I've been confusing those two mobs for the last 20 years. Can't, for the life of me, understand why!
tinpis... I don't think that I ever knew much about the late JW's life prior to PNG. All I really knew about that was he came from South Oz.
Torres... the memory has been dulled from too much G/T and saki over the years. All I can tell you is that, as you suspected, he did not die of old age, or in an aeroplane.