Shirley Finn

Shirley June Finn, a prominent Perth brothel madam, was found murdered in her car on June 23, 1975, just two days before she was scheduled to testify at a tax hearing. She had been shot four times in the head in an execution-style killing. It was widely rumored that Finn intended to expose a web of corruption involving high-ranking police officers, politicians, and businessmen in exchange for a deal on her significant tax debt. The initial police investigation was marred by allegations of incompetence and a cover-up, with crucial evidence mishandled or lost, leading to decades of speculation and public distrust.

Over the years, numerous suspects have been named, including senior police officials and notorious criminals, but no one has ever been charged with her murder. A coronial inquest, which concluded in 2020, was unable to definitively identify the person or persons responsible for her death. The case remains one of Australia's most infamous unsolved murders, a chilling reminder of a dark chapter in Western Australia's history, where power, corruption, and murder intersected.

The Execution of a Brothel Madam

On the morning of June 23, 1975, the body of Shirley June Finn, a 34-year-old brothel madam, was discovered in her white Dodge Phoenix, parked on the edge of the Royal Perth Golf Club in Western Australia. She had been shot four times in the head at close range, a brutal execution that has remained one of Australia's most infamous unsolved murders. The timing of her death was particularly suspicious, occurring just two days before she was due to face a significant tax hearing where she had allegedly threatened to expose a network of corruption involving prominent politicians, police officers, and businessmen.

A City of Secrets and Corruption

In 1970s Perth, prostitution was illegal but operated under a system of police-controlled "containment." Brothel madams like Shirley Finn were allowed to operate as long as they paid kickbacks to certain police officers. Finn, however, was reportedly growing tired of these payments, especially as she faced a crippling tax bill. Her threats to "name names" at her upcoming tax hearing are widely believed to be the motive for her murder. The initial police investigation was heavily criticized for its incompetence and alleged corruption. Key evidence was lost or mishandled, and promising leads were seemingly ignored, fueling public suspicion of a cover-up designed to protect powerful individuals.

A Daughter's Fight for Justice

For decades, the case went cold, but Shirley Finn's daughter, Bridget Shewring, never gave up hope of finding answers. Her relentless pursuit of justice, along with the work of journalist Juliet Wills, led to a new inquest in 2017. The inquest, which ran for over 18 months, heard from dozens of witnesses and unearthed a mountain of evidence, much of it contradictory and pointing to a web of intrigue and deceit. Several high-profile individuals were named as suspects, including former head of the vice squad Bernie Johnson, and notorious Sydney hitman Arthur "Neddy" Smith. Despite the extensive investigation, the coroner was unable to definitively identify the killer or killers, leaving the case officially unsolved.

The Unanswered Questions

The Shirley Finn case continues to cast a long shadow over Western Australia's history. The murder exposed a dark underbelly of corruption that reached the highest levels of power. While the inquest provided a public airing of the evidence and allegations, it ultimately failed to deliver justice for Shirley Finn and her family. The question of who killed Shirley Finn, and why, remains a chilling and unanswered question, a testament to a time when sex, money, and murder were intertwined in a city of secrets.