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foreign [Music] s deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any
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time you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
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and for a more detailed list of content warnings please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our
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website it was a windy Sunday night on October 6 1974 as two Queensland police officers
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drove along the forested roads to your Carnival Youth Camp they were graded by the Camp's
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caretakers who appeared flustered for the past half hour their remote and peaceful surroundings had been
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intermittently disturbed by a frightening noise the officers listened a few minutes
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later they heard it for themselves blood curdling screams for the first time in officer Ian
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Hamilton's career the hairs on the back of his neck stood up he had never heard such a horrendous and
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terrifying sound it didn't seem like the screams were coming from just one person either
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the difference in Pitch indicated there were at least two women screaming for help
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like the caretakers the officers couldn't determine what direction the screams were coming from
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the carnival Youth Camp was situated on the uphill section of the Toowoomba range about halfway between the Inland
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city of Toowoomba and to the rural town of wiscard this mountainous location mixed with the
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Blustery winds meant the origin of the screams kept changing one minute had sounded like they were
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coming from the top of the range the next that sounded like they were coming from the East
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after 40 frustrating minutes helplessly listening to the distorted screams Echo around them everything went quiet
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the officers drove up and down the range on the lookout for anyone in trouble every now and then they stopped and got
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out to see if the screams had started up again but they were met with silence [Music]
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[Music] for twenty-year-old Lorraine Wilson nursing had been an obvious career choice
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the youngest of four children in a close-knit family she followed in the footsteps of her mother who had served
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as a nurse in Sydney during World War II the Wilson family lived on a farm 64 kilometers outside of dubbo a small City
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in central New South Wales they predominantly lived off the land with the children helping their parents
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take care of their daily chores it was a humble and enjoyable upbringing which taught Lorraine the value of hard
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work an avid animal lover she especially loved taking care of the domestic pets which included dogs cats chickens lambs
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and birds Lorraine's work ethic combined with her compassionate nature inspired her to
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pursue nursing after finishing High School the last of her siblings to leave their
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nest she moved to Sydney to begin her live-in training at Saint George Hospital it was there that she met fellow trainee
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18 year old Wendy Evans like Lorraine Wendy shared the unique traits necessary to succeed as a nurse
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strength empathy and understanding she too had grown up in a close-knit family and was one of four children
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Wendy had a more urban upbringing in Sydney's inner West but that didn't prevent her and Lorraine from becoming
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close friends they excelled at their training topping their classes in such subjects as
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neurology by late August of 1974 Lorraine and Wendy had completed their first year of
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studies to celebrate they embarked on an interstate bus tour together visiting popular tourist destinations like
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Townsville Mount Isa Catherine Darwin and Alice Springs the trip ended in dubbo the two friends spent a few days on the
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Wilson's family farm before heading off in Lorraine's Volkswagen Beetle for the final leg of their Journey an 800
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kilometer road trip to Brisbane halfway there the car broke down and had to be towed to a mechanic who calculated
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it would take at least a week to fix this threw a major spanner in the works the friends were on a tight budget and
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didn't have extra money for alternative transport they were hesitant about hitchhiking but
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after some deliberation they decided to take the risk it paid off the men who picked them up was so
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friendly he even stopped to buy them burgers before dropping them at the home of Wendy's sister Susan who lived in the
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suburb of Camp Hill Lorraine and Wendy spent six days exploring and shopping in Brisbane while
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catching up with Susan and her family by Sunday October 6 the pair were ready to head home to be back at work on
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Thursday they were running out of money but Lorraine's Volkswagen still wasn't ready
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to be picked up they considered their options given the positive experience they'd had
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hitchhiking to Brisbane they decided to hitch a ride back to the Wilson's Farm in dubbo
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Susan urged them to reconsider they were welcome to stay until Lorraine's car was ready or she could
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lend them money for a train or bus ticket Wendy considered her sister's offer but
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Lorraine was confident that everything would be okay their friends were sure their good luck
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would continue Wendy reassured her sister saying I've got Lorraine to protect me
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when the young women failed to arrive in dubbo Lorraine's mother Betty told herself that they must have made last
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minute plans but she could feel in Her Bones that something was wrong it was only after Lorraine and Wendy
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failed to appear for work on Thursday that the pair were realized as missing a police investigation was launched
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Lorraine and Wendy hadn't told anyone what route they intended to take from Brisbane or whether they intended to
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stop anywhere along the way with no concrete information to use as a starting point it was like searching for
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a needle in a near 900 kilometer long haystack [Music] Lorraine's parents hit the road
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retracing every step the friends had taken on their Journey up to Brisbane they showed photos to everyone they
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crossed paths with and spoke to the media along the way doing everything in their power to bring publicity to
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Lorraine and Wendy's disappearance reported sightings of the young nurses came in from all over the country but
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none could be verified neither Lorraine or Wendy had touched their bank accounts since the day before
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they left Camp Hill As Time wore on the possibility grew that they had met with Foul Play
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taking the mentality that no news is good news the Wilson family remained hopeful that the young women would be
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found alive the Evans Family were less optimistic by the time Wendy had been missing for
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four months her sister Susan had given birth meaning Wendy had become an aunt again
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the fact she didn't reach out could only suggest that something terrible had happened
