Unsolved Disappearance of Daniel Sheppard
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Not sure if it´s been discussed on here. But a recent thread on a crime in Port Adelaide reminded me of this one.
The young lad that went missing in Port Adelaide on New Years eve. He got off a train and was never seen since.
Surely someone must of seen or know something.
The young lad that went missing in Port Adelaide on New Years eve. He got off a train and was never seen since.
Surely someone must of seen or know something.
GreyCrow
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I am not home but I recall a resemblance to Alan Barnes who was said to be a victim of The Family.
Yet the timeline is off for one of the main players as he was in jail at the time. (need to check)
Yet the timeline is off for one of the main players as he was in jail at the time. (need to check)
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Daniel Sheppard 1995 Jan 1
One piece of information that came through to Crime Stoppers was that Daniel had a drug debt,” May says, “but that wasn’t consistent with his lifestyle. “He seemed to be a social cannabis user, but there was no indication he was into hard drugs, so I doubt that’s the case.”
Police were also told that a man from the Port Adelaide area, after consuming an intoxicating mix of cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines, allegedly implied that he had been involved in Daniel’s disappearance. “He was a suspected drug dealer and there was a suggestion Daniel was supposedly buried in his backyard under concrete,” May says. “Police searched the area using ground-penetrating radar. They found that old asbestos was buried there, which suggested the ground had not been disturbed for some time. There have been a number of those types of scenarios, but they’ve all been discounted.”
Police even investigated the bizarre claim that Daniel was murdered by an occult group and another suggestion he was kidnapped by sex offenders. Both tip-offs led to dead-ends. “They’ve been investigated as much as they can, but they’ve led to nothing,” May says.
MORE specifically, one suggestion linked Daniel’s disappearance to The Family, a group whose members abducted, drugged, sexually abused and murdered young men aged 14 to 25 in the late 1970s and early ’80s.
Only one “member”, Bevan Spencer von Einem, is serving time behind bars, and that’s for the 1983 murder of Richard Kelvin, the son of Adelaide’s favourite newsman, Rob Kelvin.
It was certainly not unreasonable for the public to speculate that members of the group might still be active in the mid-1990s, when a number of deviants suspected of being involved in the notorious group were still alive and kicking. And not only was Daniel in the target age bracket for those monsters, but, at just 165cm, the affable teenager would have been vulnerable to predators.
Daniel Sheppard
Alan Barnes
One piece of information that came through to Crime Stoppers was that Daniel had a drug debt,” May says, “but that wasn’t consistent with his lifestyle. “He seemed to be a social cannabis user, but there was no indication he was into hard drugs, so I doubt that’s the case.”
Police were also told that a man from the Port Adelaide area, after consuming an intoxicating mix of cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines, allegedly implied that he had been involved in Daniel’s disappearance. “He was a suspected drug dealer and there was a suggestion Daniel was supposedly buried in his backyard under concrete,” May says. “Police searched the area using ground-penetrating radar. They found that old asbestos was buried there, which suggested the ground had not been disturbed for some time. There have been a number of those types of scenarios, but they’ve all been discounted.”
Police even investigated the bizarre claim that Daniel was murdered by an occult group and another suggestion he was kidnapped by sex offenders. Both tip-offs led to dead-ends. “They’ve been investigated as much as they can, but they’ve led to nothing,” May says.
MORE specifically, one suggestion linked Daniel’s disappearance to The Family, a group whose members abducted, drugged, sexually abused and murdered young men aged 14 to 25 in the late 1970s and early ’80s.
Only one “member”, Bevan Spencer von Einem, is serving time behind bars, and that’s for the 1983 murder of Richard Kelvin, the son of Adelaide’s favourite newsman, Rob Kelvin.
It was certainly not unreasonable for the public to speculate that members of the group might still be active in the mid-1990s, when a number of deviants suspected of being involved in the notorious group were still alive and kicking. And not only was Daniel in the target age bracket for those monsters, but, at just 165cm, the affable teenager would have been vulnerable to predators.
Daniel Sheppard
Alan Barnes
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My 2c
Daniel’s disappearance doesn’t fit in with Family Modus operandi- he disappeared between Alberton train station, and West Lakes, at about 5am, on New Years Day (morning).
It wasn’t premeditated (ie drug debt)- it was of a random nature, no one knew he would be where he was, when he was.
There’s speculation that a man was spotted laying near the side of the road (Grand Junction Road) around that time, the man was injured and making noise.
