Snowtown bodies-in-the-barrels serial killer is denied parole – as judge rules he is a ‘hardened killer’ who has shown no remorse
- Serial killer Robert Joe Wagner is set to learn if he’ll ever be released from jail
- Wagner argued having possible release date would assist with mental wellbeing
- His application has been opposed by prosecutors and the relatives of his victims
- Ringleader in the murders, John Justin Bunting, is also serving life without parole
- Killings exposed in 1999 when police found eight bodies in barrels found in bank
Snowtown serial killer Robert Joe Wagner has been denied a non-parole period, after a judge ruled he is a ‘hardened killer’ who has shown no remorse for his crimes.
Wagner represented himself before the South Australian Supreme Court in March as he argued that having a possible release date would assist with his mental wellbeing.
Justice Greg Parker on Thursday dismissed the application in a hearing lasting about 10 seconds.
Snowtown serial killer Robert Joe Wagner (pictured in handcuffs) is set to learn if he’ll ever be released from jail
The serial killings were exposed in 1999 when police found eight dismembered bodies in acid-filled barrels in the vault of a disused bank at Snowtown, South Australia
In his ruling, Justice Parker said the bodies-in-the-barrels murders were ‘the worst crimes ever to be detected in South Australia’.
Since 1999, the 47-year-old has been serving 10 life sentences over the infamous ‘bodies-in-the-barrels’ killing spree.
The ringleader in the murders, John Justin Bunting, is similarly serving life without parole.
The serial killings were exposed in 1999 when police found eight dismembered bodies in acid-filled barrels in the vault of a disused bank at Snowtown, north of Adelaide.
Two more bodies were found buried in a backyard at suburban Salisbury North while detectives later linked two further deaths to Bunting and Wagner.
After a trial lasting 170 days, Bunting was found guilty of 11 murders with Wagner jailed over 10 of the deaths.
Two other men, Mark Ray Haydon and James Spyridon Vlassakis, are also behind bars over the killings; Vlassakis after pleading guilty to four murders and Haydon for helping Wagner and Bunting dispose of the bodies.
Wagner represented himself before the court in March as he argued that having a possible release date would assist with his mental wellbeing