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Wendy's mother Alice told reporters I now feel the situation is hopeless for my daughter and just want to know where
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she lies dead there is no doubt in my mind that the worst has happened the investigation continued but no
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promising leads emerged by Friday June 25 1975 the two friends had been missing for almost 21 months
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that day an elderly couple went for a leisurely drive to Murphy's Creek a small historic settlement approximately
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30 kilometers Northeast of Toowoomba the couple drove down Murphy's Creek Road a rural thoroughfare surrounded by
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dense Bushland and dry paddocks about two and a half kilometers outside the township they turned down an
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unsealed dirt road after 900 meters they parked their car near a split rail fence
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it was an isolated area with residential homes few and far between the closest Farmhouse was about 800
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meters away making it an ideal spot for a private picnic as they ate lunch in their car a wallaby
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hopped past the couple's vehicle they decided to get out and follow it the pair scaled a barbed wire fence that
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framed a private property before walking into a wooded Paddock after heading through a cluster of trees
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they came across a small clearing it looked like some kind of rubbish dump on the ground all kinds of items were
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strewn about clothing Cosmetics bags and other personal belongings the men bent down to get a better look
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at a discarded camera when his companion noticed something on the ground nearby a human skull
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this wasn't just a rubbish dump it was a burial side [Music] the couple rushed back to their car and
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drove towards Toowoomba by chance they passed the police car and stopped to inform the officer what
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they'd found the officer followed the couple back to the clearing where he identified two
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human skulls and other human bones amongst the personal belongings dumped throughout the site was a transistor
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radio a name was engraved on the back Lorraine Wilson within hours the remote site was teeming
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with police they uncovered the mostly intact skeletons belonging to Lorraine Wilson
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and Wendy Evans although Wildlife had dispersed some of the bones it was clear that the two
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bodies had initially been dumped side by side their killer had made no attempt to hide
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the bodies they likely deemed it unnecessary given the remote spot was obstructed by trees
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and at the rear of a 2000 acre plot of farmland both women had sustained fatal head
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injuries possibly inflicted by a large piece of Timber found nearby Lorraine had been struck on the back of
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the head between one and three times whereas Wendy had endured multiple extensive injuries
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a forensic examiner determined that Wendy's face had been quote bashed to a pulp
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remnants of a thin looped synthetic cord indicated both women had been hold tied
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but the state of the remains meant it couldn't be ascertained whether either of them had been sexually assaulted
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their genes and underwear were still in place their bra straps were fastened and
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the cord had been tied over their genes [Music] had they been raped it likely happened
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some time before they were killed all up a total of 90 personal items belonging to Lorraine and Wendy were
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found at the bush site everything they'd been carrying on their Journey from Brisbane
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only a few items were missing both of their wallets and two bank books however it didn't necessarily seem that
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the killer was motivated by robbery Lorraine and Wendy still had their jewelry including a pendant necklace a
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gold bracelet and Lorraine's prize Dante green using a metal detector an army officer
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scanned a dry mound of dirt nearby they located a men's silver Signet ring with a large green stone
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this was the only item that couldn't be attributed to either Lorraine or Wendy while it was possible that the killer
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had accidentally lost the ring another scenario had to be considered what if the killer or someone who knew
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of the crime had intentionally left it behind as a clue the crime scene was around a two-hour
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Drive West of Camp Hill where Lorraine and Wendy were last seen alive investigators deemed it unlikely that
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the pair had been killed elsewhere before being dumped at Murphy's Creek it would have been too difficult to cut
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their bodies over the barbed wire fence and a dense Bush to the burial site it made much more sense that Lorraine
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and Wendy had met their fate in this isolated location where no one would hear them scream
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except someone did when police officer Ian Hamilton heard about the discovery of the remains he
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immediately thought back to the night of Sunday October 6 1974. he and his partner had been unable to
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locate the source of two women screaming in the Toowoomba ranges region he checked his records and confirmed
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that the incident had happened on the same day that Lorraine Wilson and Wendy Evans went missing
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based on this information investigators concluded the screams had come from the two nurses and that they had likely been
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killed the same day they left Brisbane Lorraine and Wendy had briefly mentioned wanting to go sunbathing on the Gold
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Coast this became a significant detail in July 1972 eighteen-year-old Robin hoinville Bartram and her friend 19 year
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old Anita Cunningham had hitchhiked to Queensland and were last seen in the Gold Coast suburb of coolangatta
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four months later Robin's body was found under a bridge in the rural town of Charter's Towers
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she had been shot twice with a rifle Anita's body was never found but police were certain she'd met the same fate
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then on October 6 1973 one year to the day before Lorraine and Wendy went missing best friends Michelle Riley and
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Gabrielle jenke got out of a taxi in brisbane's CBD the 16 and 19 year old planned to
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hitchhike to the Gold Coast a week later Gabrielle's decomposing body was found at the bottom of an
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embankment on the side of the Pacific Highway 11 days on and 25 kilometers away Michelle's body was found in bushes off
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the mount tambourine Highway both teens had been sexually assaulted and bludgeoned to death in what police
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described as a frenzied attack on May 5 a month and a half before Lorraine and Wendy's bodies were found
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Gold Coast teenager Margaret rosebourne attempted to hitchhike from surface Paradise to a party in nearby Burly
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heads sixteen days later her body was discovered amongst overgrown grass on a vacant Block in West Burley
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she had been beaten so ferociously that dental records were needed to make a positive identification
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it appeared as though a struggle had taken place on a nearby Road leading investigators to believe Margaret had
