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Spear Creek murders

Karen Edwards, Tim Thomson and Gordon Twaddle were shot dead near Spear Creek outside Mount Isa in October 1978. A man was charged in 2019, but prosecutors withdrew the charges in 2023; a second coronial inquest opened in 2025 and remains pending.

ONGOING1978

Spear Creek, near Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia

4 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Karen Edwards, 23, Tim Thomson, 31, and Gordon Twaddle, 21, were traveling by motorcycle through central Australia in October 1978. They were last seen alive on 5 October after staying near Mount Isa.

Edwards's body was found near Spear Creek on 24 October; Thomson and Twaddle were found nearby the next day. All three had been shot. Their identifying property had been removed, and their motorcycles and other possessions were recovered separately. The original investigation did not establish who killed them.

Queensland Police reopened the case in 2018. In April 2019, police arrested Bruce John Preston and charged him with three counts of murder. He denied the allegations. Prosecutors withdrew all three charges in 2023 after reviewing the evidence; no murder conviction resulted.

A second coronial inquest opened in 2025 to examine the deaths and the adequacy of the original and renewed investigations. No one has been convicted of the killings, and the matter remains unresolved.

Key facts

Victims
Tim Thomson, Gordon Twaddle, Karen Edwards
Date
1978
Location
Spear Creek, near Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia
Case status
ongoing

Case timeline

  1. 1978-09-30

    Karen Edwards arrives in Alice Springs and meets Tim Thomson and Gordon Twaddle.

  2. 1978-10-05

    The three travelers are last seen alive after leaving the Moondarra Caravan Park area.

  3. 1978-10-24

    Karen Edwards's body is found near Spear Creek, north of Mount Isa.

  4. 1978-10-25

    The bodies of Tim Thomson and Gordon Twaddle are found nearby.

  5. 2018

    Queensland Police reopen the unresolved triple homicide.

  6. 2019-04-12

    Bruce John Preston is arrested and charged with three counts of murder; he denies the allegations.

  7. 2023

    Prosecutors withdraw all three murder charges after reviewing the evidence.

  8. 2025

    A second coronial inquest opens in Mount Isa and remains pending.

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People

  • Tara Kentwell

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Detective Senior Sergeant who spoke publicly regarding the investigation and the suspect's motives

  • Tim Thomson

    VICTIM

    31-year-old teacher and New Zealander; shot dead near Spear Creek in October 1978

  • Gordon Twaddle

    VICTIM

    21-year-old pastry cook and New Zealander; shot dead near Spear Creek in October 1978

  • Karen Edwards

    VICTIM

    23-year-old trainee medical psychologist from Dandenong; shot dead near Spear Creek in October 1978

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Spear Creek, near Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia

-20.7256, 139.4927

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Karen Edwards, Tim Thomson and Gordon Twaddle were shot dead near Spear Creek outside Mount Isa in October 1978. A man was charged in 2019, but prosecutors withdrew the charges in 2023; a second coronial inquest opened in 2025 and remains pending.
Where did the murders happen?
Spear Creek, near Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: ongoing. Last verified July 2026.
More cases in Queensland

Sources

  1. PRESSPre-inquest hearing begins for Spear Creek cold caseABC News Australia · 2026-07-13
  2. ENCYCLOPEDICMount Isa MurdersWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  3. PRESSCold case of trio shot in Mount Isa bush prompts fresh appealABC News (Australia) · 2026-07-10
  4. PRESSPolice launch new appeal for 1978 triple homicide in Mount Isamypolice.qld.gov.au · 2026-07-10

Record history

Last verified against sources
JUL 13, 2026

  1. JUL 13, 2026Correction

    Catalog QA: Corrected the offense date and current second-inquest posture; 2023 charges were withdrawn.

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