Snowy Rowles - What made him do it?
Understanding the motivations of a serial killer is a common mystery, but none more so than the case of Snowy Rowles.
Despite a criminal record, there was no real evidence that he was prone to bursts of violence, and his previous convictions were for petty theft and burglary. It seems his primary reason was a simple belief that he could get away with it.
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| Rowles standing beside James Ryan’s Car. National Library of
Australia pic-an9897467-2 |
Had he not been an escaped prisoner then it would have been
difficult for the police to hold him during the investigation. As
it was, Manning was able to charge him for past offences and buy
some time to find the evidence he needed.
Rowles maintained his innocence to the end. His final words following the verdict: “I’ve been found guilty of a crime that was never committed.”
He did, however, come close to a confession. Manning claimed that after signing two statements, Rowles said to him, “A man must have a kink to do this sort of thing. I am sorry I did not take my old lady’s advice. She wanted me to give myself up when I escaped from Dalwallinu, and if I had taken her advice I would have had that all over by now and would not have this other thing to face.”
When he was asked what ‘other thing’ he was referring to he allegedly replied, “Oh, I suppose the less said about that the better”