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The Truro Murders

On Saturday, 17 February 1977, Christopher Worrell, James Miller and Deborah Skuse were driving to Adelaide. Worrell had been drinking heavily all day and was driving erratically, and at dangerous speeds. Deborah fell in with the pair after they arrived at her home looking for her ex-boyfriend – a prison friend of theirs. She was nervous, and begged Worrell to slow down. He ignored her.

Worrell lost control. The car left the road and rolled four times. Worrell and Skuse died instantly. Miller escaped with a fractured collarbone, cuts and abrasions. With the death of 23-year-old Worrell, a convicted rapist, Adelaide became a safer place.

At the funeral, Miller told Worrell’s girlfriend, Amelia, that Worrell had been murdering girls. Amelia didn’t take him seriously … until bodies started turning up.

On 25 April 1978, William Thomas was in a paddock outside Truro, 80 kilometres northeast of Adelaide. He saw a bone protruding from the soil. Initially, he thought it was a cow’s. Five days later he returned. The bone was human. The skin was in good condition; a shoe remained on the foot. Then Thomas found a skull and other bones. The body was identified as Veronica Knight, 18; the last time she had been seen was on 23 December 1976.

A year later, four bushwalkers discovered a skeleton almost a kilometre from where Knight was found. The remains were identified as Sylvia Pittman, 16, missing since 6 February 1976. Police suspected they had a serial killer on their hands. A check of their files showed that five other young women had disappeared between December 1976 and February 1977. Detective Superintendent K. Harvey ordered a search party. He said: ‘We will be looking for any clues to the killing of the two girls we have found, but we can’t overlook the fact that we may find the bodies of some of the other missing girls.’

His hunch proved correct. The remains of Connie Iordanides, 16, and Vicki Howell, 26, were found. Harvey appealed to the public. A woman named ‘Angela’ called. She reported a conversation with James Miller at Christopher Worrell’s funeral. Angela said Miller told her about girls being ‘done in’. She went on: ‘Miller said, “I did the driving and went along to make sure that nothing went wrong. They had to be done in so they would not point the finger at us.” He said one of the victims had enjoyed it. “But it was getting worse,” Miller said. “It was happening more often. It was perhaps a good thing that Chris died.”’

James William Miller was born into a family of six on 2 February 1940. When he was 11, he was committed to the local Magill Reformatory. At 15 he was in Long Bay Gaol. At 16 he was back in Magill. He spent his 17th birthday in Adelaide’s Yatala Gaol. He had 30 convictions for car theft, larceny, and breaking, entering and stealing.

For days, eight detectives watched him. He was arrested on 23 May 1979. Initially, Miller denied knowledge of the killings and that he had the conversation with ‘Angela’ that she had reported. When he was told that ‘Angela’ was actually Worrell’s girlfriend Amelia, Miller became evasive. Shown photos of Worrell and Amelia together, he admitted knowing them – but still denied the conversation at Worrell’s funeral.

The interview lasted six hours, and Miller began to falter. Finally he provided a statement. He explained: ‘Chris would talk to the girls and get them into the car, and we would take them for a drive and take them to Truro and Chris would rape them and kill them.’

Miller then said, ‘There’s three more. I’ll show you.’

He directed police to two graves – the body of Deborah Lamb, 20, was found near Port Gawler, and the body of Tania Kenny, 15, was found behind the Dean Rifle Range at Wingfield. Later, Miller took police to Truro, to the body of Juliet Mykyta, 16.

Miller was a homosexual, and became obsessed with Christopher Worrell after they met in prison. Miller was doing three months for breaking into an Adelaide gun shop. Worrell had been convicted of rape, and sentenced to six years. They shared a cell while on remand. After being convicted, both were sent to Yatala Gaol, where Worrell accepted sexual favours from his submissive new friend.

Miller was released after serving his sentence, but was later convicted of stealing 4000 pairs of sunglasses. Sentenced to 18 months, he returned to Yatala. After serving his time, he was again released. Less than a year later, Worrell was out on parole. The pair began sharing a flat. It became apparent to Miller that while Worrell had enjoyed their encounters in prison, he preferred females. Miller often performed fellatio on Worrell while the younger man read magazines portraying acts of cruelty towards women. Eventually, these episodes ceased. Miller’s infatuation with Worrell turned to unquestioning loyalty and devotion.

Worrell had a gift for the gab that many women found irresistible. Now 23, he knew females found him attractive. With Miller driving, the pair cruised Adelaide almost nightly. Girls at bus stops, railway stations and hotels were targets. Worrell would talk them into the car. Miller would drive to the outskirts of Adelaide, park, and go for a walk, leaving Worrell to have sex with the girl. Often, he tied them up. Miller would then drive them all back to town. This continued for months.

On 23 December 1976, the pair was once again out cruising. Worrell went into a shopping centre, instructing Miller to drive around the block. When Miller returned, he couldn’t locate Worrell. Finally, he saw him outside the Majestic Hotel with Veronica Knight, 18. They got into the car. Miller drove off.