I don’t think he was (opportunistically) bashed by “locals”, as they would’ve left him in situ.
Maybe he was hit by a car-possibly a drunk driver. A drunk driver would be motivated to return to the scene, and “tidy up”.
Daniel’s disappearance doesn’t fit in with Family Modus operandi- he disappeared between Alberton train station, and West Lakes, at about 5am, on New Years Day (morning).
It wasn’t premeditated (ie drug debt)- it was of a random nature, no one knew he would be where he was, when he was.
There’s speculation that a man was spotted laying near the side of the road (Grand Junction Road) around that time, the man was injured and making noise.
I don’t think he was (opportunistically) bashed by “locals”, as they would’ve left him in situ.
Maybe he was hit by a car-possibly a drunk driver. A drunk driver would be motivated to return to the scene, and “tidy up”.
funny u should say that.... i have always made that connection too.
this case has led to nothing...
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Andrew Dowdell:, The Advertiser
August 10, 2018 11:19pm
MISSING teenager Daniel Sheppard yelled “I don’t want a lift” as he was abducted by three men early on New Year’s Day 1995, his family believes, in a startling twist in the cold case.
His sisters and cousin were stunned to learn the story of a woman who phoned police hours before anyone knew he had failed to arrive home.
The Major Crime detective leading the cold case probe told the family the woman had not wavered in her claims but he could not explain why it had never been raised in 23 years.
Police last night confirmed the claims were investigated in 1995 but had “been unable to confirm any link” with the disappearance. They did not respond to questions why the report was not made public.
Speaking exclusively to The Advertiser, Daniel’s nephew David Sheppard, 38, said he and other family members had met the woman, who remained “haunted” by what she heard and saw.
He said the family was sceptical when the woman messaged the Missing Person Daniel Sheppard Facebook page several months ago.
But they are now convinced she is telling the truth, after Major Crime Detective Sergeant Simon May this week confirmed she had phoned police hours later on January 1.
Her story fits the timeline of his disappearance – despite a litany of theories including that Daniel, 19, was killed by skinheads, members of the occult or by drug dealers.
The witness told police she heard a young man screaming “f... off, f... off, I don’t need a lift” on Jane Flaxman Court at 4.45am – 10 minutes after Daniel left Port Adelaide train station for the 12-minute walk to his home on the northern fringe of West Lakes.
“She was having a smoke out the front of her house and she could hear one young man screaming ‘f... off, f... off, I don’t need a lift’,” Mr Sheppard said.
“Then she heard muffled screaming and car doors slamming, then a car came down the street with no lights on, and it was still dark.”
The woman said the car was a blue or silver sedan, similar to a Holden Statesman or XD Falcon with a man driving and three men in the back seat, but she could not make out faces or take the registration because of the darkness.
“Her husband said it was probably just drunk people but she didn’t feel right about it and in the morning, she called police,” Mr Sheppard said.
“There was no report at that time and we didn’t know Daniel was missing yet so they weren’t interested, which is fair enough at the time.”
He said the conversation with Sgt May had shocked his family, including Daniel’s twin brother Michael, but provided an unexpected faint glimmer of hope for answers.
“He said that it seems (the witness) has stayed true to her story all these years. For us, it is the only theory that matches the timeline exactly,” Mr Sheppard said. “You have got to ask the question, why wasn’t there a re-enactment done of this, but he couldn’t really tell me why.”
Daniel and Michael were the youngest of seven children and were between 12 and 17 years younger than their five sisters, who doted on them.
Daniel’s sister Denise, 60, said the initial investigation was sidetracked by an alleged confirmed sighting of the apprentice powder coater wandering along Grand Junction Rd.
“We never believed he was on Grand Junction Rd, and we were probably at the point where we don’t think we will ever find out what happened to him,” she said. Denise was also staggered that police, including former head of the investigation, Detective Senior Constable Robert Stapleton, had never aired the claims.
“We were never told about it, the police have never, ever told us about this,” she said.
“We just want to know where he is, mainly. This is with us every day, you think about it every single day.”
The family said they have always suspected Daniel was abducted, and said unsubstantiated claims – including that he was murdered over a large drug debt, killed in a satanic ritual, or fallen asleep in an industrial bin – had added to their anguish. “I knew straight away that something was wrong,” Denise said, “I had a gut feeling and had no doubt he was taken because he would not have hitchhiked.”
Mr Sheppard, who regarded Daniel as more of a brother than a cousin, said the claims he shouted that he didn’t need a lift bolstered their belief he was snatched by strangers in a random abduction.
