Famed reality TV star has revealed he was the son of a murdered outback miner after a man was found guilty of killing his father during an argument over opals: ‘He died in my arms’
- The reality star revealed that he is the son of a murdered miner
- A man was sentenced this week for murder
The son of an outback opal miner, who was murdered in a remote Australian town as part of a long-running feud, has been revealed as a reality TV star.
Leif Tanzer, who appears on the reality TV show Outback Opal Hunters, is the son of Paul Tanzer who was murdered in Andamooka, South Australia, in 2019 after an altercation over a stolen opal.
On Wednesday, Brian David McFarlane, 62, was found guilty in Port Augusta Superior Court over the death of Mr. Tanzer, who was 77 at the time.
MacFarlane killed Mr. Tanzer by stabbing him twice with a single-bladed pocket knife, with one stab severing an artery in Mr. Tanzer’s leg.
Leif Tanzer (left) who stars in the reality TV show Outback Opal Hunters, is the son of Paul Tanzer who was murdered in Andamooka, South Australia in 2019.
Outback Opal Miners depicts teams of miners from all over Australia searching for opals.
It stars Mr. Tanzer, Colin “Koza” Katagin, and Matthew Katagin, collectively known as the “Mooka Boys”.
The popular Foxtel series has been broadcast in over 100 countries including the United Kingdom and the United States.
Mr. Tanzer reflected on his father’s death on the programme.
He said, “He was tough on my brother and myself, but everything he did paid off for us.”
Colin Koza Katagin, Lev Tanzer (center) and Matthew Katagin are known as the Mocha Boys
Foxtel’s popular series Outback Opal Miners depicts teams of miners from all over Australia searching for opals
“The way he said goodbye was dying in my arms on the way to the hospital.”
During the show, the Mooka Boys mention an “opal bible” that Paul Tanzer made while searching for potential mining sites.
“The whole point is to carry on my father’s work,” Tanzer said.
“We don’t want to be millionaires, we just want to be comfortable.”
The court heard that after Paul Tanzer was stabbed, MacFarlane was punched, kicked and hit with a star-dropper by Liv Tanzer.
MacFarlane claimed he acted in self-defence, citing several instances of hostility between him and Mr. Tanzer.
Leif Tanzer alleged in court that the runner was worth more than $1 million in opals stolen from the back of a ute owned by Tanzers, by an associate of McFarlane’s.
The court heard that Tanzer and McFarlane had a history of conflict over gems, including an incident in which McFarlane filed a complaint with the Department of Energy and Mining against Tanzer, alleging he was doing unlicensed opal mining on property in Andamooka.
MacFarlane is scheduled to be sentenced later this year.