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tried to flee from someone's car including Lorraine and Wendy all seven women were of a similar age group and
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had gone missing while hitchhiking in the Brisbane Gold Coast areas five of them were bludgeoned to death
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and likely sexually assaulted their bodies disposed of relatively out in the open
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the similarities seemed too strong to be purely coincidental was it possible that all seven of the
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young women had fallen victim to the same cold-blooded killer who the public had dubbed the Gold Coast hitchhiker
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murderer a one hundred thousand dollar reward for information pertaining to the Wilson and
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Evans case was offered the largest ever for a Queensland homicide a bus driver came forward to report that
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on Sunday October 6 1974 he'd been completing his route on Ipswich Road in Western Brisbane
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as he passed the Oxley Police Academy he saw two young women who matched the descriptions of Lorraine and Wendy
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sitting on the side of the road a faded light green EK Holden pulled over and the women got in
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two men aged in their early twenties were sitting inside the driver had shoulder length Fair hair
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and his passenger had an afro this sighting coincided with the time that Lorraine and Wendy left Camp Hill
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prompting detectives to conclude it was genuine they appealed for anyone who had seen a
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similar vehicle in the area to come forward the appeal caught the attention of Brisbane resident Anthony Doherty
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on Sunday October 6 1974 he'd been parked in front of the Oxley hotel when he overheard two young women disagreeing
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about whether or not they should accept a ride the women matched the description of
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Lorraine and Wendy the shorter of the pair presumably Wendy was reluctant her friend said
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ongoing whether you come or not she walked over to the car parked next to Anthony's a green Holden with a white
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top in the passenger seat was a young male around 20 years old with dark hair and a
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round face he had a scruffy look and a quote silly grin on his face another male of similar age stood next
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to the Holden as though waiting for the girls to make up their minds he was tanned with dark medium-length
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hair and a tattoo on his upper arm eventually the shorter girl picked up her luggage and followed her friend into
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the back seat of the Holden Anthony watched as the tanned male got into the driver's seat
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the vehicle then sped off towards Ipswich Road kicking pebbles in its wake Anthony called the police to report
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their sighting but the sergeant he spoke to thought he must have been mistaken convinced Lorraine and Wendy had fallen
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victim to the Gold Coast hitchhiker murderer they believed the girls had actually been traveling in the opposite
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direction down the Pacific Highway towards Sydney consequently the sergeant wasn't
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interested in Anthony's siding and didn't take a statement this was despite the fact that the
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Holden had also been cited in the vicinity of where Lorraine and Wendy's bodies were discovered
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a local musician drove down Murphy's Creek Road every Saturday night for several weeks during September and
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October 1974. each week he noticed a car parked in the same spot not far from where Lorraine
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and Wendy's bodies were eventually found it was a light-colored 1964 e h Holden officer Ian Hamilton knew the vehicle
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well over his years working as a traffic cop he'd pulled over a similar Holden several times
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although it was a common model he remembered its distinct chrome wheels and the way it sat low at the front and
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higher at the back he'd issued defective tickets upon realizing there were no interior door
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handles or window winders in the back seat he told detectives working the Wilson
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Evans case everything he knew about the vehicle and to those associated with it regardless these leads went nowhere and
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the case eventually went cold nine years passed with no further developments until an inquest was
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finally held in October 1985. no Witnesses were called and no suspects were named
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based on the known facts the coroner could only conclude that Lorraine and Wendy had been killed in Murphy's Creek
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by a person or Persons Unknown Lorraine's brother Eric Wilson had an overwhelming need to uncover the truth
00:22:40
of what happened explaining it's hard to accept that we might never ever find out
00:22:48
the thing is you compounded every day it makes it worse in your mind if that's possible all those unanswered questions
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the not knowing you walk around every day with a mountain of fear sitting on your
00:23:03
shoulder three years after the inquest in October 1988 detective senior Constable Paul
00:23:12
Rouge of the Toowoomba criminal investigation Branch received a word that an inmate in New South Wales had
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implicated two men in the Wilson Evans homicide according to this witness several years
00:23:26
after Lorraine and Wendy were killed he'd been drinking with two acquaintances when the subject of the
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nurse's murders came up one of the men allegedly admitted that they'd picked the pair up to drink with
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them to which the other allegedly responded yeah but more than that happened didn't
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it we screwed them and killed them the witness named the man as Toowoomba locals Donald Laurie and Trevor Hilton
00:24:05
this confession turned out to be a bust Trevor Hilton had been incarcerated at the time Lorraine and Wendy were killed
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still detective rouge's interest was peaked he requested the Wilson and Evans case
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File to find all it contained was a few notes into newspaper clippings there were no witness statements no
00:24:29
running sheets nothing Rouge was left to piece together the case using the scant paperwork into
00:24:37
limited physical evidence the more he learned the more shocked he became the inmate's confession wasn't the first
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time that the names Hilton and Laurie had been mentioned in relation to the murders
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the extended Lorry and Hilton families were interrelated by Blood and marriage they had lived around Toowoomba for
00:25:02
decades where some members of their families had earned a fierce reputation for being violent and dangerous
00:25:09
local police were very familiar with several members of the two families due to their history of alcohol abuse
00:25:16
domestic violence and run-ins with the law following the discovery of Lorraine Wilson and Wendy Evans remains three
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separate people had suggested police look into the Hilton and Lorry crew it was well known that some of the young
00:25:33
men associated with the group had a habit of picking up teenage girls for sex whether consensual or by force
00:25:41
they go as far as grabbing them off the street and throwing them into the boot or back seat of their cars
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survivors described that handles and window winders had been removed from the back doors to prevent their escape
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the group were also known for throwing alcohol-fueled parties out in the bush including at Murphy's Creek
00:26:05
despite this information none of these men had been questioned at any point for reasons detective Rouge couldn't
00:26:12
ascertain back when the bodies of Lorraine and Wendy were found a local couple had
00:26:20
reported a strange encounter they'd had on the Toowoomba range in early October of 1974.
