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Murchison Murders

John Rowles
Snowy Rowles standing beside James Ryan's car, photographed by Arthur Upfield
Born
John Thomas Smith

1905
Died(1932-06-13)13 June 1932 (aged 26)
Cause of deathExecution by hanging
Other namesSnowy Rowles
MotiveFinancial gain
Conviction(s)Wilful murder
Theft
Criminal penaltyDeath
Details
Victims3
Span of crimes
1929–1930
CountryAustralia
State(s)Western Australia

The Murchison Murders were a series of three murders, committed by an itinerant stockman known as "Snowy" Rowles (born John Thomas Smith),[1][2] near the rabbit-proof fence in Western Australia during the early 1930s. Rowles used the murder method that had been suggested by author Arthur Upfield in his then unpublished book The Sands of Windee, in which he described a foolproof way to dispose of a body and thus commit the perfect murder.

  1. ^ "John Thomas William Smith / Rowles – Biographical Dictionary". www.carnamah.com.au. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  2. ^ "Rowles Executed". The West Australian. 13 June 1932. p. 9.

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