Honouring The Forgotten Mystery Of Jean Morris

In light of the extraordinary, community driven initiative of honouring 1932 Ayr murder victim, Jean Morris nearing completion, many locals are fascinated with the story behind the historical Queen Street event, particularly Henry Petersen and Paula Dawson.

Both Henry and Paula set out to honour the young woman who until recently, resided in a 93-year-old unmarked grave in the Ayr cemetery.

Anna Philomena Morgan, born in 1913, lived a life shrouded in mystery and tragedy. In her early years, Philomena’s upbringing was fragmented due to absent and unreliable parental figures, and over her nineteen years of life, she was known by many names including Philomena Franki, Anna Morgan, Ann Manganetti, and Decimah. Drifting between identities and living situations, Philomena left her childhood home in 1930 and moved to Darlinghurst where many unconfirmed rumours surrounding her profession began to circulate.

In the 1930s, a mysterious murder case surfaced involving the so called, “Pyjama Girl”, a woman found tragically murdered in peculiar clothing. Sparking speculation, photographs and witness descriptions of the “Pyjama Girl” resembled closely Philomena, and Philomena’s mother, Jeanette Routledge, had petitioned for her missing daughter’s estate in a small claims court - unintentionally igniting theories that Philomena herself might have been the “Pyjama Girl”. Dr. Benbow, a forensic expert, initially supported this theory before it was ultimately set aside by authorities, however, the mystery lingered, with Philomena neither definitively linked nor excluded as the “Pyjama Girl”.

Another tragic murder case headlined in 1932, where a woman named Jean Morris was found in Queen Street, Ayr in her nightdress with a weapon still in hand. Jean, whose real name was unknown, was found to be connected to Philomena across police theories, and it is believed she was involved with a secret Italian crime syndicate operating in North Queensland. Police suggested Philomena had taken on the identity of Jean Morris, however the “Ayr Tragedy” as printed by the punishments of the time, only deepened the mystery around Philomena.

Despite the tangled narrative of “who done it” spread across decades of media coverage, both murders still remain unsolved, and the body of Jean Morris was buried unmarked in the Ayr cemetery, unclaimed by family.

Almost a century later, many theories continue to circulate including Jean’s suspected associations to members of the Black Hand, an Italian-Australian mafia group allegedly connected to a string of murders throughout the 1920s and 1930s.

Over 50 years ago, Henry learnt of Jean Morris’ story in the Melbourne Truth Newspaper, a story he said, stayed with him. Today, with the help and support of his friend, Paula, the pair have fundraised over $4,500 to establish a headstone for Jean’s grave, with additional funds set to be donated to support families of murdered women, and women who have escaped a domestic violence situation.

Donations towards the Jean Morris Burdekin Community Fundraiser can be made at Paula’s Place Hair Salon on Queen Street, Ayr or online via the “Stiletto Jean Morris Headstone Fundraiser” Go Fund Me page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/stiletto-jean-morris-headstone-fundraiser.

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The location where Jean Morris was found at 10am on 2 October 1932.
Jean Morris was tragically murdered at 19-years-old.

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