Australia Australia- Jane, 9, Arnna, 7, & Grant Jr., 4, Beaumont, 26 January 1966

[PrimeSuspect]

I don’t know if he could have lied about the time as I understood the Town Hall clock was visible to the children.

Not all children can master reading an analog clock by age 9, even though, 7-8 is usually the age a child can read the hour hand on a clock. Also, would a child correct an adult? I don't know if this scenario took place but again, a child at age 9 couldn't outwit a devious adult, imo.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

I really thought there would be a lot more discussion about this famous case,I'm surprised!

Iirc, it was an enormous thread, but was removed because it went a bit awry, much like the Claremont killer thread.

 

[HarmonyE.]

Imo, a child can be sensible and cautious but outwitted by an adult who has the skills to put the child at ease. Maria Ridulph and her friend, Kathy, (a 7 and 8 year old) allowed a stranger to give them piggyback rides because he was young and charming, introduced himself, and spoke to them about what they liked, dolls. When Kathy went into the house to retrieve her mittens, Maria and 'Johnny' were gone.
Jane might have trusted this man because she'd met him before or he was controlling, even as an adult, it's hard to prevent an action by a controlling person until it's too late. They've crossed the boundaries and you're left in shock, poor Jane and her siblings were under his control within minutes, imo.

I totally agree with the outwitting part. No 9 year old is a match for a predator, especially one who had carefully planned an abduction. But the shorts still lead me to think Jane already trusted him. Most nine year old girls would be uncomfortable with anyone putting bottom clothing on them in a public setting. She could have easily pulled away from him at that point and put her own shorts on as they were amongst many people still. Why didn't she?

The younger children had teased Jane earlier, claiming she had a boyfriend at the beach. Had this man been grooming Jane for some period of time before this day? Most experts on the case think Jane was the one he was interested in and he only took the little ones because they may have been able to describe or even identify him.

 

[mrC]

in the bakers shop jane refers to the man as the man now i find it hard belive he hasnt intruduced himself i mean if hes trying to gain there trust of at least given them a name so when she refers to him as the man has he asked her not to mention his name

 

[PrimeSuspect]

in the bakers shop jane refers to the man as the man now i find it hard belive he hasnt intruduced himself i mean if hes trying to gain there trust of at least given them a name so when she refers to him as the man has he asked her not to mention his name

Very good point!

 

[HarmonyE.]

in the bakers shop jane refers to the man as the man now i find it hard belive he hasnt intruduced himself i mean if hes trying to gain there trust of at least given them a name so when she refers to him as the man has he asked her not to mention his name

I don't agree that he necessarily would have had to introduce himself even if they'd seen him at the beach several times and chatted with him. He could have been familiar to them without sharing any of his personal details with them. And I can see see kids this age not being bold enough to ask.

Snatching three kids is no small feat and would almost certainly have to involve some advance planning to pull it off without being seen. I think he knew the habits of the kids in advance of the abduction and they were familiar enough with him for Jane to assume he was an ok guy.

 

[mrC]

i think the fact he sends the kids into the sho is signiicant why does he not want to go in there himsel the only reason i can think of is staff at the shop know him not only does he not go in there he doesnt een wait outside for them that says to me he clearly cant risk being seen by the staff

 

[HarmonyE.]

i think the fact he sends the kids into the sho is signiicant why does he not want to go in there himsel the only reason i can think of is staff at the shop know him not only does he not go in there he doesnt een wait outside for them that says to me he clearly cant risk being seen by the staff

The employees may have known him. Or maybe they didn't but the man saw no reason to increase the number of witnesses, especially in a shop where his involvement with the kids (who were known to some Wenzels' employees by sight) would be more noticeable.

 

[mrC]

but at the beach he has no problem being seen with the kids in fact even draws atention to himself but he sudenly doesnt want to be seen when hes at the shop there must be a reason for the change

 

[HarmonyE.]

but at the beach he has no problem being seen with the kids in fact even draws atention to himself but he sudenly doesnt want to be seen when hes at the shop there must be a reason for the change

The beach, or more specifically the Colley Reserve, was a much busier and open area. Inside a small bakery he was far more likely to be noticed and remembered later.

