The Beat: A True Account of the Bondi Gay Murders by I.J. Fenn Page B
Authors: I.J. Fenn
Tags: True Crime, homicide, Ross Warren, John Russell, true crime stories, Australian true crime, homosexual murder, homosexual attack, The Beat, Bondi Gay Murders
Ads: Link
already made a statement to police, she pointed out. On 26July 1989, the day the newspaper report suggested Warren had been murdered. In that first statement Jones said she’d told police that Ross had told her about a man he was seeing, a man called Ken. Ross had also told her that Ken had a partner. It was because of the partner that Ross had ended his relationship with Ken at least a month before he disappeared. ‘He was unhappy that the relationship had ended but he didn’t feel comfortable being part of a love triangle,’ Jones said. He just didn’t want Ken to contact him.
Suicide? Jones dismissed the idea unhesitatingly, arguing that Ross was not only a ‘very jovial’ person but he could also be quite mean with his money. Shortly before he’d disappeared he’d been complaining about having to spend $38 on a new side mirror for his car before he could register it: it was inconceivable that he would have spent the money if he’d been contemplating suicide. And, anyway, Ross was so close to his parents and his sister that he would never do that to them, never put them through that kind of hell. For the same reason – the fact that he was so close to his family – neither could Christine Jones believe that he would deliberately disappear without letting them know he was okay.
• • •
By March 2002 the officers of the Major Crime Squad had identified ‘Ken’ and, on 27March, he was interviewed at Waverly Police Station by Detective Page and plain-clothes Constable Morieson. Steve Page explained the nature of the interview and cautioned Ken that anything he said would be electronically recorded.
Ken supplied his full name, address, date of birth and place of employment in answer to the first few questions put to him. His manner was relaxed and his replies prompt and polite. Page then moved on to more sensitive issues:
Steve Page: I’m going to … ask you some questions in relation to the disappearance of Ross Warren. I’ll ask you some background questions first. Depicted in this photograph … an aerial photograph of Marks Park … Just to orientate you, to the right we have Bondi, to the left we have Tamarama … There’s a coastal walkway that forms a perimeter boundary to the park … Are you able to tell me whether you’ve previously been to that park?
Ken: I’ve been along the walkway, yes.
Steve Page: Have you ever been to the park during the hours of darkness?
Ken: No.
Steve Page: Prior to today were you, were you aware that this park was a gay beat?
Ken: No, I wasn’t actually.
Steve Page: I’ll now [show] you a photograph of Ross Warren. Are you able to tell me … if you knew, if you know this man?
Ken: Yes, I do. I did … We were introduced through a group of friends possibly at a bar or a nightclub [in the Oxford Street area] … I’m sure it was.
Steve Page: Alright. When would it have been that you met Ross Warren?
Ken: I think it was probably 12 months prior … to his disappearance.
Steve Page: Are you able to describe the relationship you and Ross had?
Ken: We were close friends.
Steve Page: It’s been indicated to me … that Ross portrayed you as being in a relationship with him. Is that the case?
Ken: No, it wasn’t the case. Not in a sexual relationship. We were close friends, yes.
Steve Page: Ross Warren disappeared from the area of Marks Park … in July 1989. Are you able to tell me anything about his disappearance?
Ken: No. As I recollect he had come up from Wollongong. He was living in Wollongong at the time. He wasn’t staying with us. He used to come up occasionally and stay with us. We were living at Potts Point at the time. But this particular weekend he hadn’t. But I think we had seen him on the Friday evening … he was staying with some other friends as far as I remember and it was a Saturday evening that I heard that his friends hadn’t seen him and they were concerned about his safety. That’s all I know.
Steve Page: When you say ‘he came to see
Suicide? Jones dismissed the idea unhesitatingly, arguing that Ross was not only a ‘very jovial’ person but he could also be quite mean with his money. Shortly before he’d disappeared he’d been complaining about having to spend $38 on a new side mirror for his car before he could register it: it was inconceivable that he would have spent the money if he’d been contemplating suicide. And, anyway, Ross was so close to his parents and his sister that he would never do that to them, never put them through that kind of hell. For the same reason – the fact that he was so close to his family – neither could Christine Jones believe that he would deliberately disappear without letting them know he was okay.
• • •
By March 2002 the officers of the Major Crime Squad had identified ‘Ken’ and, on 27March, he was interviewed at Waverly Police Station by Detective Page and plain-clothes Constable Morieson. Steve Page explained the nature of the interview and cautioned Ken that anything he said would be electronically recorded.
Ken supplied his full name, address, date of birth and place of employment in answer to the first few questions put to him. His manner was relaxed and his replies prompt and polite. Page then moved on to more sensitive issues:
Steve Page: I’m going to … ask you some questions in relation to the disappearance of Ross Warren. I’ll ask you some background questions first. Depicted in this photograph … an aerial photograph of Marks Park … Just to orientate you, to the right we have Bondi, to the left we have Tamarama … There’s a coastal walkway that forms a perimeter boundary to the park … Are you able to tell me whether you’ve previously been to that park?
Ken: I’ve been along the walkway, yes.
Steve Page: Have you ever been to the park during the hours of darkness?
Ken: No.
Steve Page: Prior to today were you, were you aware that this park was a gay beat?
Ken: No, I wasn’t actually.
Steve Page: I’ll now [show] you a photograph of Ross Warren. Are you able to tell me … if you knew, if you know this man?
Ken: Yes, I do. I did … We were introduced through a group of friends possibly at a bar or a nightclub [in the Oxford Street area] … I’m sure it was.
Steve Page: Alright. When would it have been that you met Ross Warren?
Ken: I think it was probably 12 months prior … to his disappearance.
Steve Page: Are you able to describe the relationship you and Ross had?
Ken: We were close friends.
Steve Page: It’s been indicated to me … that Ross portrayed you as being in a relationship with him. Is that the case?
Ken: No, it wasn’t the case. Not in a sexual relationship. We were close friends, yes.
Steve Page: Ross Warren disappeared from the area of Marks Park … in July 1989. Are you able to tell me anything about his disappearance?
Ken: No. As I recollect he had come up from Wollongong. He was living in Wollongong at the time. He wasn’t staying with us. He used to come up occasionally and stay with us. We were living at Potts Point at the time. But this particular weekend he hadn’t. But I think we had seen him on the Friday evening … he was staying with some other friends as far as I remember and it was a Saturday evening that I heard that his friends hadn’t seen him and they were concerned about his safety. That’s all I know.
Steve Page: When you say ‘he came to see
Similar Books
