On January 11, 1965, Marianne Schmidt, a 15-year-old white female of West German origin, was murdered alongside her best friend and neighbor, Christine Sharrock, also a 15-year-old white female, at Wanda Beach near Cronulla in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The girls had emigrated with their families and lived in the suburb of West Ryde. Marianne had arrived in Australia in 1958 with her parents, Helmut and Elisabeth Schmidt, and several siblings.
Christine lived with her grandparents and had formed a close friendship with Marianne after the Schmidt family moved in next door.
That morning, Marianne and Christine took four of Marianne's younger siblings to Cronulla Beach. Due to strong winds, the beach was closed, and the group sought shelter among rocks at the southern end. Around 1:00 p.m., the girls told the younger children they were heading back to retrieve their bags but instead walked deeper into the sand dunes. When they failed to return, the children eventually went home alone. The girls were reported missing that evening, and their partially buried bodies were discovered the next morning by a local man walking through the dunes.
The crime scene revealed that Marianne Schmidt, the 15-year-old white female victim, had suffered a deeply slashed throat and multiple stab wounds. Her body was found lying on her side with her left leg bent. Christine's body was face down, her head resting against Marianne's foot. Both girls had facial scratches, and evidence suggested Christine had tried to flee before being dragged back. Autopsies showed that both girls had been sexually assaulted, though their hymens remained intact. Semen was found on their bodies, and their underwear had been cut. Marianne had been stabbed more than 15 times, including a fatal wound to the heart, and nearly decapitated.
The investigation
