21-year-old Australian native, Stephen Neville Jelfs was last seen by his partner on April 24, 1978 in Paddington. No one reported him missing for several months because he often took trips around the world on short notice. While there is a possible suspect, Stephen’s fate remains unknown.
The Disappearance of Stephen Jelfs
Stephen Neville Jelfs was born on March 16, 1957. At age 16, he left his home and moved three hours northeast to Sydney. In 1974, he met a man name Peter Rolfe. Stephen stayed with Peter until he found a place of his own.
By 1978, Steven, who was gay, lived in an apartment on Sunderland Street in Paddington with his partner, a psychiatrist. His friends called him “Boppa”.
Stephen had exceptional knowledge of horticulture. He opened his own plant shop, first in Edgecliff, then King’s Cross, and later the Plant Gallery of Paddington. He was a regular on the “John Laws Show”, a radio program hosted by John Laws on the commercial radio station, 2UW (now known as KIIS).
NSW Police
Stephen’s partner last saw him on April 24, 1978 at their apartment on Sunderland Street in Paddington, an inner-city eastern suburb of Sydney.
Stephen had several shady clients, including a Kings Cross figure involved in drugs and the sex industry.
“Steve used to provide plants for this guy and was in and out of his house from time to time,” said his father, Neville Jelfs in 2015.
About a year before Stephen Jelfs’ disappearance, the crime figure’s notebook disappeared from beside a telephone in his house. He suspected Stephen of taking it. Stephen denied taking the notebook. He told Neville that if anything ever happened to him, this man would be responsible.
Stephen told Neville that police visited him a few times, but not at the order of the police department. The men did so at the request of the criminal figure. He used police as sort of standover men – men who threatened people with physical violence in order to have their wishes carried out. Stephen became nervous and anxious in the months before he vanished.
Investigation
No one reported Stephen Jelfs as missing until six months after his partner last saw him. Current Chief Inspector John Lehmann from the homicide squad’s unsolved homicide team, has no explanation for the delay but suggested the reason was because Stephen often traveled overseas at the last minute.
Police suspected Stephen’s involvement with drugs because he carried large sums of cash. This is possible due to the type of clientele Stephen associated with, including the man mentioned above. However, he also did business with a wealthy man who owned multiple properties. Stephen helped him sell the properties, earning lucrative commissions in the process.
Detectives were never able to confirm Stephen’s involvement in organized crime.
When police questioned Stephen’s close friends in 1978, they refused to speak up, something that has bothered Neville Jelfs to this day. Did they know something?
There is not much information on the actual 1978 investigation. In 2009, a coroner found that Stephen had died, but could not say how.
Stephen’s Friend
Peter Rolfe pushed tirelessly for a reward in Stephen Jelfs’ case. In 1994, his partner, Stephen Dempsey disappeared. Police found his body five months later.
“Stephen used to do beats quite often and I used to do them with him, but it did surprise me he was murdered at one – he’d always been so fearless,” Rolfe told the Star Observer.
“After I’d discovered he was missing I was driving past Deep Creek Park and I remembered that Stephen used to go there, so I drove in to check.”
As soon as he found the car he phoned the police, who took Rolfe to the station before searching his house to make sure he hadn’t been keeping Stephen tied up somewhere himself. For months Stephen’s body had vanished, until 21-year-old Richard Leonard stabbed a taxi driver at Collaroy Plateau, not far from the beat where Stephen had gone missing (Wade 2016).
“The detective in charge was looking over into Deep Creek which you could see from there and he made a comment to his partner about that,” Rolfe said.
“Soon after a torso washed up at Pittwater, and through a DNA test they discovered it was Stephen, and that he’d been shot with a bow and arrow.”
Leonard owned a bow and arrow, and he murdered Stephen Dempsey, dismembered his body and then dumped the remains into the sea.
The Sydney Gay Beat Murders
Between 1989 and 1999, 46 known gay hate murders occurred in New South Wales. 30 additional cases remain unsolved. These murders became known as “The Sydney Gay Beat Murders.”
The disappearance of Stephen Jelfs and the murder of his partner prompted Peter Rolfe to advocate on behalf of victims, now as president of the advocacy group, Support After Murder.
Current Information
The Kings Cross figure was still alive as of 2015 and living in Sydney.
Stephen’s partner returned to Thailand and is not considered a suspect in Stephen’s disappearance.
In 2015, Stephen’s father, Neville and sister, Lynette Price, made a public plea for information regarding Stephen Jelfs’ fate, and the state government offered $100,000 reward.
Anyone with information in this case, please call Australia Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.
True Crime Diva’s Thoughts
I think the Kings Cross thug most likely hired someone to kill Stephen Jelfs and dispose of his body. Obviously, he was using his minions to do the dirty work of first intimidating and then killing Stephen. Why did he think Stephen took the notebook? What was in this notebook that was worth killing over? I’m sure there were all kinds of shady characters going in and out of his house, so why did he suspect Stephen?I’d love to know who this man is.
Why dd Stephen’s friends refuse to speak with police in 1978? What did they know?
Did Stephen do drugs? Is this a hate crime? Did someone kill Stephen for being gay?
There is little information on Stephen’s partner, so I have no idea why he police ruled him out as a suspect. I’m guessing he had a good alibi.
Source:
Wade, Matthew. 2016. “The Sydney Gay Beat Murders Revealed”. Star Observer. http://www.starobserver.com.au/features/in-depth-features/sydney-gay-beat-murders-revealed/152993.