00:26:28
Brian and Velma had been driving home from visiting their sick infant daughter in hospital when they noticed a vehicle
00:26:34
parked in a small turn off on the left-hand side of the road it was a pale green EJ or e h Holden
00:26:42
with a white top judging by its angle the Holden looked as though it had abruptly skidded to a
00:26:49
stop both passenger side doors were open towards the back of the car A man was throttling a young woman while trying to
00:26:59
force her inside about 20 meters away another man was marching a second young woman towards
00:27:06
the Holden pinning her arms behind her back the woman loaded directly at Brian and
00:27:12
Velma and screamed help me oh God help me Velma ordered her husband to stop and he
00:27:22
slowed down a little further ahead Brian and Velma looked back in the front seat of the Holden they
00:27:30
could see two other men and a third woman Velma and Brian wanted to offer assistance but they had their
00:27:38
three-year-old daughter in the back seat and was scared they might put her or themselves in danger
00:27:45
overcome with fear they decided to keep her driving they soon passed a pay phone but decided
00:27:53
not to call the police in case the men drove past and suspected what they were doing
00:27:59
instead they went home the next morning Velma reported the incident to a police officer whom they
00:28:08
knew the officer wasn't too worried there hadn't been any news of any assaults the night prior or missing
00:28:16
person reports filed when the bodies of Lorraine Wilson and Wendy Evans were discovered not far from
00:28:24
where they witnessed to the altercation Brian and Velma were convinced they had seen something significant
00:28:32
they reported their concerns to the same officer they'd initially spoken to who looked into their claims
00:28:39
apparently hospital admission records for Brian and velma's sick daughter didn't match up with the alleged timing
00:28:46
of Lorraine and Wendy's murder their accounts were therefore eliminated as a potential lead in the investigation
00:28:56
detective Rouge wasn't so sure he showed the couple of photo lineup of 16 men despite over a decade passing Brian
00:29:06
confidently pointed to one photo it was Wayne Hilton better known by his nickname Boogie
00:29:15
Wayne was a prominent member of the Hilton Lorry Clan 19 years old at the time Lorraine and
00:29:22
Wendy were killed he had a reputation for turning violent if he didn't get his way
00:29:28
he reportedly had a tire lever stored under the front seat of his car that he wielded as a weapon
00:29:36
some of Wayne Hilton's close cohorts included friends and relatives Alan shorty Laurie Alan ungi Laurie Donald
00:29:44
Laurie Desmond Hilton Larry Charles and Jimmy O'Neill due to their proclivity for heavy
00:29:52
drinking and fighting many of the men were banned from every Pub in Toowoomba another member of their crew named
00:30:00
Kingsley hunt didn't drink he took on the role of a designated driver and ferried the Gang to parties
00:30:07
and pubs out of town there were several vehicles that could be attributed to the crew
00:30:14
one was a pale green Holden with a white top [Music] detective Rouge turned his Focus to one
00:30:24
of the only pieces of physical evidence at the crime scene the cord used to bind
00:30:29
to Lorraine and Wendy it was fairly commonplace much like the kind used on Venetian blinds but Rouge
00:30:37
had his suspicions about where it might have originated he visited the darling Downs Baking
00:30:44
Company in Toowoomba the pig processing plant was one of the largest in the state and employed many
00:30:51
of the town's locals Bruges presented the court to an employee and asked if it looked familiar
00:30:58
the employee said yes a similar type of cord was used in the factory to hang bacon
00:31:06
this was a significant revelation Wayne Hilton had been employed at the darling Downs bacon company around the
00:31:13
time Lorraine and Wendy were killed detective Rouge spoke with another man named Neil who had worked with Wayne
00:31:21
Hilton on and off for several years according to Neil one day Wayne suddenly announced that he'd soon have to quit
00:31:29
his job when Neil asked why Wayne allegedly said did you see the picture of our cars in
00:31:37
the paper they're right onto US you would have heard about the nurses being murdered a bit over the range me
00:31:45
and the brother done that Neil assumed Wayne was talking about his brother Trevor but realized he'd been in
00:31:54
jail at the time instead he figured Wayne was talking about one of his uncles who were close
00:32:01
in age to Wayne and with whom he had a close relationship [Music] according to Neil Wayne went on to
00:32:08
explain that the nurses had gotten away from them and gave them quote a bit of trouble
00:32:14
he said he was afraid of getting caught and asked for advice Neil asked why he did it to which Wayne
00:32:23
responded full of peace and Bad Manners although Neil found it odd he didn't really believe what Wayne was saying
00:32:34
even when he went through with quitting his job Neil said Wayne mentioned his involvement in the murders on several
00:32:42
other occasions but it was only years later that Neil suspected he might actually be telling
00:32:49
the truth Wayne Hilton's cohort Alan Laurie who went by the nickname shorty had also
00:32:58
worked at the darling Downs bacon company shorty turned 22 the day Lorraine and Wendy were murdered
00:33:07
perhaps the most violent of the group he was feared by many and labeled by some as a psychopath
00:33:15
Shorty's violence knew no boundaries he once punched and stomped on his own mother and admit his father's ear off
00:33:22
over a fight about a sausage detective Rouge visited Alan shorty Laurie at home and asked if he could
00:33:31
come by the station to answer some questions he made no mention of Lorraine and Wendy
00:33:36
simply saying he wanted to discuss a car that shorty had previously owned shorty became highly anxious but
00:33:44
reluctantly agreed to come by later that day [Music] he arrived at the station hand in hand
00:33:51
with his wife shorty was clearly agitated almost to a point of panic everything about his demeanor was in
00:34:01
complete contrast to the menacing character that detective Rouge had been led to expect
00:34:07
when placed in an interview room away from his wife shorty entered a full-blown state of panic
00:34:13
