Australia intends to release serial killer from prison

Australia plans to release serial killer from prison

An Australian court has ruled that one of the serial killers convicted in the murders of 11 people can be released from prison on parole.

The victims were killed over a seven-year period, with most of their bodies found in 1999 in barrels of acid in the town of Snowtown. Therefore, the crimes became known as the "Bodies in Barrels" murders. These events and the year-long trial that concluded in 2003 served as the basis for numerous books and the 2011 film "Snowtown".

Among the three killers convicted in this case, James Vlassakis is the youngest. He began his crimes in 1998 at the age of 18. Vlassakis confessed to killing four people. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of at least 26 years. This term expired in August 2025.

Vlassakis was previously granted parole in December, but the state government appealed the decision and succeeded in having it overturned. Nevertheless, three judges of the South Australian Court of Appeal upheld the original parole decision.

Frances Nelson, the presiding member of the Parole Board, stated that Vlassakis is remorseful for his actions. Furthermore, he has not been diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, and his behavior in prison was rated as "excellent".

However, South Australia's Attorney-General Kyam Maher opposed the decision. He emphasized that the extreme gravity of the crimes and the psychological trauma inflicted on the victims' families justify keeping Vlassakis in prison.