I Discovered Snowtown's Bodies in Barrels (Classic)

I Discovered Snowtown's Bodies in Barrels (Classic)

From What It Was Like by Superreal

June 7, 2026 · 48 min · Season 1 · Episode 138

About this episode

Former senior constable Gordon Drage recounts the discovery of eight bodies in barrels in Snowtown and discusses the ongoing parole case of one of the convicted murderers.

In May 1999, police found eight bodies decaying in barrels in a disused bank vault in Snowtown. Four men were eventually jailed for 12 murders. Former senior constable Gordon Drage was the first to discover the vault and tells us what he saw.. We're re-running this 2023 interview because the youngest of the four, James Vlassakis, has just been approved for parole. It’s a decision that’s being fought out in the South Australian Supreme Court. If you’re a subscriber, please contribute your episode ideas and questions here . Find us on TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast Find us on Youtube: @whatitwaslikepodcast Follow us on Instagram: whatitwaslikepodcast This is a Superreal production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Superreal

Guest: Gordon Drage

Topics covered

  • true crime
  • murder investigation
  • police work
  • parole hearings
  • documentary storytelling

Keywords

  • Snowtown
  • bodies in barrels
  • Gordon Drage
  • James Vlassakis
  • true crime
  • murder
  • parole
  • South Australian Supreme Court

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Superreal, South Australian Supreme Court

Places: Snowtown

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