Betty Shanks | |
---|---|
![]() Betty Shanks in September 1952 | |
Born | 10 October 1929, Wilston, Queensland |
Died | (aged 22)
Grange, Queensland, Australia |
Alma mater | The University of Queensland |
The Murder of Betty Shanks is one of the oldest and most notorious unsolved murder cases [1] in Queensland, Australia.
On the night of 19 September 1952, 22-year-old Betty Shanks got off a tram at Days Road Terminus in Grange, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, after attending classes in the city and started her short walk home. Her violently beaten body was found in the garden of a house on the corner of Carberry and Thomas Streets the next morning at 5:35 AM, [2] by a policeman who lived nearby. [3] At the time it was Queensland's biggest criminal investigation ever, [4] and as of 2010 [update] a reward of A$50,000 is still current. [2]
An attack by a sex offender was considered very early in the investigation. [5] Another theory is that the murderer attacked the wrong woman, and was actually interested in a doctor's receptionist – who also walked home down the same street at the same time, and had keys to the surgery which contained drugs. [4] A number of people have confessed over the years, however all have proven to be false. [6]
Several books have been written about the murder and the authors have outlined who they believe the murderer to be. These works include:
Betty Shanks | |
---|---|
![]() Betty Shanks in September 1952 | |
Born | 10 October 1929, Wilston, Queensland |
Died | (aged 22)
Grange, Queensland, Australia |
Alma mater | The University of Queensland |
The Murder of Betty Shanks is one of the oldest and most notorious unsolved murder cases [1] in Queensland, Australia.
On the night of 19 September 1952, 22-year-old Betty Shanks got off a tram at Days Road Terminus in Grange, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, after attending classes in the city and started her short walk home. Her violently beaten body was found in the garden of a house on the corner of Carberry and Thomas Streets the next morning at 5:35 AM, [2] by a policeman who lived nearby. [3] At the time it was Queensland's biggest criminal investigation ever, [4] and as of 2010 [update] a reward of A$50,000 is still current. [2]
An attack by a sex offender was considered very early in the investigation. [5] Another theory is that the murderer attacked the wrong woman, and was actually interested in a doctor's receptionist – who also walked home down the same street at the same time, and had keys to the surgery which contained drugs. [4] A number of people have confessed over the years, however all have proven to be false. [6]
Several books have been written about the murder and the authors have outlined who they believe the murderer to be. These works include: