Pearce Family Murder’s: Part II: The Murders
On Saturday the 5th of January 1991, Stuart Pearce drove from his home at Jackson street Parafield Gardens to his job at the Wingfield BP petrol station.
His usual routine was to wake up at about 10pm, have a shower and a meal, then drive his Datsun 240K for about 15 minutes to Wingfield to start his shift at midnight.
An hour before his waking up, at 9pm, Meredith Pearce had spoken to her sister on the phone and made no indication that anything was wrong, or that she was under threat.
His usual routine was to wake up at about 10pm, have a shower and a meal, then drive his Datsun 240K for about 15 minutes to Wingfield to start his shift at midnight.
An hour before his waking up, at 9pm, Meredith Pearce had spoken to her sister on the phone and made no indication that anything was wrong, or that she was under threat.
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| Datsun car found abandoned at Kilkenny Shopping Centre believed to belong to murder suspect missing person Stuart Pearce Jan 1991. |
Pearce’s distinctive white 240K Datsun coupe was found dumped at a Kilkenny shopping centre. His wife, Meredith’s blood was found in the boot of the car and on a door trim. Police believe that her blood was most likely transferred to the car from Pearce.
Meredith Pearce was found in her bedroom tied to a chair, she had a towel stuffed in her mouth, and was strangled with an electrical cord. The media reported that Adam and Travis had also been tied to chairs and had been asphyxiated by having plastic bags cover their heads. 2-year-old Kerry was reported to have been smothered to death. Autopsies revealed the family had died before the fire had been lit.
A Police search of the property during their investigation revealed that Stuart Pearce’s .303 rifle was missing. It also uncovered a bunker, which was being used to conceal a drug crop of 25 marijuana plants.
Police speculated that Pearce murdered his family before going to work. During their investigations, it was revealed that gas bottles had been set around the house on the night prior to the fire, but these failed to explode. Police suspect that Pearce returned home after his night shift and used other accelerants around the house to set the fire, before fleeing to dump his car.
Stuart Pearce remains the most likely suspect in the murder of his family. Over the years, the only survivor, Matthew, who lost his entire family in one night, has been interviewed by police. He denies having any knowledge of his father’s whereabouts.
Matthew told The Advertiser newspaper, in 2002 that he believed his father was innocent, and that he thought the murderer had been trying to get information from his mother.
Matthew, in 2004 was charged and sentenced to gaol for criminal trespass after being found in the ceiling of a toy shop, where he said he had been hiding for four hours, as he believed the murderers of his family would come after him next.
Police are still searching for Stuart Pearce.
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| Computer generated likeness of what Stuart Pearce may look like now. |
A reward of up to $1 million dollars has been offered for information leading to the apprehension and/or conviction of the person, or people, responsible for the suspected murders.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at https://crimestopperssa.com.au/ - Callers can remain anonymous.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at https://crimestopperssa.com.au/ - Callers can remain anonymous.
Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2018.
The Haunts of Adelaide: https://www.facebook.com/TheHauntsOfAdelaide/
References:
ABC News (2014) SA most wanted Stuart Pearce: Computer generated images released, retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-05/computer-generated-images-of-sas-most-wanted/5722366
Crime Stoppers South Australia. (2018). PEARCE FAMILY. Retrieved from https://crimestopperssa.com.au/case/pearce-family/
Hunt, N. (2015, February 28). The cold case files – unsolved SA murders reopened. The Advertiser. Retrieved from http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/the-cold-case-files-unsolved-sa-murders-reopened/news-story/05d586cc6f5314bd232554213940e0d9
Hunt, N. (2016, October 1). Police release new details, photos in 1991 Pearce family killings. The Advertiser. Retrieved from http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/police-release-new-details-photos-in-1991-pearce-family-killings/news-story/8718ddfe90cc563037bdcce8bb769d62
SBS News (2016, 2 October), Renewed search for SA murder fugitive, Retrieved from; https://www.sbs.com.au/news/renewed-search-for-sa-murder-fugitive
Seidel, N, (2013), Family killers strike most often in summer holidays, UK study shows News Corp Australia Network, retrieved from https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/family-killers-strike-most-often-in-summer-holidays-uk-study-shows/news-story/4f5d3c4309f417d95c47ba74ab219477
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