The Department for Correctional Services has advised me of the death of Bevan Spencer Von Einem.
His death marks the end of a life defined by calculated brutality. His crimes stand among the most horrific ever committed in South Australia, acts of deliberate cruelty that destroyed lives and inflicted trauma that will echo for generations.
Convicted of murdering teenager Richard Kelvin and long suspected of further horrific murders, he leaves behind a legacy of devastation for victims' families that can never be undone.
Most unforgivably, he refused to co-operate with South Australia Police. He had every opportunity to assist investigators, to confirm what so many long believed, that he was responsible for the murder of other young men and to help bring other perpetrators to justice.
Instead, he chose silence, callous, deliberate silence, denying victims' families even the faintest chance of closure. His decision to take critical information to the grave is an act of cruelty in its own right.
His death does nothing to erase the murder and torture he inflicted on innocent lives, nor does it ease the anger and grief carried by the families of his victims whose lives were shattered by his actions.
The greatest tragedy is that they may never know the full truth because of his deliberate and selfish silence. Today, my thoughts are with the families of his victims. Their strength in the face of unimaginable suffering deserves our deepest respect and support.
