top of page
Search

No justice in Gwen's cold case murder

Updated: 2 days ago

On the NSW State parliament files, Gwen Beeson is a name with the date 1984 next to it.

In reality, Gwen Una Beeson was a woman living in Casino, NSW who was murdered in that same year.


It was 7pm on 25th January that her body was found in her home at 66 Convent Parade in the Northern Rivers town of Casino. She had suffered multiple head injuries, possibly caused by a large, heavy, blunt instrument which caused her death.


ree

Gwen's headstone in the Casino Lawn Cemetery. Courtesy Findagrave, Lucas Linden.


Gwen had been a machinist/seamstress at Casino & District Memorial Hospital only a four minute drive from her home. It was at her work that she was last seen alive on 23rd January. Her body was found two days later in her bedroom.


She was born Gwen Una Bancroft in 1933 in Casino and married Maxwell Charles Beeson in 1955. Max was a rigger in the Royal Australian Navy. He had joined the navy in 1952 and put his father Charles as his next of kin. By the time Max and Gwen got married, she became his next of kin and was living at 1 Marine Parade, Towradgi, near Corrimal.


He finally left the navy in May 1958 and the couple moved back to Gwen's home town, located in the Northern Rivers. By 1968 local polling lists have both Max and Gwen owning a local garage and running it together and living at their Convent Parade address.


After the murder, police canvassed the neighbours to see what they could find. Detective-Sergeant Mike Sullivan of Casino police, was one of two local detectives who worked tirelessly on the case.


"Gwen was a seamstress at the Casino Memorial Hospital and when she didn't turn up for work, people wanted to know what happened," said the now-retired detective.


After the discovery of Gwen's body Mike said the police force mobilised.


"An enormous investigation commenced and we were assisted by the homicide squad in Sydney for the first few weeks," he said.


"We interviewed lots and lots of people in town and the best forensic efforts were thrown at it.


"The people were very good but we didn't have DNA (testing) but we had expert fingerprint people and no stone was unturned."


Mike admits that days ran into weeks and then months and finally years and they hit a rockface. But they didn't give up, even after the homicide squad pulled out. However, even with a $50,000 reward, leads ran cold.


"We had to look after nine police stations as well as the Gwen Beeson murder, which consumed us all," he said.


"After a number of years, still with Gwen in our heads, we decided to do a reenactment.


"In 20 years as a criminal investigator I don't ever remember doing a reenactment on anything and we did it as a television production, CrimeStoppers in 1989/1990."


The story went to air and within a very short time, two people came forward as very crucial witnesses. Mike holds a lot of respect and admiration for them, as their testimony brought a man by the name of Stanley Henry Morley to the realms of justice.


"(The witnesses) had a boarder (Morley) staying with them and about 2am one of the witnesses observed this person covered in blood and with scratch marks on him," said Mike.


"She enquired as to what happened and he said he was in a fight down the street."


Five years later, the witness reported what she had seen on Crimestoppers and her experience at the time of Gwen's death. It opened a whole new line of investigation.


"It was a circumstantial case, what we considered very reasonable," said Mike.


"He was arrested, he was brought back to Casino and eventually came to court and was committed for trial after several days of evidence."


Morley then absconded on bail and he wouldn't be brought back to court for another two years. He was tracked down in Melbourne, brought back and went to trial at East Maitland in 1992.


"I've got to pay the greatest tribute to the two crucial witnesses," said Mike.


"They could have chosen to walk away or be silent.


"They stood up and gave their evidence under relentless cross-examination."


Sadly, the court did not find Morley guilty as there was reasonable doubt in the evidence.


One crucial piece of evidence was the murder weapon which was believed to be an old iron, used to press clothes, that had been at Gwen's home and was missing after her body was discovered.

ree

A replica of the iron that could have been the murder weapon.


"We always suspected it was an old heating iron," said Mike.


"Gwen Beeson had it as a doorstop and that was missing.


"As a result of the reenactment it was located in someone's backyard but it had been painted and all evidence lost."


Casino was in shock, according to Mike, at the murder of Gwen. Fear, trepidation and anxiety was very evident.


"I don't think in the history of Casino they'd had anything so horrific as this," he said.


"Certainly not in my time and I'd been there for eight years. Unfortunately, it was not brought to an absolute conclusion.


"The people that investigated it did their level best and I think we were relentless over the years."

ree

No-one has ever been charged with the murder of Gwen Una Beeson. She is buried in the Casino Lawn Cemetery.


Casino Lawn Cemetery. Courtesy Findagrave


References

Comments

Subscribe Form

  • facebook
  • twitter

©2019 by Tales from the Grave. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page