appeal in his interview with
Ian Ross on National NetworkNews in January 1965.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
We have received information from possibly a
thousand people.
We have interviewed betweenfive and six hundred people
personally and obtainedparticulars five and six hundred
people personally and obtainedparticulars In this state as
well as in other states.
Many suspects who could beconsidered to have committed
this crime have been interviewedand their movements checked.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
What would you consider your most important
lead in the investigation so far?
Speaker 2 (13:58):
The most important and possibly the outstanding
thing is the description of thesuspect who was last seen in the
company of the girls whilstthey were still alive.
That is Wolfgang Smith, thebrother of one of the deceased
girls.
He describes a lad about 16years of age whom he saw
(14:23):
disappearing in the sand duneswith his sister and the other
girl about 1.30 on the fatefulday.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Now, even though Wolfgang is a very young boy
he's only seven years old youstill feel that you could place
a fair amount of importance onwhat he's told you.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Yes, when we first received his testimony, being so
young, we were loathe to acceptit, but we have checked and
rechecked his information Duringthe inquiry.
Every piece of information wehave received has tended to
confirm and corroborate hisstory and we now feel that he
(15:01):
can be relied upon and histestimony is acceptable.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Well now, sir, we might be able to perhaps move
down to the Wonder Beach sceneand take up the story there.
Yes, we will.
Detective Inspector Haynes,during your investigations, have
you been quite happy with thesupport the public has given you
in coming forward withinformation?
Speaker 2 (15:27):
We have been amazed and overwhelmed at the response
the public have made.
Every piece of information,however seemingly unimportant,
has been investigated.
Many suspects as a result ofthat have been questioned and we
feel that by the continuedresponse of the people we will
be able to put our finger on theman who has committed this
(15:50):
crime.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Do you think that there are still some people who
may have been here on the beachor who may otherwise be able to
help, who have not yet comeforward?
Speaker 2 (15:57):
I feel very definitely only as late as
yesterday.
We have people coming who havepreviously known something but
have not thought it important byreason of the publicity and the
interest that has been created.
They have come forward and wehave received much information
which will help us to form apattern of the people who are on
(16:21):
the beach and what may havehappened on that fateful day.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Public interest in these cases was often so intense
that it became the news.
In February 1966, nine Newsreported on the overwhelming
turnout of volunteers to assistpolice in combing the beach for
clues to help find the Beaumontchildren.
However, the Wanda Beach andBeaumont cases, like several
(16:48):
other equally notorious crimescommitted during the 60s, are
cited as the moment whenAustralia lost its innocence.
In April 1966, the coronerhanded down his report.
By then, police had interviewedroughly 7,000 people, making it
(17:09):
the most extensiveinvestigation in Australian
history.
Despite this, the murdersquickly became a cold case and
none of the three main suspectsfit the description of the
surfer youth who has never beenidentified.
In March 1967, police believedthey were close to arresting a
(17:32):
man in connection with themurders of Marianne and
Christine and the attacks onseveral women at Wanda Beach.
On several women at Wanda Beach, fresh information was given to
them by a woman named BrendaGalvin who was attacked on March
(17:53):
16th at the beach, and by theman who ran to her assistance,
which helped to narrow thesearch for the killer.
Detectives said that they hadbeen overwhelmed by telephone
calls from people claiming toknow or have seen the killer,
and each one was beinginvestigated.
A massive police hunt wasunderway for an old white car
(18:14):
and the man seen driving away init after the latest beach
attack beach attack.
Both their descriptions fit thesketch made by police using
details obtained from otherwomen who had been attacked in
the beach area.
Police were confident that theman was also the killer of
Christine Sherrick and MarianneSchmidt.
(18:36):
In 1981, the Wanda Beach murderswere again the subject of media
interest when reporter HarryPotter yes, my fellow
Potterheads, that is his realname, but not our beloved Harry
(19:04):
Potter's broadcast did notpresent any new evidence, but
his delivery style wasindicative of recent
developments in newsbroadcasting, particularly in
crime reporting.
Compared to Ian Ross, potterfrequently uses subjective, even
sensational, language.
Marianne and Christine weredescribed as quote pretty
unpopular end quote, and WandaBeach Sand Dunes as a quote
(19:27):
playground for deviants endquote.
The report also began bywarning young women to quote be
on their guard end quote.
In the interview we learnedthat during the investigation,
police interviewed more than16,000 people up to this point,
including roughly 5,000 suspects.
(19:49):
It's also revealed that atleast five of the 5,000 suspects
admitted to the murders ofMarianne and Christine.
However, police were able toquickly determine those to be
false confessions due to thelack of information they were
able to provide that only thereal killer and the police knew
(20:12):
to be true.
The case was reopened in 2000,and in February 2012, the New
South Wales Police Forces ColdCase Unit announced that a weak
male DNA sample had beenextracted from a pair of white
shorts worn by Christine.
(20:32):
While admitting that currenttechnology was unable to provide
more information, police wereconfident that future advances
would offer more support.
Despite periodic reviews andadvances in forensic science,
the case remains unsolved.
In 2012, police announced thatthey were re-examining DNA
(20:57):
evidence in hopes of finding newleads.
In July 2014, police said thata semen sample taken from
Marianne's body had been lostand could not be located,
despite an extensive search.
Regardless of exhaustiveefforts, the case faced
(21:18):
significant obstacles.
The crime scene wascontaminated by the elements and
by people who showed up beforeit was secured.
Conflicting witness testimoniesand limited forensic technology
at the time also hindered theinvestigation.
Recent advances in DNAtechnology have given
(21:40):
investigators new tools tore-examine the evidence, but the
case remains unsolved.
Investigators have three menthey believe could all be the
man responsible for the murdersof Christine and Marianne.
