• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Film/TV/Stream
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Tech/Science
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • Madonna’s Daughter Lourdes Leon Drops First Single & Steamy Music Video: WATCH
  • Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez
  • Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

Man Arrested in 1988 Cold Case Murder of Gay American Scott Johnson Has Been Identified as Circumstances Surrounding Death Come Out: WATCH

Andy Towle May 13, 2020 Leave a Comment

white

Detectives in New South Wales on Tuesday arrested a man and charged him with murder in the 1988 cold case death of Sydney-based American Scott Johnson that only three years ago was classified a hate crime rather than a suicide. That man has been identified as Scott White, and he was arrested after someone came forward with information.

Scott Johnson murder
Scott johnson

ABC News Australia reports: “The arrest of the 49-year-old man from Lane Cove came after an extensive police operation. The ABC understands that police will allege the then 18-year-old met Scott Johnson at a hotel in Manly before heading to what was a popular gay beat at the time — a place men met for casual sex. The scene of Mr Johnson’s last moments is a 15-to-20 minute walk from the central hub of Manly through a car park and up a steep dirt track past shrubbery and a wall that shields the site from the view of any passersby. At Bluefish Point, Scott Johnson is believed to have removed his clothes at which time Mr White is alleged to have panicked and punched him causing Mr Johnson to lose his balance and fall to his death.”

Johnson’s sister Rebecca spoke out in an interview: “I’m so grateful that [an informant] came forward. … Scott and others like Scott were persecuted for being gay solely for being gay. It’s important, I think, that we acknowledge that.”

video
play-rounded-fill
Link
typorama 6 copy

In 1989, Mr Johnson’s death was ruled a suicide. When evidence began to emerge that gangs had been attacking gay men in the area during the 1980s and 1990s, his family pushed for a second inquest. In 2012, the suicide ruling was overturned. A recommendation was made that police reinvestigate his death.

In December 2017, almost 30 years following his death, New South Wales state coroner Michael Barnes said he was “persuaded to the requisite standard Scott Johnson died as a result of a gay hate attack” and not a suicide.

It is now thought that as many as 88 deaths in Sydney starting in the 1970s, including 30 unsolved cases, were hate crimes. In 2016, a multimedia project including a four-part fictional drama examined the case. Deep Water also included a documentary and a podcast.

The New York Times reported in November 2017: “Former Australian officials have said the police at that time were often hostile toward gay men and complacent about investigating their deaths. In 2013, the police of New South Wales, which includes Sydney, opened a review of 88 deaths of men between 1976 and 2000 to determine whether they should be reclassified as hate crimes. No new arrests have been made since then, and Magistrate Barnes said there was insufficient evidence to determine who killed Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson’s brother, Steve Johnson, an American tech entrepreneur who hired an investigator and pushed for the case to be reopened, said Thursday that he never believed his brother had committed suicide. When he learned about a 2005 inquest into three deaths from the same period, which found that the men had been driven off cliffs, ‘everything clicked into place,’ said Mr. Johnson, 58, who was in court for the Thursday ruling.”

At the inquest, Barnes said the initial investigators in Mr. Johnson’s case had “quickly jumped to conclusions without thoroughly and impartially examining all the facts.”

He added that that the area from which Mr. Johnson fell was a well-known cruising spot. Some retired officials have acknowledged that groups of teenagers and young men would target such areas but police failed to see it at the time.

In a statement in 2017, New South Wales police said that is had “conducted an exhaustive investigation over the past four years and presented all available evidence” about Mr. Johnson’s death to the coroner. “Any new information provided to police relating to the circumstances of Mr. Johnson’s death,” the statement added, “will be thoroughly investigated.”

Topics: Deaths, towleroad More Posts About: Australia, crime, hate crime, Scott Johnson, Scott White, Sydney

Related Posts
  • Man who shot Ahmaud Arbery gets life sentence for U.S. hate crime
  • Wisconsin prison guard who allegedly threw gay woman into a fire will get hate crime charges dropped: report
  • U.S. files hate crimes charges against white gunman in Buffalo shooting
  • Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

    Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Jonathan Knight has married his boyfriend Harley Rodriguez. The New Kids on the Block star has confirmed he’s a married man after tying the knot with his longtime partner in secret …Read More »
  • Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

    Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

    Published by Reuters By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican hopes of taking control of the U.S. Senate in November could hinge on former football star Herschel Walker, a first-time candidate endorsed by Donald Trump, whose …Read More »
  • The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

    The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

    Published by OK Magazine mega August 31 marks the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s tragic death — and her only brother, Charles, proudly spoke out about his sister! “I’m always surprised by how difficult August 31 …Read More »
  • U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

    U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

    Published by Reuters By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Justice Department on Wednesday released under court order all of a 2019 memo https://www.justice.gov/file/1528466/download in which two top officials advised then-Attorney General William Barr not to …Read More »
Previous Post: « Anderson Cooper Tells Howard Stern Why His Ex Benjamin Will Co-Parent His Son: ‘I Don’t Really Have a Family…’ — WATCH
Next Post: Hillary Clinton Slams Jared Kushner: ‘The President’s Son-in-Law Doesn’t Get to Decide When the Election Is’ »

Primary Sidebar

Adjacent News

  • Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner Contently Stroll Hand-In-Hand As Donald Trump’s Legal Woes Mount

    Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner Contently Stroll Hand-In-Hand As Donald Trump’s Legal Woes Mount

  • Biden to hold first political rally in run-up to November elections

    Biden to hold first political rally in run-up to November elections

  • Trump has displayed ‘anxiety in private conversations’ following Mar-a-Lago search: report

    Trump has displayed ‘anxiety in private conversations’ following Mar-a-Lago search: report

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y’know

  • Duke and Duchess of Sussex adopt new rescue dog

    Duke and Duchess of Sussex adopt new rescue dog

  • Vanessa Bryant awarded 16m in damages over helicopter crash photos

    Vanessa Bryant awarded 16m in damages over helicopter crash photos

  • Lisa Scott-Lee recalls surreal dinner date with Michael Jackson

    Lisa Scott-Lee recalls surreal dinner date with Michael Jackson

RSS Partner Links

  • An error has occurred, which probably means the feed is down. Try again later.

Most Recent

  • Madonna’s Daughter Lourdes Leon Drops First Single & Steamy Music Video: WATCH

    Madonna’s Daughter Lourdes Leon Drops First Single & Steamy Music Video: WATCH

  • Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

    Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

  • Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

    Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

  • The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

    The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

  • U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

    U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

  • William Orbit: ‘Queen loves DJs as long as they end sets with National Anthem’

    William Orbit: ‘Queen loves DJs as long as they end sets with National Anthem’

  • Sir Rod Stewart takes another cheeky dig at his long-time pal Sir Elton John with stage mockery

    Sir Rod Stewart takes another cheeky dig at his long-time pal Sir Elton John with stage mockery

  • Scott Maxwell: Marco Rubio says his campaign is ‘a disaster.’ Is he crying wolf or truly scared of Demings?

    Scott Maxwell: Marco Rubio says his campaign is ‘a disaster.’ Is he crying wolf or truly scared of Demings?

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

Footer

Copyright © 2025 · Log in

×