Sydney Man’s 1976 Murder Was Likely Gay Hate Crime

A man stabbed 53 times in a “frenzied attack” in 1976 was likely the victim of a gay hate crime, an inquiry has heard. 

On September 26, 1976, labourer Barry Jones had been drinking at a local pub before engaging in a sexual act at a nearby park known to be a gay beat,  in the evening. The 41-year-old’s body was found the following morning at the park, which was known to be a  local gay beat, with 53 stab wounds and a 10cm laceration to his throat. Jones died after 10 pm at the grandstand in Five Dock Park. 

He was found with semen stains on his underwear and trousers which suggested that the labourer had engaged in sexual acts prior to his death. 

Inquiry Into LGBTQI hate crimes 

The NSW Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes has been examining the unsolved deaths of 88 gay men and trans women between 1970 and 2010.

Appointed Commissioner Justice John Sackar is required to inquire into and report to the Governor by June 30 on two categories. Category A involves the manner and cause of death in all cases that remain unsolved from the 88 deaths or suspected deaths of men potentially motivated by gay hate bias that was considered by the New South Wales Police Force as part of its Strike Force “Parrabell”. 

Category B involves the manner and cause of death in all unsolved suspected hate crime deaths in New South Wales that occurred between 1970 and 2010 where: the victim was a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) community; and the death was the subject of a previous investigation by the NSW Police Force.

A witness who saw two men at the pub on the night of Jones’ murder gave a statement to the police, saying: “They knew Barry because they kept saying, ‘That bastard he’s a queer, he’s a poof’.”

Gay Hate Murder

William de Mars, the counsel assisting, stated that although the evidence concerning Jones’ sexuality is unclear, it strongly indicates that he did not experience sexual attraction towards women. “It seems more likely than not that the perpetrator of the crime was motivated by a belief or understanding that Mr Jones was gay,” de Mars told the hearing.

According to de Mars, Jones also did not have any known enemies and there was no clear motive for his murder. He described the injuries as indicative of a “frenzied attack”, stating that the 53 stab wounds were a “gratuitous infliction of wounds well in excess of those necessary to bring about death”, which was potentially consistent with a hate-based motivation. 

The inquiry also heard about the murder of Peter Baumann, a German musician and composer, who went missing from his home in Waverley in October 1983. Baumann’s remains were never found and the inquiry heard that the first time police investigate the case was 10 years after the suspicious disappearance. Counsel Assisting Meg O’Brien said that the police did not make any attempt to locate the witness.

A former partner said that they found the words ‘AIDS’ scrawled on a mirror in Baumann’s room after his disappearance. The statement led to a reasonable basis to believe that Baumann’s disappearance could have been a gay hate homicide.

The final report, to be delivered by Supreme Court Justice John Sackar, is scheduled for August 2023.