<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The South Australian attorney-general has lodged an appeal to review the decision to release Snowtown killer James Vlassakis on parole.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/james-vlassakis-snowtown-killer-granted-parole/46f3c8f7-60b3-49de-80ea-bacbbceee6ff" rel="" target="" title="Parole Board granted Vlassakis parole in August"><span>Parole Board granted Vlassakis parole in August</span></a><span> after he served 26 years of his life sentence for his role in the "bodies in the barrels" serial killings in the 1990s.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At the time, Parole Board chair Frances Nelson said Vlassakis appeared "genuinely remorseful".</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/mark-butler-shane-hryhorec-ran-into-a-glaring-issue-at-meeting-with-health-and-disability-minister-at-port-adelaide-office/3a66d8bd-f727-4e6f-8339-8f29a9c0a071" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Shane uses a wheelchair. He ran into a glaring problem at the disability minister's office</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The families of his victims opposed the move, saying he did not deserve to be released.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Attorney-General Kyam Maher has now lodged an appeal to review the approved parole, Parole Administrative Review Commissioner Michael David has confirmed.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The attorney-general's office said it was unable to comment on the matter.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/snowtown-murders-sa-attorney-general-requests-review-into-release-james-vlassakis/8e7000f4-eefe-4303-a135-c93f98b263d4" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There are strict confidentiality provisions governing reviews by the Parole Administrative Review Commissioner and under the Act, only the Commissioner or a Court can authorise disclosure of information," a spokesperson said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The matter will be heard by the commissioner, and a directions hearing will be held in the coming days to outline the next steps.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Vlassakis, the youngest of the three killers, was 19 when he was jailed for helping kill four of 11 people between 1992 and 1999.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australia-property-value-loss-flood-risk-climate-council-report/3add0864-1626-4e82-8d0b-4d792c0d5169" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Aussies dealt massive $42 billion property market blow</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His stepfather, John Bunting, was the ringleader who convinced Vlassakis and Robert Wagner to help him.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Bunting and Wagner remain behind bars.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/snowtown-murders-bodies-in-barrels-murders-mark-haydon-release-south-australia/f4b62a72-ec3d-4238-94d2-64697fbcdef3" rel="" target="_blank" title="Mark Haydon, an accomplice who helped dispose of the bodies, was released"><span>Mark Haydon, an accomplice who helped dispose of the bodies, was released</span></a><span> into the community last year after serving 25 years in prison. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The series of murders came to light when police discovered bodies decaying in barrels in an unused bank vault in Snowtown, about 150 kilometres north of Adelaide. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Police found and linked another four bodies to the killers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, there were only murder convictions for three of them.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Snowtown murders are considered one of the state's worst killings.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><strong><span>Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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