Snowtown Killer James Vlassakis Denied Parole

Snowtown serial killer James Vlassakis will remain in prison after the South Australian Parole Board’s decision to release him was overturned. Vlassakis, the youngest of the four perpetrators involved in the infamous “bodies-in-the-barrels” murders of the 1990s, was granted parole in August after serving 26 years of his life sentence for killing four victims.

However, SA Attorney-General Kyam Maher requested a review of the decision, arguing the board had erred. Parole Administrative Review Commissioner Michael David KC upheld the appeal, ruling that Vlassakis’s release would pose a risk to the community.

David cited the gravity of the crimes and the fact that this was Vlassakis’s first parole application as key factors in his decision. Maher had earlier stated the parole board failed to give proper weight to community safety, the likelihood of compliance with parole conditions, the seriousness of the offences, and reports submitted under the act.