The Truro Murders (Part 3): The Victims: Juliet and Sylvia

The Truro Murders (Part 3): The Victims: Juliet and Sylvia

With two victims, the men to become known as “The Truro Murderers” did not relent in their killing spree. The two men had their chosen “pick-up” points, including Rundle Mall, The Buckingham Arms Hotel and the Adelaide Railway Station.

Juliet Mykyta – Aged 16

In 1977, 16 year Juliet Mykyta, a Marsden High School student, worked in the city at a small sidewalk booth selling jewellery. It was the school holidays, and she planned on being home late. She stopped at a telecom phone booth to phone her parents and tell them not to worry if she was later than usual.

She waited for the bus that was scheduled to arrive outside the Ambassador’s Hotel at 9pm on King William Street. A good looking young man and his friend pulled over and offered her a lift, which she gratefully took.

The men drove out to Port Wakefield Road and parked. The good looking young man forced Juliet into the backseat, where he tied her up as she screamed and kicked at him. The driver went for a walk, looking back at the car, he saw Juliet and heard her shouting, and watched her fall to the ground as if kicked in the stomach. The good looking guy was suddenly on top of her and strangled her with a length of rope.

An argument broke out between the two men, with the driver leaving for a while. When he returned the young girl was not visible, most likely she was in the boot of the car.

The two men drove in relative silence to Truro. Instead of going towards Swamp Road where they had buried the previous bodies, they detoured out on another road to an old farmhouse and disposed of Juliet’s body there. They dumped her on the ground and covered her in branches and leaves. They then returned home.

Sylvia Pitmann – Aged 16

On February 6th 1977, 16-year-old Sylvia Pitmann was waiting for a train at the Adelaide Railway Station. A good looking young man approached her and convinced her he could give her a lift home, thus saving her from having to wait for the train.

The two men drove the young girl out to a secluded spot near Wingfield. The driver took a walk. Upon returning, the driver noticed the young girl in the backseat covered with a rug. She had been strangled to death with a pair of her own pantyhose.
The two men drove out to Truro and unloaded Sylvia's body – fully clothed, and not tied up like the other girls. They laid her on the ground and covered her with sticks and branches, then made their way back to Adelaide.





Next Week: The Truro Murders (Part 4): The Victims: Vicki and Connie

Researched and written by Allen Tiller ©2015

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