he started Breathing heavily and frothing at the mouth when told we need to ask you some questions about
00:34:23
your involvement in the nurse's murders Alan shorty Laurie leapt to his feet and
00:34:28
started bellowing like a bull it was so loud that other officers rushed to the interview room to see what
00:34:35
was going on he repeatedly cried out I didn't do it I didn't do it his distress was so extreme that
00:34:45
detective Rouge couldn't continue with his questioning he requested that shorty returned to the
00:34:52
station later on for a formal interview instead shorty hired a lawyer who advised that his client wouldn't be
00:35:00
answering any further questions detective Rouge was eventually transferred to another District which
00:35:08
meant he could no longer have any involvement with the Wilson and Evans case he collated all the information and
00:35:15
witness statements he'd obtained and sent them to the homicide Squad hoping someone would pick up where he left off
00:35:23
although tips continued to come through over the years things soon came to a standstill
00:35:30
no arrests were made in fact none of the remaining Persons of Interest were even questioned
00:35:44
Lorraine's brother Eric spent his adult life tormented by the murders in 2003 he wrote a book about the case
00:35:52
titled the echo of Silent screams it sparked renewed interest in the case putting pressure on the Queensland
00:36:00
Police Commissioner to reopen the investigation the job went to detective inspector
00:36:06
Kerry Johnson a former member of the homicide Squad known for his success rate at solving cold cases
00:36:13
for the first time all the case material was reviewed in thorough detail it was abundantly clear that poor
00:36:22
policing lack of investigative resources and conflicting witness statements had contributed to Lorraine and Wendy's
00:36:29
Killers going unpunished motivated to finally find closure for the Wilson and Evans families detective
00:36:37
Johnson said about re-interviewing all of the key Witnesses and Persons of Interest piecing together the known
00:36:43
information and trying to fill in any gaps it appeared that the circumstances surrounding Lorraine and Wendy's murders
00:36:52
were an Open Secret amongst many people in Toowoomba over the years others had reported
00:36:59
worthwhile information that implicated the same group of men the morning after the murders Wayne
00:37:06
Hilton's neighbor claimed to have seen him ripping the carpet out of the back seat of a green Holden
00:37:12
when she asked what he was doing Wayne told her to mind her own business the neighbor left but couldn't ignore
00:37:21
what she saw on the carpet a large reddish brown stain that looked like blood [Music]
00:37:28
another associate of the group Desmond Hilton recalled that one morning in October 1974 Wayne Hilton and Donald
00:37:36
Laurie were drinking at his house when a light green e h Holden pulled up inside were Alan shorty Laurie Jimmy
00:37:45
O'Neal Larry Charles and Alan ungi Laurie they revealed that they'd quote given two girls a hiding down the bottom of
00:37:55
the range according to Desmond shorty bragged and demonstrated how they kicked and stomped
00:38:02
on the girls Desmond claimed that the men offered him beer in exchange for cleaning their car
00:38:09
[Music] he agreed too scared to say no across the back seat was a light smear of blood as though an injured person had
00:38:19
been dragged across it according to Desmond Wayne Hilton and Donald Laurie then went back to the
00:38:26
range to check on the girls when they returned they had blood on their hands it was only years later when Desmond
00:38:36
found out about the murders of Lorraine Wilson and Wendy Evans that he realized the group had been talking about the
00:38:43
nurses Donald Laurie had seemed to terrify it ever since and it now made sense why
00:38:51
he'd admitted to Desmond that he'd taken a ring from one of the girls that he delayed assault for beer money at the
00:38:57
local pub while sick in hospital years later Donald Laurie allegedly told a friend
00:39:06
we killed the nurses I was there I didn't do it according to this witness Donald
00:39:14
directly implicated Wayne Hilton Angie Laurie and shorty Laurie but also said that three or four carloads of people
00:39:22
were involved when asked why he hadn't gone to police Donald apparently replied that the
00:39:29
others would have killed him if he had spoken up another associate had once seen gang
00:39:36
member Larry Charles crying which was completely out of character when asked what was wrong Larry
00:39:43
allegedly responded it was two years today that them girls got killed at Murphy's Creek
00:39:51
Larry then apparently confessed to having picked up Lorraine Wilson and Wendy Evans with Wayne Hilton shorty
00:39:58
Laurie and Donald Laurie and Jimmy O'Neill they took the women into the bush at which point Angie Laurie Desmond Hilton
00:40:07
and a few of their friends arrived the whole group excluding Larry then took turns raping and bashing the women
00:40:17
the next morning Wayne Hilton and shorty Laurie had a whispered conversation then
00:40:23
quote they both walked towards the girls picked up a big stick age and just wailed and wailed into them
00:40:33
fear of retaliation had kept some silence but the poor policing couldn't be ignored
00:40:41
back in 1974 a 19 year old woman had accepted a lift home from shorty Laurie and one of his friends
00:40:49
instead of taking her home she claimed they pulled over until turns raping her in the back seat
00:40:56
she reported the incident and was examined by a medical officer but never heard another word about it and was too
00:41:04
scared to follow it up with the police this was just one in a long series of similar allegations
00:41:14
detective inspector Kerry Johnson was deeply troubled by this information and the fact that nothing had been done to
00:41:21
reprimand to those involved but perhaps most concerning was there were other innocent bystanders that had
00:41:29
witnessed the attack against Lorraine and Wendy as it unfolded on Sunday October 6 1974 married couple
00:41:46
Neil and Jocelyn had been driving down the Toowoomba range when one of their children fell car sick
00:41:52
they pulled into a turn off only to find two cars already parked there clothing was strewn on the side of the
00:41:59
road leading Neil and Jocelyn to believe the two cars had been involved in an accident
00:42:06
two men were escorting a young woman into a black Ford Falcon as though offering her assistance
