The Death of Betty Shanks: Australia’s Oldest Cold Case
Betty Shanks was a lively 22-year-old who studied psychology at the University of Queensland in Australia. Shanks was born in 1930 and by the time she got to university, she was still living with her parents.
Many people have looked into this dead-end of a case, including Ken Blanch, Ted Duhs and Lyle Reed. But mysteriously, all of their theories were swept under the rug, leaving the unanswered question:
Who killed Betty Shanks?
On the 19th of September, 1952, Betty Shanks was only a few metres away from her house when she was beaten and murdered. She was walking home from her night class when it happened. The next morning, at around 5:30 AM or so, her body was found in a police officer’s neighbour’s garden. It was clear that she was brutally hurt, with bruises and cuts on her body.
So who did it?
Theories:
Theory 1
After Betty Shanks was murdered, a popular theory amongst people was that she was mistaken for a doctor’s secretary. She was beaten so the suspect could take the keys to said doctor’s office.
On September 22nd, 1952, a man called Donald Carter had committed suicide. Donald Carter was a well-known doctor.
As this happened 3 days after Betty was killed, people started connecting the dots. But perhaps they were connecting the wrong dots. Doctor Carter’s sons, Doug and Noel, both gave mouth swabs to the police, but the DNA didn’t match the genetic material on Betty Shanks’ body, and so this theory was ruled out.
Theory 2
Another theory is that Betty Shanks was run over by a man on a motorcycle.
At first, the injuries did not kill her due to them not being severe enough. It is thought that the killer returned to her around an hour later to finish the job by strangling her, which is unconvincing at best…
This theory was thought of by journalist Lyle Reed. Interestingly enough, Reed had a family member linked to the crime in his book “I know Who Killed Betty Shanks”.
Many people, including journalists who have covered this case, believe that Betty Shanks had gotten out of a past relationship with the alleged killer and that he had probably been stalking her, with murder being his intention.
However, Journalist Jack Sim believes otherwise. It would have been impossible for Betty Shanks to have been stalked by her murderer. As mentioned before, Shanks was only a few metres away from her house, in which both of her parents lived. As usual, the porch light was switched on and Betty’s mother had been listening for the gate, as it would signify that her daughter was home. If she was really stalked by her murderer, Shanks would definitely have been killed earlier on her way home, rather than right beside her house.
Conclusion:
Well, Betty’s case is still being investigated- but there were never any reasonable leads. From being mistaken for a doctor’s secretary to being run over by a man on a motorbike, there are many theories out there.
But for now, Betty Shanks’ death still remains an unsolved mystery.
