
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, November 5, 1993                   TAG: 9311050029
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA                                LENGTH: Short

AUSTRALIAN POLICE LAUNCH MANHUNT FOR SERIAL KILLER

The discovery of seven skeletons in rugged forest known as "Executioner's Drop" has set off the biggest manhunt for a killer in Australian history.

All seven victims are believed to have been young hitchhikers, and the first two were reported missing three years ago. The investigation was pushed into overdrive Thursday when police found two bodies half a mile from where the remains of German tourist Simone Schmidl were discovered three days before.

"I think it would be fair to say that given we now have seven bodies . . . we do have a serial killer," Police Superintendent Clive Small, head of the investigation, said Thursday.

The investigative task force has collected a huge library of information about missing persons, including dental records, which they are using to identify the remains.

The remains found Thursday are believed to be that of two German backpackers.

by CNB