More than two decades after the Snowtown murders shocked South Australia, key witness-turned-convicted killer James Vlassakis has submitted a parole application, reigniting painful memories of the country’s most gruesome criminal case.
Vlassakis, now in his mid-40s, was just 19 when he took part in four of the 12 murders carried out between 1992 and 1999—infamously known as the “bodies-in-barrels” killings.
His application for parole was confirmed by South Australia’s Parole Board, but a hearing is not expected for at least eight weeks.
Vlassakis was the youngest of the four men convicted in connection to the murders and became the prosecution’s star witness.
His testimony was instrumental in convicting ringleader John Bunting and accomplice Robert Wagner, who are serving life sentences for 11 and 10 murders respectively.
A third man, Mark Ray Haydon, was released in 2023 after serving 25 years in prison.
As part of a plea deal for cooperating with authorities, Vlassakis received a minimum sentence of 26 years.
Despite his pivotal role in securing convictions, he remains one of the perpetrators—and the public remains divided on whether he deserves a second chance.
Commissioner for Victims’ Rights, Sarah Quick, confirmed she has been in contact with victims’ families and has submitted a report to the Parole Board in response to the application.
The graphic and disturbing details of the Snowtown case continue to haunt the nation. The remains of several victims were found in plastic barrels stored in a disused bank vault in Snowtown in May 1999—an image that left a permanent mark on Australia’s collective psyche. Many of the victims were acquaintances, friends, or even relatives of the killers.
Vlassakis’s stepfather, John Bunting, was the mastermind behind the killings and lived with Vlassakis and his mother in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. Drawn into the violence and manipulation, Vlassakis became both participant and witness to the crimes.
The story of the murders was adapted into the critically acclaimed film Snowtown in 2011, further embedding the horror of the case into public consciousness.
When Haydon was released last year, his parole conditions included electronic monitoring, a curfew, a ban on accessing licensed venues, and a strict no-contact rule with his former accomplices and the victims’ families.
Parole Board President Frances Nelson KC previously stated that all convicted individuals involved in the Snowtown murders are reviewed annually.
Speaking last year, she noted that neither Bunting nor Wagner had ever shown remorse: “These are clearly very unpleasant individuals. They’ve given no indication of genuine remorse.”