00:42:13
one of the men was scrawny and ill-looking and dressed all in white this fit the description of the
00:42:21
designated driver of the Hilton and Lorry crew Kingsley hunt his job at a pest control company
00:42:27
required him to wear a white uniform the young woman turned to face Neil and Jocelyn
00:42:35
that's when they realized the men weren't helping her at all they were forcing her into the car
00:42:42
the young woman screamed please help me another young woman was in the back seat
00:42:49
of the other car a light-colored Holden she was wrestling with a dark-haired man
00:42:54
aged in his early to mid-20s he attempted to restrain her as she land forward and yelled for help
00:43:03
another man was pacing around a nervously outside the vehicle with his hands on his head
00:43:09
too scared to stop Neil under Jocelyn continued down the range they considered reporting the incident
00:43:16
to the police but instead they drove onwards convincing themselves that it was just a Lover's Tiff of some kind
00:43:24
they decided to let it go unless they heard anything in the news over the next few days which they never did
00:43:33
another married couple Vivian and Rose were driving down the range at dusk when they saw a car pulled over on the
00:43:40
left-hand side of the road a man and young woman were lying across the front Bonnet in what appeared to be
00:43:46
a Lover's embrace thinking it was a strange place to stop for a cuddle they soon realized it
00:43:53
wasn't a romantic moment at all the man was restraining the woman who was trying to break free
00:44:01
at that moment another young woman raced out onto the road screaming for help a dark-haired man of average heightened
00:44:09
build was chasing close behind her undeterred by the fact that Vivian and Rose had seen what was going on
00:44:18
Vivian applied the brakes but the couple had their three young children in the back seat so Rose urged him to keep
00:44:24
driving they drove to the nearest police station where the officer on duty said they'd
00:44:31
contact the Toowoomba police to send a patrol car down the range to check it out
00:44:37
Vivian and Rose never heard another word about it when the bodies of Lorraine Wilson and
00:44:43
Wendy Evans were found Rose contacted police again she did so again when the case was
00:44:50
featured on Australia's most wanted in 1989. no one ever so much as asked for her
00:44:57
contact details let alone took a statement Norma Was preparing dinner alone at her
00:45:07
home in the Toowoomba ranges in early October 1974 when she heard a panicked woman's voice
00:45:14
it was coming from her back door Norma found a young woman with light brown hair standing there
00:45:22
she begged for Norma's help saying she had just been at a party with a group of people whom she now wanted to get away
00:45:29
from she had escaped from their vehicle and needed somewhere safe to stay for a while
00:45:37
Norma didn't know what to do her husband was due to arrive home so she told the young woman she could wait inside until
00:45:44
he returned they'd figure things out from there but the woman became increasingly
00:45:52
frantic she said she couldn't wait around because the group had her friend and they were going to kill her if she
00:45:59
didn't go back Norma told the woman she could sneak out the back way who in turn responded
00:46:06
they would probably find me anyway Norma offered to call the police but the woman declined saying
00:46:15
I better go Norma returned to her kitchen only to hear a loud scream she rushed to a front window where she
00:46:26
saw a car riding outside the woman who had just been in her house was struggling with a young man who had
00:46:33
a long wavy dark hair he struck the woman across the face as he tried to force her into the back seat
00:46:40
of the car Norma could see a second young woman in the back of the vehicle she too was in the throes of a struggle
00:46:49
with another man it looked as though she was trying to get out but the man wouldn't let her
00:46:55
leave at that moment Norma's husband pulled into the driveway he had also witnessed the struggle and
00:47:04
headed inside to ask Norma what was going on she filled him in but he responded quote
00:47:12
it was probably just a domestic the couple returned to the front window by then the men the women and the car
00:47:23
were gone two weeks later Norma was reading the newspaper when she came across a photo
00:47:31
of Lorraine Wilson and Wendy Evans Norma immediately recognized to Lorraine as the young woman who had knocked on
00:47:39
her door and Wendy as the woman in the back seat of the car she wanted to contact the police but her
00:47:46
husband warned her not to get involved when Lorraine and Wendy's bodies were discovered Norma informed her parents
00:47:55
what she had witnessed two years earlier they agreed that she should obey her husband's wishes and to not get involved
00:48:05
memories of the women's cries for help haunted Norma for years by the time a segment about the case
00:48:13
appeared on Australia's most wanted in 1989. Norma and her family had relocated interstate
00:48:20
unable to keep it to herself any longer she finally contacted the police they had her identify Lorraine and Wendy
00:48:29
from a photo but whether anything else was done beyond that is unknown when Lorraine's brother Eric heard about
00:48:39
this he was crushed he remarked my sister was standing in front of a woman who was the same age as her mother
00:48:47
she was looking for a Mother's protection a mother's advice on what she should do
00:48:54
she got nothing she was on her own there is a famous saying evil exists when good men or women do
00:49:04
nothing how true a statement that is for almost 40 years Lorraine Wilson's family had tried to move on with their
00:49:19
lives but the lack of closure made it impossible by 2012 Lorraine's father was suffering
00:49:26
from dementia her brother Eric wanted answers not only for himself but for his elderly parents
00:49:34
with all the new information that had come to light since the initial inquest in 1985. the Wilson family felt that
00:49:42
Lorraine and Wendy at the very least deserved another inquest Lorraine's mother Betty wrote to the
00:49:49
coroner quote to this day no one has been held accountable for the murder of Lorraine
00:49:55
my daughter and her friend Wendy it is important to me my family and to the public at large to have these
00:50:03
