Norman Weston Toms

Found brutally murdered on the veranda of a vacant house, the savage killing of a penniless Perth man remains a disturbing mystery.

Norman Weston Toms, a 58-year-old man described as being almost penniless, was found murdered on the afternoon of Saturday, May 11, 1974. His body was discovered at approximately 4:10 pm on the veranda of a vacant boarding house on Newcastle Street in Perth. The scene revealed that Toms had been the victim of a savage and brutal assault that ultimately led to his death.

The ferocity of the attack was particularly noted by investigators, with one report describing it as 'almost maniacal'. Despite the violence of the crime, there was no clear motive. Nothing appeared to have been stolen, and Toms' financial situation made robbery an unlikely reason for the murder. The person or persons responsible for this heinous act have never been identified, leaving the case unsolved for decades.

Six months after the murder of Norman Toms, another murder case with striking similarities emerged. The victim, Gwenneth Graham, was found sexually assaulted and murdered in Balga. Detectives at the time noted the 'extraordinary similarities' between the two cases. Both victims were found naked, had been strangled and savagely beaten, and had suffered broken ribs, leading to speculation that the murderer may have jumped on their chests. While a public link was never officially made, the parallels between the two murders raised concerns that a single killer could be responsible.