PASSAGE OF THE DAY; "In February 2013, Mr Bishop appealed to SA Governor Kevin Scarce to grant a posthumous pardon for Bailey but on advice from Attorney-General John Rau and the Solicitor-General the Governor decided he would “not take action”. “It is clear that Queensland detective Glen Hallahan engineered a massive miscarriage of justice at Bailey’s trial and that his conviction should be reversed and a posthumous pardon granted,’’ Mr Bishop said. “The alleged confession, which bears Bailey’s signature, does not tally with other evidence given by the prosecution at the trial.’’ A clear fault in prosecution evidence, Mr Bishop says, was that footprints found at the murder scene, and believed to belong to the killer, came from shoes estimated as size “7, 7½, 8 or even 10”. However, it was left to Bailey, in an unsworn statement, to reveal at the end of the trial: “I take size 5½ shoe or if I can’t get that size, I wear a size 6.”
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STORY: "Justice sought for hanged man Raymond John Bailey — 57 years later," by Reporter Doug Robertson, published by Adelaide Now on June 6, 2022.
SUB-HEADING: "The State Government is refusing to re-examine a 57-year-old triple-murder case despite evidence suggesting the convicted man, who was later hanged in Adelaide Gaol, did not commit the crime."
GIST: "Author and investigative journalist Stephen Bishop claims that rogue Queensland detective Glen Patrick Hallahan, now deceased, lied on oath and in records of police interviews with Raymond John Bailey.
Hallahan was later described as one of Queensland’s Rat Pack of corrupt police who were exposed by the Fitzgerald inquiry in the late 1980s.
His evidence led to Bailey’s conviction and hanging in 1958 for shooting Sally (Thyra) Bowman, 43, her daughter Wendy Bowman, 14, and friend Thomas Whelan, 22, at the isolated Sundown Station, in Far North South Australia, in December 1957.
In his book — The Most Dangerous Detective: The Outrageous Glen Patrick Hallahan — Mr Bishop says a re-examination of evidence given in court would prove Bailey could not have committed the Sundown murders.
In February 2013, Mr Bishop appealed to SA Governor Kevin Scarce to grant a posthumous pardon for Bailey but on advice from Attorney-General John Rau and the Solicitor-General the Governor decided he would “not take action”.
“It is clear that Queensland detective Glen Hallahan engineered a massive miscarriage of justice at Bailey’s trial and that his conviction should be reversed and a posthumous pardon granted,’’ Mr Bishop said.
“The alleged confession, which bears Bailey’s signature, does not tally with other evidence given by the prosecution at the trial.’’
A clear fault in prosecution evidence, Mr Bishop says, was that footprints found at the murder scene, and believed to belong to the killer, came from shoes estimated as size “7, 7½, 8 or even 10”. However, it was left to Bailey, in an unsworn statement, to reveal at the end of the trial: “I take size 5½ shoe or if I can’t get that size, I wear a size 6.”
A spokeswoman for Attorney-General John Rau said that “for legal reasons” he would not comment on specific cases.
Mr Bishop also appealed to the SA Ombudsman Wayne Lines to re-examine the evidence.
Hallahan arrested Bailey, 26, on suspicion of false pretences and possession of an unlicensed firearm, on January 21, 1958, at Mt Isa, where the NSW carpenter was working and living in a caravan with his wife, 22, and son, 4. Bailey was later charged with murder and extradited to Adelaide.
SA Police had issued a nationwide alert for suspects after Aboriginal trackers found three bodies about 34km south of the NT border on Sundown Station. They were beaten about the head then shot.
The murder weapon was never found but casings from a Huntsman .22 calibre rifle — that Bailey had taken from David Iles, at Wirrulla, matched cartridges found at the murder scene.
In court, Bailey said he sold the rifle before the murders to a “dark-skinned fellow’’ near Coober Pedy.
In December 1957 police issued the description of a grey Ford Zephyr seen near the murder scene. Bailey had a black, 1938 DeSoto when arrested. Bailey signed a confession in Mt Isa police station after several days of questioning. He later claimed he signed the confession because he could hear his wife weeping in another room while police questioned her.
Bailey told the court: “They (detectives) also said: ‘do you love you wife?’ I said, ‘yes I do’ and they said: ‘then sign it and we will leave her alone’.”
The alleged confession said the victims died when shot while running from the murderer but that contradicted the facts.
“The description of the murder of Thyra Bowman in the alleged confession is completely and utterly untrue,’’ Mr Bishop said.
“The post mortems revealed she and her daughter had been bashed unconscious before they were shot. They were definitely not shot as they ran in an upright position.”
A Freedom of Information request for documents generated during the AG’s considerations failed to explain why Mr Bishop’s application for mercy was denied.
Mr Bishop is still waiting to know what he has wrong."
The entire story can bee read at:
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