suspects fully accountable and have them named in the public domain for the sake of justice and history I
00:50:11
feel it is important that with all the new evidence in this investigation to be laid out in Clear View for all to see
00:50:19
I wish to rest in peace and I urge for the sake of the girls who do not have a voice as well as my own for you to
00:50:28
convene a coronial inquest to wear these findings [Music] three days after writing the letter
00:50:36
Betty was working alone in the garden when she slept and severed an artery she tried to make it back to the house
00:50:43
but the blood loss was too severe Betty passed away without ever seeing Justice served for her daughter
00:50:51
[Music] and Betty's request for accountability was denied much to the outrage of the
00:51:01
public media rallied around Eric Wilson propelling the murders back in the headlines
00:51:08
the coroner succumbed to the public pressure and it was announced that a new inquest would be held with the aim of
00:51:15
determining whether there was enough evidence to Warrant a trial by this point there was no shortage of
00:51:22
witnesses some had seen Lorraine and Wendy accepting a ride others had seen them
00:51:28
trying to escape their attackers others had received confessions or incriminating statements from the
00:51:34
suspected perpetrators the problem was inconsistencies were Rife some had described the perpetrator's car
00:51:45
as an E.J Holden others said in a h Holden both remarkably similar models the physical description of the men
00:51:54
involved also varied making it difficult to pinpoint which individuals were responsible for which Acts
00:52:02
a full forensic review was ordered on all available evidence but there was even less to go by than originally
00:52:09
thought there were hopes that the court used to hogtail Lorraine and Wendy would reveal
00:52:14
traces of the perpetrator's DNA but the tests proved negative some of the evidence had been disposed
00:52:22
of in 2010 while other items had been lost altogether amongst the missing items was the Silver
00:52:30
men's Signet ring that was found at the crime scene Wayne Boogie Hilton was known to wear a
00:52:37
similar ring given the ring had been misplaced images of it couldn't be circulated to
00:52:43
facilitate the identification of its owner in the 1970s the Laurie family had owned
00:52:51
a pale green eh Holden with a white roof the shell of this vehicle was tracked down and examined
00:52:59
traces of blood were detected inside but too much time had passed for it to be of
00:53:04
any use there was one notable Discovery there were no interior handles or window
00:53:12
winders on the back doors the inquest commenced into woomba in April 2013. For the First Time The Seven primary
00:53:24
suspects were publicly named they included Wayne Boogie Hilton Donald Laurie Alan shorty Laurie Allen Unger
00:53:33
Laurie Desmond Hilton Jimmy O'Neal and Larry Charles Kingsley hunt the gang's designated
00:53:41
driver was noted as a person of interest but not nominated as a primary suspect over several days evidence was heard
00:53:51
from the various Witnesses who claimed to have seen Lorraine and Wendy with a group of men on the day they went
00:53:57
missing other individuals who provided testimony ranged from the reliable to the
00:54:03
questionable with one member of the Lorry family claiming to have witnessed the murders himself when he was 10 years
00:54:09
old many witnesses connected to the Persons of Interest gave vague non-committed
00:54:16
answers some backtracked from damning claims they'd made in the past while several
00:54:22
retracted their statements pertaining to alleged confessions those implicated flat out denied any
00:54:29
involvement in the crime yet there was an air of anticipation when one particular person finally took
00:54:37
the stand 1984 marked a decade after Lorraine Wilson and Wendy Evans were killed
00:54:49
towards the middle of that year Kim sandakock had been having a tough time at home
00:54:55
she headed to toowoomba's Crown hotel for a breather Kim sat nursing a drink when a woman
00:55:02
whom she'd never met approached her table the stranger took a seat and introduced
00:55:08
herself as Ellen the two women engaged in small talk for a while before Ellen who was clearly
00:55:15
intoxicated asked have you ever had to carry around a secret that you couldn't tell anybody
00:55:24
it was clear to Kim that Ellen had something she wanted to get off her chest so she let her talk
00:55:31
but Kim wasn't prepared for what came next Ellen revealed that she'd been present
00:55:38
when Lorraine Wilson and Wendy Evans were murdered and she was sick of covering up for those responsible
00:55:45
Ellen claimed that she had been driving around in a 1963 Holden with two men when they decided to pick up the two
00:55:53
nurses in the hopes of getting sex but the nurses refused the man's advances and were labeled as quote prick
00:56:01
teasers the men wanted to teach the nurses a lesson the plan was to take them to an isolated
00:56:10
area and rape them but during the drive things went haywire the nurses became terrified and tried to
00:56:18
escape one of them had been sitting in the front seat and the driver began hitting
00:56:24
her over the head and pulling her hair the other men who was sitting in the back seat grabbed a bar of some kind
00:56:32
he reached over and bashed the woman across the head she flung forward blood flying
00:56:38
everywhere and it was obvious that she was dead the other nurse was hysterical she began
00:56:45
screaming the men panicked and decided they'd have to kill her too they pulled up to a remote site in
00:56:54
Murphy's Creek and dumped the first body the remaining nurse saw this as her chance to escape
00:57:01
she got out and ran but the man chased her down they launched a frenzied attack bashing
00:57:07
her multiple times in the head until she was no longer moving they then dragged her body alongside her friend
00:57:17
when Ellen finally stopped talking about the murders Kim was shaking as she got up to leave
00:57:24
Ellen grabbed her firmly by the shoulder and warned if you ever tell anyone what I just told
00:57:30
you you'll end up the same way as the nurses Kim was terrified she kept this information to herself for
00:57:40
five years before finally going to the police by then she couldn't remember much about
00:57:47
Ellen herself but could remember every detail about the story Ellen had told her including the names of the men