Mr Sheppard said the family believed Daniel was likely the victim of predatory sex attackers out cruising the streets looking for victims.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/true...s/news-story/4165a5fdafd1e425a468005d50a4fe24
August 10, 2018 11:19pm
MISSING teenager Daniel Sheppard yelled “I don’t want a lift” as he was abducted by three men early on New Year’s Day 1995, his family believes, in a startling twist in the cold case.
His sisters and cousin were stunned to learn the story of a woman who phoned police hours before anyone knew he had failed to arrive home.
The Major Crime detective leading the cold case probe told the family the woman had not wavered in her claims but he could not explain why it had never been raised in 23 years.
Police last night confirmed the claims were investigated in 1995 but had “been unable to confirm any link” with the disappearance. They did not respond to questions why the report was not made public.
Speaking exclusively to The Advertiser, Daniel’s nephew David Sheppard, 38, said he and other family members had met the woman, who remained “haunted” by what she heard and saw.
He said the family was sceptical when the woman messaged the Missing Person Daniel Sheppard Facebook page several months ago.
But they are now convinced she is telling the truth, after Major Crime Detective Sergeant Simon May this week confirmed she had phoned police hours later on January 1.
Her story fits the timeline of his disappearance – despite a litany of theories including that Daniel, 19, was killed by skinheads, members of the occult or by drug dealers.
The witness told police she heard a young man screaming “f... off, f... off, I don’t need a lift” on Jane Flaxman Court at 4.45am – 10 minutes after Daniel left Port Adelaide train station for the 12-minute walk to his home on the northern fringe of West Lakes.
“She was having a smoke out the front of her house and she could hear one young man screaming ‘f... off, f... off, I don’t need a lift’,” Mr Sheppard said.
“Then she heard muffled screaming and car doors slamming, then a car came down the street with no lights on, and it was still dark.”
The woman said the car was a blue or silver sedan, similar to a Holden Statesman or XD Falcon with a man driving and three men in the back seat, but she could not make out faces or take the registration because of the darkness.
“Her husband said it was probably just drunk people but she didn’t feel right about it and in the morning, she called police,” Mr Sheppard said.
“There was no report at that time and we didn’t know Daniel was missing yet so they weren’t interested, which is fair enough at the time.”
He said the conversation with Sgt May had shocked his family, including Daniel’s twin brother Michael, but provided an unexpected faint glimmer of hope for answers.
“He said that it seems (the witness) has stayed true to her story all these years. For us, it is the only theory that matches the timeline exactly,” Mr Sheppard said. “You have got to ask the question, why wasn’t there a re-enactment done of this, but he couldn’t really tell me why.”
Daniel and Michael were the youngest of seven children and were between 12 and 17 years younger than their five sisters, who doted on them.
Daniel’s sister Denise, 60, said the initial investigation was sidetracked by an alleged confirmed sighting of the apprentice powder coater wandering along Grand Junction Rd.
“We never believed he was on Grand Junction Rd, and we were probably at the point where we don’t think we will ever find out what happened to him,” she said. Denise was also staggered that police, including former head of the investigation, Detective Senior Constable Robert Stapleton, had never aired the claims.
“We were never told about it, the police have never, ever told us about this,” she said.
“We just want to know where he is, mainly. This is with us every day, you think about it every single day.”
The family said they have always suspected Daniel was abducted, and said unsubstantiated claims – including that he was murdered over a large drug debt, killed in a satanic ritual, or fallen asleep in an industrial bin – had added to their anguish. “I knew straight away that something was wrong,” Denise said, “I had a gut feeling and had no doubt he was taken because he would not have hitchhiked.”
Mr Sheppard, who regarded Daniel as more of a brother than a cousin, said the claims he shouted that he didn’t need a lift bolstered their belief he was snatched by strangers in a random abduction.
Mr Sheppard said the family believed Daniel was likely the victim of predatory sex attackers out cruising the streets looking for victims.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/true...s/news-story/4165a5fdafd1e425a468005d50a4fe24
Kurve
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- #8
While I think it's possible Daniel was taken by a group of predators, this strikes me as being important atm, I've been seeing so much rubbish about children being abducted for abuse, mutilated and killed in 'satanic rituals' lately with not a shred of hard evidence it must be awful for the victims families.
Kurve
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This is very similar to the Richard Kelvin abduction. He apparently resisted getting in his abductors car and it appears he was chased down into residential street/s back off the main road.
