Murder in Elizabeth South

In January 2014 a brutal murder occurred to the north of Adelaide. Attending police were confronted with the body of an asylum seeker laying in the yard of his suburban home. The offender, a neighbour who was also an asylum seeker known to the victim, initially denied knowledge of the crime and attempted to implicate an innocent witness. 

Retired South Australia Police Senior Sergeant Carl Whitaker talks to podcast host Jason Byrnes about the challenging investigation with a focus on how it was managed. Aspects covered include the use of interpreters, how the police interacted with other state and federal organisations, and what happened when investigating police took on the responsibility for repatriating the victim's body to Sri Lanka.

Carl Whitaker’s article about the case, titled ‘Hot Weather, Hot Liquor, Hot Temper,’ is in the March 2025 edition of the APJ, which can be read at www.apjl.com.au. 

Host: Jason Byrnes APM

Guest: Carl Whitaker