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Truro murders

SOLVED1976Bushland near Truro, South Australia (principal body-recovery site)3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence · sexual violence · crimes against children — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

Between December 1976 and February 1977, seven young women and girls disappeared from in and around Adelaide, South Australia. Their ages ranged from 15 to 26. Over roughly seven weeks, each was abducted, sexually assaulted, and killed; most were strangled, and their bodies were concealed in bushland and other remote areas outside the city. Five were later recovered near the rural town of Truro, about 80 kilometres northeast of Adelaide, which gave the case its name; the remaining two were found at Wingfield and Port Gawler.

The victims were Veronica Knight, aged 18; Tania Kenny, 15; Juliet Mykyta, 16; Sylvia Pittmann, 16; Vickie Howell, 26; Connie Iordanides, 16; and Deborah Lamb, 20. Several had been shopping, waiting for transport, or hitchhiking when they were offered a lift and driven away. At the time, police did not connect the disappearances, and some were initially treated as possible runaways.

The killings were carried out by two men, Christopher Worrell and James Miller, who had met in prison and afterwards lived and worked together. It was later accepted that Worrell physically committed the murders, luring and assaulting the victims, while Miller drove and helped conceal the bodies. The pattern ended abruptly on 19 February 1977, when Worrell died in a car crash near Mount Gambier. Another passenger, Deborah Skuse, was also killed; Miller survived with injuries. Because Worrell died before any charges could be laid, he was never arrested, tried, or convicted.

The scale of the crimes became clear only later. In April 1978, human remains were found by chance near Truro, and further discoveries in 1979 led investigators to conclude that a series of connected murders had occurred. Attention turned to Miller, who subsequently directed police to additional burial sites.

Miller was arrested in 1979 and stood trial the following year. On 12 March 1980 he was found guilty of six of the seven murders and acquitted of the murder of Veronica Knight. He was convicted on the principle of joint criminal enterprise—for taking part in the events and disposing of the bodies—even though it was accepted that Worrell had carried out the killings. Miller received six consecutive terms of life imprisonment and consistently maintained that Worrell alone had killed the women and that his own role was limited to helping bury them.

A non-parole period of 35 years was set in 2000, which would have allowed Miller to apply for parole in 2014. He died in custody in 2008 without being released. The case remains one of the most serious in South Australian criminal history, both for the number of victims and for the legal questions it raised about shared responsibility for murder. It is remembered above all for the seven young women and girls whose lives were taken.

Key facts

Victims
Vickie Howell, Tania Kenny, Connie Iordanides, Sylvia Pittmann, Juliet Mykyta, Deborah Lamb, Veronica Knight
Date
1976
Location
Bushland near Truro, South Australia (principal body-recovery site)
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1976-12-23

    Veronica Knight (18) disappears in Adelaide; her remains are later recovered near Truro.

  2. 1977-01-02

    Tania Kenny (15) is killed; her body is later found at Wingfield.

  3. 1977-01-21

    Juliet Mykyta (16) is killed; her remains are later found near Truro.

  4. 1977-02-06

    Sylvia Pittmann (16) is killed; her remains are later found near Truro.

  5. 1977-02-07

    Vickie Howell (26) is killed; her body is later found near Truro.

  6. 1977-02-09

    Connie Iordanides (16) is killed; her body is later found near Truro.

  7. 1977-02-12

    Deborah Lamb (20) is killed; her body is later found at Port Gawler.

  8. 1977-02-19

    Christopher Worrell dies in a car crash near Mount Gambier; passenger Deborah Skuse is also killed and James Miller survives. The killings stop.

  9. 1978-04-20

    Human remains, later identified as Veronica Knight, are discovered by chance in bushland near Truro.

  10. 1979-04-15

    Further remains, later identified as Sylvia Pittmann, are found near Truro, prompting a wider investigation.

  11. 1979-05-23

    James Miller is apprehended for questioning.

  12. 1980-03-12

    Miller is found guilty of six of the seven murders (acquitted of the murder of Veronica Knight) on the basis of joint criminal enterprise, and receives six consecutive life sentences.

  13. 2000-02-08

    A 35-year non-parole period is set, making Miller eligible to apply for parole in 2014.

  14. 2008-10-21

    James Miller dies in custody, having never been released.

Best coverage

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People

  • Vickie Howell

    VICTIM

    26 years old; killed around 7 February 1977; body found near Truro.

    citation on file

  • Tania Kenny

    VICTIM

    15 years old; killed around 2 January 1977; body found at Wingfield.

    citation on file

  • Connie Iordanides

    VICTIM

    16 years old; killed around 9 February 1977; body found near Truro.

    citation on file

  • Sylvia Pittmann

    VICTIM

    16 years old; killed around 6 February 1977; remains found near Truro.

    citation on file

  • Juliet Mykyta

    VICTIM

    16 years old; killed on 21 January 1977; remains found near Truro.

    citation on file

  • James William Miller

    CONVICTED

    Convicted on 12 March 1980 of six of the seven murders (acquitted of the murder of Veronica Knight) on the basis of joint criminal enterprise, having driven and helped conceal the bodies; sentenced to six consecutive terms of life imprisonment. Died in custody in 2008. He maintained that Christopher Worrell alone killed the women.

    citation on file

  • Deborah Lamb

    VICTIM

    20 years old; killed around 12 February 1977; body found at Port Gawler.

    citation on file

  • Veronica Knight

    VICTIM

    18 years old; disappeared in Adelaide on 23 December 1976; remains recovered near Truro. Miller was acquitted of her murder.

    citation on file

Places

Bushland near Truro, South Australia (principal body-recovery site)

-34.4000, 139.1167

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Seven young women and girls were abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered in and around Adelaide, South Australia, between December 1976 and February 1977; James Miller was convicted of six of the murders in 1980 on the basis of joint criminal enterprise.
Where did the murders happen?
Bushland near Truro, South Australia (principal body-recovery site).
Who was convicted?
James William Miller (Convicted on 12 March 1980 of six of the seven murders (acquitted of the murder of Veronica Knight) on the basis of joint criminal enterprise, having driven and helped conceal the bodies; sentenced to six consecutive terms of life imprisonment. Died in custody in 2008. He maintained that Christopher Worrell alone killed the women.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.

Sources

  1. Truro murderswikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-05
  2. Case 199: Truronews · Casefile: True Crime Podcast · 2026-07-05
  3. Truro, South Australiawikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-05

Last verified JUL 2026

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