Former detective Sec Johnson,who had investigated the murders
(22:01):
, was given a painting in 1975by Alan Bassett.
Bassett had been imprisoned forthe brutal rape and murder of
Carolyn Orfin in Wollongong onJune 11, 1966.
Bassett's painting, titled ABloody, awful Thing, showed an
(22:22):
abstract landscape.
Johnson believed the paintingshowed blood trails, a broken
knife blade and the body of avictim and became convinced that
Bassett was the Wanda Beachkiller.
He also became convinced thatthe painting showed a scene from
the murders that only thekiller would know, as well as
(22:43):
clues to the also unsolvedmurders of Wilhelmina Kruger and
Anna Dallin-Koa.
Despite the doubt andskepticism of other detectives,
johnson wrote a book about thecase.
However, before it could bepublished he was killed in an
accident.
While retaining professionalrespect for Johnson, other
(23:07):
detectives expressed that he waswrong in his belief.
However, one person Johnsonconvinced was Bill Jenkins, a
crime reporter for Daily Mirror,who repeated Johnson's claims
in his ghost-written memoirs ascrime goes by.
In a chapter devoted to theWanda Beach murders, most of
(23:28):
which is essentially a repeat ofwhat he had written in his
earlier book, crime ReporterJenkins mentions Bassett and his
painting.
Bassett, who had been releasedfrom prison in 1995, started
proceedings for defamation inthe Supreme Court of New South
Wales.
The publisher pleaded defensesof justification, meaning
(23:52):
Bassett's being a convictedmurderer, and the proceedings
never went further.
Since his release, bassett hasvoluntarily given a DNA sample
to clear his name, but whetheror not he has been eliminated as
a suspect in the Wanda Beachmurders has yet to be publicized
.
A second suspect is a serialkiller, christopher Wilder.
(24:16):
Two years before the murders,wilder had been convicted of a
gang rape on a Sydney beach,which led police to include him
as a suspect.
Wilder had immigrated to theUnited States in 1969.
However, while visiting hisparents in Australia in 1982, he
(24:37):
was charged with sexualoffenses against two 15-year-old
girls whom he had forced topose nude.
Wilder fled back to the US andin the first half of 1984, he
committed eight murders andattempted several more.
Versions of what happened nextvary, but on April 13, 1984,
(25:01):
state troopers in New Hampshirespotted Wilder's car at a
service station and confrontedhim.
It's said that one of thetroopers grabbed Wilder from
behind and in the scuffle,wilder's weapon discharged,
firing a bullet that passedthrough his body and into that
of the trooper, seriouslyinjuring them both.
(25:22):
It's then said that Wilderfired another bullet into his
own chest, ending his life andhis rampage of murder across
America.
The trooper recovered andeventually returned to his post.
A third suspect not wellpublicized until 1998, is Derek
(25:43):
Percy, who had been in prisonsince 1969 for the murder of a
child on a beach in Victoria.
Percy was considered toodangerous to be released and the
prime suspect for several othermurders of children in
Melbourne and Sydney.
Percy died in 2013 from cancer.
(26:05):
He was considered a leadingsuspect in the Wanda Beach
murders by police.
While Percy can be linked toCronulla on the date of the
murders, no other links havebeen found.
It was hoped that he would makeconfessions on his deathbed,
but sadly those never came.
Elizabeth Schmidt died fromstomach cancer in 2009, but she
(26:30):
always held out hope that herdaughter's killer would be found
.
Despite the time that haspassed, hans Schmidt still
believes the person who killedMarianne and Christine can be
found and, if still alive, bepunished.
He believes more than oneperson knows what happened to
the girls and if pictures oftheir injuries were finally
(26:54):
released, those people may becompelled to come forward with
information, hans told theSydney Morning Herald.
Quote I believe now, as Ialways have, that if the public
was shown pictures of the girlsand the horrific way they were
killed, then this case might besolved.
(27:14):
End quote.
The Wanda Beach murders continueto resonate in Australia's
cultural memory, symbolizing theterror and tragedy of unsolved
crimes.
The case has been the subjectof numerous books, documentaries
and media investigations,reflecting society's enduring
(27:37):
fascination and the ongoingquest for justice for Marianne
Schmidt and Christine Sherrick.
The Wanda Beach murders remainone of Australia's most
perplexing and tragic unsolvedcases.
Despite extensiveinvestigations and numerous
suspects, the brutal killings ofMarianne Schmidt and Christine
(27:59):
Sherrick continue to haunt thenation.
Advances in forensic technologyoffer some hope for resolution,
but until then, the mystery ofWanda Beach remains, reminding
us of the fragility of life andthe enduring quest of justice.
And the enduring quest ofjustice.
(28:23):
The Wanda Beach murders are achilling reminder, the dark
mysteries that sometimes eluderesolution.
While advancements in forensicscience offer hope, the answers
to what happened to MarianneSchmidt and Christine Sherrick
on that day in 1965 remainelusive.
Marianne and Christine'smemories live on, urging us to
(28:47):
seek justice and closure for thefamilies.
Will this case ever be solvedor will it remain shrouded in
darkness forever?
Only time will tell, and that'sthe case of Marianne Schmidt
and Christine Sherrick, alsoknown as the Wanda Beach Murders
.
Thank you for joining me.
If you enjoyed this podcast,please subscribe and leave a
(29:11):
review, and be sure to share itwith your friends and family.
You can find Crime Connoisseurswherever you listen to your
podcasts.
Be sure to follow CrimeConnoisseurs on Instagram and
TikTok at Crime Connoisseurs allone merd.
In the meantime, keep it classy, connoisseurs, and I'll catch
you on the next case.
(29:31):
Thank you, you.
Popular Podcasts
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.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com