Cold Case Files: Patricia ‘Susi’ Schmidt

 

At 2 a.m. on Saturday, December 18, 1971, Patricia ‘Susi’ Schmidt finished a double shift at the Darlington Burger King on the corner of South Road and Marion Road.[1] Susi went outside to wait for her dad to pick her up. According to the Canberra Times newspaper of 1971, Susi was a 16-year-old girl who had taken a job at Burger King to save money so she could buy Christmas presents.[2] Driving from their Seacliff home, Mr Schmidt ran 10 minutes late and never saw his daughter alive again.[3]

4 days before her murder, Susi had worked the night shift at Burger King. She told her girlfriend that after she finished her shift, she had started walking home when an older man, probably in his 30s, with a flash car, pulled over and asked if she needed a lift. Susi had accepted the lift and made it home safely to Seacliff. [4]

Susi’s body was found dumped near Adams Street, at Hallet Cove, she had been raped and strangled.[5] Traces of weathered pink and white paint were found on her body. There were also traces of nickel and nickel-silver on her body, which led police to believe at the time, she may have been in an engraver or key cutter workshop. Susi’s kangaroo skin purse was never found.

Darlington Burger King  Adrienne Peele photo

In December 2021, marking 50 years since Susi’s murder, South Australian Police released a news article via ABC News that 8 listed key points about the case:

• Gold, brass, nickel, and other metal filings from key cutting.
• Microscopic particles from a shoe repair business. 
• Welding slag (by-product left from the welding process).
• Particles of electrical waste from Phillips Industries (at Henley Beach at the time).
• Iridescent blue paint from a 1971 blue Holden Monaro. 
• Small paint flakes — pink on one side and white on the other. 
• Missing necklet with "Susi" engraved on the back. 
• DNA from unknown men.

 

Police believe there may have been more than one person involved in Susi’s abduction, rape, and murder. The culprits, they believe, would be in their 60s today, if still alive. There is a reward of up to $1 million for anyone who provides information that leads to the apprehension and conviction of the person or people responsible for Susi's death.[6]

Anyone with information about her murder is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at https://crimestopperssa.com.au/ . You can report anonymously.

 

Researched and written by Allen Tiller © 2024.

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[1] ‘Remembering Burger King in Adelaide,’ The Advertiser, (2023),  (Remembering Burger King in Adelaide | The Advertiser (adelaidenow.com.au).

[2] 'Murdered', The Canberra Times, (20 December 1971), p. 3.

[3] Rebecca Opie, ‘DNA breakthrough and eight clues could solve 1971 murder of Seacliff teen Susi Schmidt,’ ABC News, DNA breakthrough and eight clues could solve 1971 murder of Seacliff teen Susi Schmidt - ABC News

[4] Meagan Dillion, ‘The 45-year-old murder of Patricia Schmidt will head across the Tasman Sea as SA Police remain determined to solve the mystery,’ The Advertiser, (2016).

[5] 'Murdered', The Canberra Times, (20 December 1971), p. 3.; Nigel Hunt, ‘The cold case files – unsolved SA murders reopened,’ Sunday Mail, (2025), The cold case files — unsolved SA murders reopened | The Advertiser (adelaidenow.com.au).

[6] Hunt, ‘The cold case files,’ Sunday Mail, (2025).; Opie, ‘DNA breakthrough,’ ABC News.