These kinds of abductions appear to be lessening thankfully, in the suburbs at least. I can't imagine anything worse than having your child snatched from the street and to never know what happened to them. Cctv and better investigative techniques might be putting baddies off.
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exactly becoming less and less...
mike3331333
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I went to the train station last night and went the way I thought Daniel would take home. I think Daniel has cut through the football over. There is 3 car parks they are all extremely dark. I don't see any other place were Daniel would be able to go missing and nobody would see him being abducted.
mike3331333
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I also research some of the of the men that were involved in the family murders live extremely close to the train station. Prince Street Alberton some of the men were taken to this address. Which is only 4 minutes by vehicle.
mike3331333
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There has to be more the one individual involved. I don't see it being possible for one individual to be able to abduct Daniel unless they attacked him with out him knowing but I'm sure the police would of scanned the area for evidence. I also think port adelaide train station should have a memory of Daniel painted on there.
mike3331333
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I went to the train station last night to see which possible way I thought Daniel would walk to go home. I pretty sure to get home quicker Daniel cut through the oval. Were the oval is there are some car park extremely dark this is the only place I can see possible were Daniel has come into foul play.
nominal_port_supporter
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I believe the people who lived at that address linked to The Family murders had long since moved from there by the time this disappearance took place.
mike3331333
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I just was think that the first murder of the Snowtown occurred in 1992. You would think being the first murder in 1992 the offenders would go quiet for a period of time. Maybe by chance Daniel has become a victim of John bunting. Secondly is Clinton was the first victim the offenders would feel confident to use the same location that clinton was located dispose of Daniel. It seems to me some of the most popular location to dispose of a victim is lower lights middle Beach Mount crafted
Nobody killing someone for a small pot debtDaniel Sheppard 1995 Jan 1
One piece of information that came through to Crime Stoppers was that Daniel had a drug debt,” May says, “but that wasn’t consistent with his lifestyle. “He seemed to be a social cannabis user, but there was no indication he was into hard drugs, so I doubt that’s the case.”
Police were also told that a man from the Port Adelaide area, after consuming an intoxicating mix of cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines, allegedly implied that he had been involved in Daniel’s disappearance. “He was a suspected drug dealer and there was a suggestion Daniel was supposedly buried in his backyard under concrete,” May says. “Police searched the area using ground-penetrating radar. They found that old asbestos was buried there, which suggested the ground had not been disturbed for some time. There have been a number of those types of scenarios, but they’ve all been discounted.”
Police even investigated the bizarre claim that Daniel was murdered by an occult group and another suggestion he was kidnapped by sex offenders. Both tip-offs led to dead-ends. “They’ve been investigated as much as they can, but they’ve led to nothing,” May says.
MORE specifically, one suggestion linked Daniel’s disappearance to The Family, a group whose members abducted, drugged, sexually abused and murdered young men aged 14 to 25 in the late 1970s and early ’80s.
Only one “member”, Bevan Spencer von Einem, is serving time behind bars, and that’s for the 1983 murder of Richard Kelvin, the son of Adelaide’s favourite newsman, Rob Kelvin.
It was certainly not unreasonable for the public to speculate that members of the group might still be active in the mid-1990s, when a number of deviants suspected of being involved in the notorious group were still alive and kicking. And not only was Daniel in the target age bracket for those monsters, but, at just 165cm, the affable teenager would have been vulnerable to predators.
Daniel Sheppard
Alan Barnes
mike3331333
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Also I think a new search in know areas were bodies of victims have been found should be looked at and searched again. Lower lights middle Beach Mount Crawford and para wirra national Park.
mike3331333
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But at the end of the day the most important thing is to remember the lose of Daniel to his family. They have to put something at the port adelaide train station so Daniel is remembered. To leave the light on
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This. We can't forget this one.
Someone knows.
Definitely a group behind it.
Again thank god for technology and cctv now. All these disappearances are impossible to get away with.
mike3331333
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Daniel might have come into contact with someone that was connected to the sporting club were he might have walked through to get home. I wonder if the police did back ground checks on people connect with that sporting club and seen if they had any prior history in violence. Plus had one of the person connected to the club acted unusual by changing there appearance.
Soldier Of Misfortune
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I'm guessing that Daniel's brother hasn't ever made public their usual route walking home from the train station (assumedly it was more or less the same every time they made the walk). Did they usually cut through Jane Flaxman Ct on the way home?
