Unsolved murder of Betty Shanks in Grange

On September 19, 1952, a Friday night in Brisbane, an off-duty police officer heard two piercing screams. That officer, Constable Alex Stewart, and several other residents in this inner-north suburb of Grange, looked out their windows but didn't investigate, thinking it was just teenagers.

But when the sun rose, Constable Stewart made a shocking discovery. He found 22-year-old Betty Shanks's battered body in his neighbor's garden, just nine meters from his own sleeping room. A bloodstained tram ticket was still clutched in her hand.

Hours earlier, in the dark shadows of bauhinia trees, Betty, a Commonwealth public servant and student, had been attacked, savagely beaten, and strangled to death on the footpath, only a few hundred meters from her family home. This murder launched the largest manhunt and police investigation the state had ever seen.

Betty was described as a happy, kind, well-liked, and career-driven young woman who loved movies and was very close with her parents and younger brother, whom she lived with here in Grange. Four months before she died, she won 3,000 pounds in the Golden Casket lottery, which is worth about $250,000 today. She used the money to repaint her parents' house, buy her mum new furniture, and pay off their family mortgage.

Betty had a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland and worked as a clerk. She was also a research fellow in psychology. She was the sole breadwinner for her family, which was unusual for the time. There was nothing in her background to suggest she was an intended victim.

On the night of her murder, Betty left for work as usual. She attended a night lecture on George Street until around 9:00 PM and was driven some of the way home to a tram stop in Windsor by her lecturer. She boarded a tram bound for Grange and was last seen alive getting off at the Days Road terminus just after 9:30 PM. She began walking along Thomas Street towards her home on Montpelier Street, less than 400 meters away, but she never made it.

Police believe Betty was murdered in a tight 12-minute window between 9:38 PM and 9:53 PM. Witnesses heard screams between 9:38 PM and 9:45 PM, and her wristwatch stopped at 9:53 PM. Her parents waited up for her, and her father reported her missing at 1:30 AM.

Despite extensive speculation, possible suspects, several false confessions, and a $50,000 reward that is still current, her killer has never been found, making it Queensland's oldest unsolved murder. Betty had a fractured jaw, a lacerated cheek, and one of her teeth was found several meters from her body. Today marks the 72nd anniversary of her murder.