 

[mrC]

anna said somthing aout jane haing a new boyfriend down the beach could she have been talking about the man or was it just a coincedene

 

[mrC]

im thinking could the sighting at the reserve be false unlike the sightings at the bakery the witneses dident know the children and the childrens behavior was out off chaaracter for how there parents described them there was over a thousand people at the beach that day its not that unlikely that there could be 3 other kids there that looked like them

 

[HarmonyE.]

im thinking could the sighting at the reserve be false unlike the sightings at the bakery the witneses dident know the children and the childrens behavior was out off chaaracter for how there parents described them there was over a thousand people at the beach that day its not that unlikely that there could be 3 other kids there that looked like them

There were multiple sightings at the reserve of the man with the children; at least five if I recall correctly. One woman reported that the man approached her and said "Have you seen anybody messing around with our clothes? Our money has been pinched."

Law enforcement thinks it's probable this was a set up. Jane may have been receptive towards the stranger as he promised them a ride home or money to replace her stolen bus fare.

These sightings were deemed credible because of the ages and genders of the children and the fact that their clothing and towels matched up with Mrs. Beaumont's descriptions.

 

[mrC]

how comon was that clothing i doubt they would of been the only kids wearing that sort of clothing agian with the towels its not unlikely that on a packed beach there will be people with simlar looking towels the parents described the kids as shy but therenot being shy around this man the parents also said jane didnot like other people helping her dress so how come shes not bothred by this man doing it there behaior is so out of character i have to qustion weather it was really them or another group of children

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The disappearance of the Beaumont children sent shockwaves through Australian society, changing the way parents and communities approached child safety. The case marked a shift in the perception of safety, leading to heightened vigilance and tighter restrictions on children’s autonomy and independence.

The story of the Beaumont children remains etched in the collective memory of Australians, serving as a chilling reminder of the vulnerability of children and the enduring anguish of a family unable to find closure.

In 2018, a person came forward claiming to have found a small piece of paper in a suitcase, allegedly belonging to the Beaumont children. This discovery reignited public interest in the case, but subsequent analysis of the paper did not provide conclusive evidence. The case has seen numerous suspects, leads, and potential breakthroughs over the years, but it remains one of Australia’s most enduring and heartbreaking mysteries

Who were the Beaumont Children? Australia's greatest cold case

Three siblings disappeared without a trace from a beach, and their fate remains a haunting and unsolved mystery.

wegotthiscovered.com

 

[longthymelurker]

The disappearance of the Beaumont children sent shockwaves through Australian society, changing the way parents and communities approached child safety. The case marked a shift in the perception of safety, leading to heightened vigilance and tighter restrictions on children’s autonomy and independence.

The story of the Beaumont children remains etched in the collective memory of Australians, serving as a chilling reminder of the vulnerability of children and the enduring anguish of a family unable to find closure.

In 2018, a person came forward claiming to have found a small piece of paper in a suitcase, allegedly belonging to the Beaumont children. This discovery reignited public interest in the case, but subsequent analysis of the paper did not provide conclusive evidence. The case has seen numerous suspects, leads, and potential breakthroughs over the years, but it remains one of Australia’s most enduring and heartbreaking mysteries

Who were the Beaumont Children? Australia's greatest cold case

Three siblings disappeared without a trace from a beach, and their fate remains a haunting and unsolved mystery.

wegotthiscovered.com

I wonder if there has been any follow-up to the letters that are mentioned in the article.

 

[mrC]

funny they thought they were fake at the time but are giing credence to them now

 

[falkenberg3132]

Remember that the Beaumont girls were born in the fifties and grew up in Adelaide in the early sixties. Adelaide was not Sydney or even Melbourne.

The Australian intelligentsia today tend to emphasise the people or activists with proto-Gough Whitlam attitudes and ignore that most Australians were not like that, indeed most people are not like that (the YES campaign last year made the same mistake but that is for elsewhere...).

Short version: Don't approach this case with hindsight talking or consider the possible thinking and reactions of the children as though Jane and Arnna are the same as little girls of the present-day. Neither Beaumont girl was going around demanding trousers as an option at school or that the pictures of the Queen in every classroom at their primary school be taken down.

 

[mrC]

you notice a fair few people saw them go in the bakers but nobody seems to have seen them leaving it

 

[HarmonyE.]

you notice a fair few people saw them go in the bakers but nobody seems to have seen them leaving it

Employees saw the kids IN the store, but I've not seen any reports of people seeing them heading specifically to the bakery or heading away from it. It was a hot, busy day - Australia Day no less - and it doesn't seem that three kids walking on a main thoroughfare would be particularly noteworthy. The sightings were mostly from people who knew them (the postie, Jane's friend, bakery employees who were familiar with them) or people who observed something happening with them (i.e. the scenes at the reserve with the man putting on a 9 year old's clothes or telling people they'd had money stolen.)