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Fate dealt a cruel hand when James and Simon took the right fork south to Yagga Yagga while tribal man Mark Moora was driving north on the left fork. Later that night, back at Yagga Yagga, Mark heard a Land Cruiser follow the boys into the desert. It returned the following night, with its lights off as it passed the settlement.
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Simon’s Valiant Charger rusts in the steel yard at Flora Valley homestead nearly three decades after his death. The police and station manager Giles Loder claimed the boys had stolen a station vehicle and driven home for Christmas in the eastern states. Yet Loder knew Simon had left his pride and joy at the homestead. And the police knew James had left his money and possessions at Nicholson homestead.
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Broome Taxi owner John Kernot was in Balgo three weeks after the boys disappeared. Two local kids told him James and Simon had been shot and dumped in the desert south of Balgo. Kernot phoned the Broome police a few days later, but was told: "That's just mission talk, John. Don't take any notice of it."
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(above) Governess Therese Stansfield-Campbell, 16, grew up on cattle stations. She could operate the HF radio through which James and Simon called in twice a day to say they were alright. Giles Loder told her to keep it switched off and delegated Shane Kendall to monitor calls. But Kendall was incompetent and failed to advise anyone that the boys hadn't called in for over two days.
(above) Shane Francis Kendall was the last person to see Simon Amos alive at Sturt Creek station homestead yet could remember very little of the encounter. His boss, Giles Loder, was the last person to see James Annetts alive, at Nicholson homestead. He was equally vague when asked about their meeting.
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Former Alice Downs station manager Don McKay at his hardware store in Halls Creek. He says that cattle rustling was standard practice and any station manager who denied it was lying. He doubted the suicide verdict on the hanging death of Fabian Rupert Butcher at Bottle Tree bore. He believes the man was murdered.
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