https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4 Madison Snow & Sarah Arnold en-us 2018-12-11 16:11:52 UTC 2023-03-06 23:38:14 UTC hello@padlet.com sarahea01488 https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/313487142

Scott Johnson was a 27-year-old American man who resided in Australia.

Scott was a gay man who had a significant other at the time of his death.

Johnson was originally from Los Angeles, and lived across the street from Disneyland. This was anything but the "happiest place on Earth" for Scott.

In the late 1960's and early 1970's being gay in California was still considered a crime. 

Before Scott came out to his family as gay, and while he was a boy his mother's current boyfriend considered Scott to be a sissy and decided to try and "correct him" and "make him into a man". 

It was not until Scott was in his mid-twenties that he had began to explore his homosexuality, aware that it would continuously bring attention to his family.

The reason Scott moved from the U.S to Australia in 1986 was to be with his partner who is now a professor in the U.S.

]]> 2018-12-11 16:40:00 UTC https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/313487142 sarahea01488 https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/313488131

The cliff at North Head in Manly, Sydney is where the body of Johnson was found. Ten meters back from the edge of the cliff, where Scott's clothes were found was a "gay beat" -- a place men met for casual sex.

Criminologists conclude that it would be unlikely that any criminal would risk their own life to commit acts against the gay community at North Head due to the rocky and rough terrain.

]]> 2018-12-11 16:41:21 UTC https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/313488131 sarahea01488 https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/313954886

Alberici, Emma. “A Mystery Reopens: Suicide or Gay Hate Crime?” ABC News, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 3 Jan. 2017, www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-12/was-scott-johnsons-death-suicide-or-a-gay-hate-crime/8110386.

]]> 2018-12-12 17:37:15 UTC https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/313954886 sarahea01488 https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/313958532

Detective Chief Inspector Pamela Young uncovered no evidence to support a finding of murder.

In a 439 page report, Young made reference to the 2005 police operation Taradale, which revealed the deaths of three gay men in 1989 as a result of the individuals being forced to their death from the cliff at a gay beat in Bondi, Australia, but found no similar evidence in Manly, Australia.

Senators Edward Kennedy and Elizabeth Warren wrote letters to state MPs and ministers claiming there had been an error in the initial police investigation and called for police to take another look into the case.

"I got a message that Scott's body had been found at the bottom of a cliff. We were both crying at that point and I asked how it happened. By the time I got [to Australia] about 36 hours later the police had decided it was a suicide." - Steve Johnson, brother of Scott Johnson.

 It has been noted that there had been 35 deaths, not including Scott's, that have been identified occurring at North Head between the years 1986 and 2000 with the bodies found at the base of the cliffs. 5 deaths were recorded as accidents, and the other 30 were recorded as suicide.

Chief Inspector Young found that eight unsolved deaths could have possibly been motivated by gay hate, although none at North Head or in Manly.

It is believed that there is two or more assailants involved in the case. 

This is a time when gangs were known to roam the beaches to beat homosexuals. 

This case is not the only cold case police have reviewed, dozens of cases and identified 23 involving gay men where there is suspicion of the cause.

Police are certain that at least five, including Scott's, were the result of gay hate crimes.

Evidence that a gang called "The Narrabeen Skinheads" had boasted about bashing an "American faggot" around the time of Johnson's death.

]]> 2018-12-12 17:43:46 UTC https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/313958532 sarahea01488 https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/315154110

Scott's partner believes it was a suicide, as Scott had previously told him that he had suicidal thoughts.

Scott's brother, Steve, has hired lawyers and private investigators to prove that it was not a suicide.

There is no known witnesses to Scott's death.

Chief Inspectors believe the case would have been ruled as suicide, but due to Steve Johnson's wealth and influence, he has managed to have the case reopened as he is adamant and believes the cause of death was murder.

There has been two police investigations and three coronial inquests for Scott's murder.

It was noted that the police were reluctant to investigate crimes involving the gay community in the 1980's, which is why Scott's death was initially ruled as a suicide. It was also believed that this case was just one of the many murders that occurred in the 80's and 90's that was not investigated as murders.

A coroner in 2017 declared that the death was due to a homophobic hate crime.

There is a $1 million award to anyone that comes forward with information about the case that will lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Scott's death.

The public wants to find justice for Scott, and have been a great support according to Steve.

]]> 2018-12-17 13:54:46 UTC https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/315154110 sarahea01488 https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/315165422 “Australian Police Offer $1 Million Reward in Scott Johnson Murder Case.” PinkNews, PinkNews, 9 Dec. 2018, www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/12/09/scott-johnson-murder-reward/. ]]> 2018-12-17 14:18:21 UTC https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/315165422 sarahea01488 https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/315575501 2018-12-18 16:02:21 UTC https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/315575501 sarahea01488 https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/315958599 Click to watch!]]> 2018-12-19 17:52:01 UTC https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/315958599 sarahea01488 https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/315959022 “Australian Police Offer $1 Million Reward in Scott Johnson Murder Case.” PinkNews, PinkNews, 9 Dec. 2018, www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/12/09/scott-johnson-murder-reward/. ]]> 2018-12-19 17:53:08 UTC https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/315959022 sarahea01488 https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/315963411

The Johnson family is still seeking answers today. The police and public try to be a support, but little to no new evidence is coming forward. This is a main reason as to why the reward for information was made.

]]> 2018-12-19 18:04:19 UTC https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/315963411 sarahea01488 https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/317089447 2019-01-02 17:38:05 UTC https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/317089447 sarahea01488 https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/318376027 Alyssa, Lilly, maddy C: should be better organuized but good job lots of info!!

Tyler, Julia, Jen: The "The Case" column should be split up into smaller ones, but it had a lot of detailed stuff, good job!

Austin and group: the same with the one above it needs to split the panels up a bit. 

cam,  michaela, shannon:
 very detailed info, and lots of it. why did the gangs choose beaches?

Mike: Good setup and very informative, a little confused on the story tho.

Jacob: I believe this may be one of the biggest rewards for an unsolved case-Interesting

Lexus: Videos were cool, like the layout. Lots of facts. 

riordan, victoria, nathan:
- nice use of quotes
- its cool that you chose a hate crime outside of the us
- very detailed and well done]]> 2019-01-08 15:59:06 UTC https://padlet.com/sarahea01488/1dfbfxoo76n4/wish/318376027