Out of the city, he pulled over onto the side of a quiet road and went for a walk. When he returned about 30 minutes later, he found Worrell in the front seat and Veronica on the floor in the back. Worrell said he had raped and murdered her. The girl was still clothed, and her hands were tied. Bruising on her neck indicated that she’d been strangled.

‘You fucking fool,’ Miller screamed. ‘Do you want to ruin everything?’ He grabbed Worrell by the neck. Worrell produced a knife and held it to Miller’s throat. He threatened to kill Miller if he didn’t cooperate. Miller drove along the Sturt Highway and was then told to head towards Truro. He turned into Swamp Road and stopped. He told Worrell he wanted nothing to do with the body. The younger man brandished the knife, and again Miller did as he was told. They carried the body to a wooded area, covered her with branches and leaves, and then drove back to Adelaide.

Early on 2 January 1977, the pair was again driving around Adelaide. Worrell told Miller to pull over and meet him at the other side of Rundle Mall. When Miller arrived, Worrell was with Tania Kenny, 15. Miller drove to his sister’s house. He checked that she wasn’t at home, and Worrell and Tania went inside. Miller waited in the car. About 30 minutes later, Worrell returned. Miller knew Tania was dead. He went inside and saw her bound with rope, and with adhesive tape across her mouth. She was fully clothed. Again, Worrell threatened to kill Miller if he didn’t help hide the body.

At 9 pm on 21 January 1977, Worrell met Juliet Mykyta, 16, on the steps of Adelaide’s Ambassador Hotel. She was waiting for a bus home. The offer of a lift was hard to resist. The trio drove to a secluded spot off Port Wakefield Road. Moments after Miller parked the car Worrell forced Juliet into the back seat. Miller saw him tie her hands together. He left. He heard Worrell and Juliet shouting, and then saw Juliet struggle out of the car. Worrell kicked her and forced her onto her back. He then placed his knees on her chest and strangled her.

Miller claimed that when he returned, Juliet’s body was already in the back of the car. Worrell ordered him to drive to Truro. Still on Worrell’s instructions, he drove past the grave of Veronica Knight to a site near an abandoned farmhouse.

On 6 February 1977, Worrell commenced a killing spree that led to the murders of four young women in six days. James Miller was his accomplice.

Sylvia Pittman, 16, was accosted at Adelaide railway station. She got into the car and Miller drove to the Windang area. As soon as Miller parked, Worrell told him to go for a walk. He returned 20 minutes later to find Sylvia’s body in the back seat. Pantyhose had been used to strangle her. Worrell ordered Miller to drive to Truro. Sylvia’s fully clothed body was taken to a fresh site and left under leaves and branches.

Less than 24 hours later, Miller got a call from Worrell saying to meet him outside the Adelaide GPO at 7 pm. When Miller arrived, he saw Worrell with Vicki Howell, 26. Miller drove along the Barossa Valley Highway past Gawler again. Worrell appeared in good spirits. When they passed Nuriootpa, Vicki asked to use a toilet. Worrell allowed Vicki to leave the car. Miller believed Worrell would do her no harm. Afterwards, Miller had to stop to relieve himself. He left the couple chatting. When Miller returned he found Worrell leaning over the front seat placing a blanket over Vicki Howell. Worrell and Miller drove to Truro in silence and hid the body under foliage.

On 9 February 1977, Miller and Worrell were again driving through Adelaide. Worrell noticed Connie Iordanides, 16. Miller pulled up. Connie climbed in the front, next to Worrell. Moments later, she suspected something was wrong. Screaming and fighting with Worrell, she was forced into the back. Miller drove to a quiet spot near Wingfield and left the car. When he returned, Connie’s body lay in the back seat – raped and strangled. Again, Miller drove to Truro and helped dispose of the body.

On 12 February 1977, seven days before his own death, Worrell committed his last murder. The victim was Deborah Lamb, 20. Driving near the City Bowl, Worrell saw Deborah hitchhiking. Miller was told to pull the car over and Deborah was offered a lift. Worrell said he could take her as far as Port Gawler. Deborah accepted. When they arrived at the beach, Miller took a walk. He returned to see Worrell outside the car. Miller claimed he could not see the girl. Two years later, however, he led police to her grave.

On 19 February 1977, Worrell died in a car crash. Miller was eventually charged with seven counts of murder. His trial began in February 1980. He pleaded not guilty to all seven charges. His defence was that he had not participated in the murders and that his love for Worrell had led him to be ‘trapped in a web of circumstance’. He admitted that he handled the situation incorrectly, but maintained he was not a murderer.

On 12 March 1980, Miller was found guilty of six counts of murder, but not guilty of the murder of the first victim, Veronica Knight. He was given six life sentences. In 1999, he applied to have a non-parole period determined. A 35-year period was fixed. He will be 74 when he becomes eligible for parole in 2014.