Snowtown Killer Vlassakis Moves to Adelaide Pre-Release

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James Spyridon Vlassakis is being moved to the Adelaide Pre-release Centre, the first step toward life outside prison.

The 46-year-old finished his non-parole period. The South Australian government tried to stop his release. That bid failed earlier this month.

He will stay at the Yatala pre-release centre, in Adelaide’s north, for up to 12 months. The Parole Board will watch him there and set conditions for any later move into the community. He had been in a state prison.

Vlassakis was the youngest of four people convicted in the Snowtown “bodies in the barrels” murders between 1992 and 1999. He pleaded guilty to the murders of Fred Brooks, Gary O’Dwyer, David Johnson and his half-brother Troy Youde. A court gave him life with 26 years non-parole.

He was a main prosecution witness. His evidence helped convict John Bunting and Robert Wagner, who were jailed for 11 and 10 murders.

Ronald Lane, nephew of victim Barry Lane (also known as Vanessa Lane), called the sentence “very soft” and said the law should change so other families do not go through the same thing. Vlassakis was not convicted of Barry Lane’s murder in October 1997.

Source: Eva Blandis, ABC News, 23–24 September 2026.

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