Arnold Karl Sodeman ((1899-12-12)12 December 1899 – (1936-06-01)1 June 1936), also known as the School-girl Strangler, was an Australian serial killer who targeted children.
Although Sodeman seemed to suffer from occasional bouts of depression and frequent drunkenness, he was never violent towards his family.
On 1 December 1935 Sodeman killed his fourth victim, a 6-year-old girl named June Rushmer, the daughter of a coworker who was taken from a local park.
During a morning tea break a fellow worker jokingly stated he had seen Sodeman on his bike near the crime scene.
The government pathologist Dr. Mollison said that the dead girl's hands were tied behind her back with a piece of cloth and a bloodstained garment was pushed into her mouth.
I agreed, and rode down the stock route and turned down the road leading to the sanitary depot.
The Government medical officer Dr. A. J. W. Philpott, his assistant, Dr. R. T. Allan, and a psychiatrist Dr Reginald Ellery, all gave evidence that Sodeman was suffering from a disorder of the mind which created an 'obsessional impulse' of such power that—under the influence of alcohol—he was no longer responsible for his behaviour.
Their conclusion was reinforced not only by Sodeman's repetitive behaviour but also by his family's medical history: both his father and grandfather had died insane.
Judge Charles Gavan Duffy then sentenced him to death for the murder of Rushmer having advised the jury to distinguish between opinions given by expert medical witnesses on matters relating to the physical body, which could be proved by surgery, and those concerning the mind.
An extract from The Argus, on Friday 24 April 1936, read:"An English King's Counsel has now been engaged to plead the case before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council of Arnold Sodeman, who has been condemned to death for the murder of June Rushmer at Leongatha.
Sodeman's solicitor (Mr. C H. Auty) said yesterday that he had arranged by cable message for Mr D. N Pritt, K C, a leading Kings Counsel, and a member of the House of Commons, to appear for Sodeman in the proposed application by him for special leave to appeal against the refusal of the High Court of Australia to grant him special leave to appeal against his conviction.
Meanwhile, Mr. Auty has addressed a written request to the Premier Mr. Dunstan) that the Government should grant a further reprieve to Sodeman until such time as the condemned man's application to the Privy Council has been determined Mr Auty said yesterday that he was now 'preparing the petition for special leave to appeal and other necessary documents.
It is expected that a report will be received from the Crown Law Department next week, and if the Cabinet decides that the request should be granted the necessary action will be taken immediately by the Executive Council.
The grounds of the appeal were: (1) that the learned trial Judge wrongly admitted evidence, namely, the evidence of the deaths of Mena Griffiths, Hazel Wilson, and Ethel Belshaw; (2) that the learned trial judge misdirected the jury (a) as to the onus of proof in a case of insanity, (b) as to the requirements of the law in relation to insanity, and (c) as to the law relating to drink, insanity, and manslaughter; and (3) that the prosecution and the learned trial Judge made comments on the failure of the accused to give evidence.
Sodeman spent a good deal of his time playing draughts with Edward Cornelius, who was under sentence of death for the murder of Reverend Cecil in Fitzroy in November of the previous year.
An autopsy disclosed that he was suffering from leptomeningitis, a degenerative disease that could cause serious inflammation of the brain when aggravated by alcohol.
The episode first went to air in November 1965 and was introduced by actor John Fegan, warning of the importance of protecting children.
On the seventy-fifth anniversary of the murder of Ethel Belshaw, Leongatha newspaper ‘’’The Great Southern Star’’’ published an interview with Maureen Lewis (née Keighery) who was the Sodeman's neighbour in 1935.