South Australia: Snowtown serial killer James Vlassakis to walk from prison on parole
Snowtown serial killer James Vlassakis will be released on parole after a review upheld a South Australian parole board decision.
The youngest person jailed over the notorious Snowtown killings will be released after serving 26 years behind bars.
A decision to release James Vlassakis by South Australia’s Parole Board was upheld by the Parole Administrative Review Commissioner on Tuesday.
Vlassakis pleaded guilty to four of the 11 murders between 1992 and 1999.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.He was 18 when he became involved in the killings in 1998 and was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 26 years, which expired in August 2025.
He also acted as a key prosecution witness against John Bunting and Robert Wagner, who were found guilty of 11 and 10 murders respectively.
The bodies of eight of their victims were found dismembered in barrels inside a disused bank vault in Snowtown, north of Adelaide, in 1999.
In considering the review in May, the Court of Appeal had revoked the 25-year-old suppression order that banned publication of Vlassakis’ image and description.
