Unmasking the Killer of the Missing Beaumont Children

About the Author

Stuart Mullins was born in Glenelg, South Australia, in the late 1950s. He grew up in Seacombe Gardens, a mere five kilometres from Somerton Park, where the Beaumont family resided, and holds multiple personal connections to the family and the case. He attended the Nepean College of Advanced Education, Penrith, now the University of Western Sydney, where he obtained his teaching qualifications. He has worked in multiple roles abroad including with former SAS personnel for the Scottish Adventure School on the island of Raasay, working with unemployed teenagers from Glasgow, Dundee, and Stirling, as a Physical Education teacher in Durban, South Africa, as well as with Club Mediterranean South Pacific as recreation manager, then at the five-star Hayman Island Resort North Queensland. He spent two years in Japan working in an executive search company, finally returning to Australia to start his own hospitality recruitment company, which he still runs today. Stuart assisted Alan Whiticker in his research for Alan’s book Searching for the Beaumont Children, published in 2006. He then teamed up with Alan as co-author of the bestselling The Satin Man: Uncovering the Mystery of the Missing Beaumont Children. Stuart was also the writer for Joe Bugner: My Story about the only heavyweight boxer to go the distance twice with the greatest, Muhammad Ali. Bill Hayes was born in Northern Ireland and later spent part of his childhood in London’s East End. He joined the Merchant Navy at age fifteen, going on to enlist in the UK Armed Forces where he earned the famous British Airborne Paratroop wings. Migrating to Australia, he also joined the Australian Army Reserve, where he was commissioned as an officer. In his civilian career, he joined the Australian Federal Police and was posted to Woomera, South Australia. After a couple of years, he joined the South Australia Police (SAPOL), serving as a uniform patrol officer and then in the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) as a detective. Later, Bill joined the Major Crime Squad, where in the 1980s, he was tasked with reviewing statements pertaining to the case of the missing Beaumont children. After fifteen years’ service, Bill left to set up his own successful private investigation company, where he remains. He was approached by Stuart Mullins in 2008 to assist with investigating Harry Phipps and his possible link to the Beaumont children’s abduction. Bill is happily married with three children and four grandchildren and now lives on the south coast of South Australia.