00:57:54
involved shorty Lorry and one of the Hilton Boys [Music] by the time Kim sandakock appeared at
00:58:04
the inquest in 2013 she was in a wheelchair and hooked up to a morphine trip as the result of a spinal injury
00:58:12
she relied heavily on strong pain medication which severely hindered her memory consequently Kim claimed she had
00:58:21
absolutely no recollection of Ellen and the conversation they shared in 1984. the court wasn't buying it
00:58:31
they believed it was more likely that the encounter with Ellen was a fabrication to cover for the fact that
00:58:37
Kim knew more than she was willing to admit after all what were the chances that an
00:58:43
individual would approach a complete stranger in a pub to confess to witnessing a murder
00:58:49
furthermore the level of detail she'd managed to retain in her statement was outstanding
00:58:56
a more plausible explanation was that Kim herself had witnessed the crime and wanted to unburden herself without fear
00:59:04
of retaliation or punishment this fit with the witness statement from Brian and Velma who claimed to have seen
00:59:12
a third woman in the car with Lorraine and Wendy alternatively someone close to Kim might
00:59:18
have been involved and had told her the story enough times for her to retain such an accurate level of detail
00:59:26
these possibilities were put forward to Kim sandakock in court she flat out denied being present when
00:59:34
Lorraine and Wendy were attacked or having any first-hand knowledge of what happened
00:59:40
the coroner made it clear that Kim could be given immunity if she was willing to
00:59:44
share what she knew Kim replied I can't remember I just can't the coroner presented his findings in
01:00:00
June 2013. he concluded that the witness statement that held the most veracity was the one
01:00:07
given by Kim santacock the details she provided aligned with the crime scene Lorraine had been killed by a single
01:00:16
Blow To The Head before the perpetrators carried out a rage-fueled frenzy on Wendy as she tried to escape
01:00:24
the coroner concluded that Kim had likely either been present when the crimes were committed or had a close
01:00:30
connection to someone who was the coroner viewed the alleged confession that Wayne Hilton had made to
01:00:38
his former colleague as valid as for the number of witnesses who ignored Lorraine and Wendy's screams for
01:00:45
help he put this down to the bystanders effect this socio-psychological phenomenon
01:00:52
dictates that the more witnesses there are to an event the less likely any one of them will offer help
01:00:59
the coroner remarked with the failure of any of those people to even attempt to intervene went to the
01:01:07
girl's last chance of survival he went on the lives of these two fine young women
01:01:15
and the happiness of their families were Shattered by an unprovoked violent vicious attack mounted to satiate the
01:01:22
perverse sexual dysfunction of a Despicable gang of thugs their family suffering was made worse
01:01:30
still by a long period of not knowing speaking about the Seven Persons of Interest the coroner stated that they'd
01:01:39
gotten away with committing their habitual sexual assaults in the 70s because of the victim-blaming mentality
01:01:45
of the time and to the fact that survivors were too scared to come forward he concluded
01:01:54
it is more likely than not Lorraine Wilson and Wendy Evans tragically stumbled into this putrid pool of
01:02:00
miscreants and were killed by them undoubtedly they were abducted and killed by more than one person but the
01:02:08
identity of those responsible cannot now be established with sufficient certainty
01:02:13
with one exception namely Wayne Hilton I am satisfied the evidence implicating him in the death of the two women
01:02:22
reaches the required standard for a Coroner's finding to that effect by the time he was implicated in the
01:02:32
double homicide Wayne Hilton had been dead for 27 years he was killed in a car accident in 1986.
01:02:41
as such he would not face any justice for his involvement as for his associates the coroner
01:02:50
conceded that there was insufficient evidence to have any of them stand trial with that the inquest was closed
01:03:00
[Music] three other members of the Hilton Lorry gang were deceased by the time the 2013
01:03:08
inquest was underway a car accident had claimed Alan shorty Lori's life in 2001.
01:03:16
Larry Charles took his own life in 1993. Donald Laurie had died in 1994 from a long-standing illness
01:03:26
according to one friend Donald had made a deathbed confession saying we killed the nurses I was there
01:03:35
I didn't do it the friend claimed to have reported this to police who took no significant action
01:03:46
those who were still alive were Desmond Hilton Jimmy O'Neill and Alan ungi Laurie all of whom were aged in their
01:03:53
early 60s when appearing at the inquest all were notably cagey Desmond who had been warned he could be
01:04:02
charged with being an accessory after the fact for cleaning the car after the others allegedly spoke of giving two
01:04:09
girls a hiding claimed he had no memory of ever making such a statement to the police
01:04:16
on the stand each of the three men attempted to distance themselves from the others by denying they were ever
01:04:22
friends or spent time together back in the 70s back in 1976 officer Ian Hamilton of the
01:04:32
Toowoomba police had met with detectives working the Wilson Evans case to divulge
01:04:37
everything he knew about the green Holden in the Hilton and Lorry men who were associated with it
01:04:44
it was only through the inquest that he learned no record was ever made of this meeting
01:04:50
officer Hamilton told The Courier mail there is no doubt in my mind that if those leads were followed up the case
01:04:58
would have been solved and solved quickly because the suspects would have been themselves and someone would
01:05:06
have squealed whether they would have got them all I don't know but someone would have been
01:05:12
brought to Justice although Lorraine and Wendy's loved ones were disappointed that no tangible
01:05:19
Justice had been served they were grateful that someone had finally been held accountable and that those
01:05:26
suspected of being involved had been publicly named and shamed outside Court Lorraine's cousin told
01:05:34
reporters I don't think they'll be able to walk down the street now and feel comfortable
01:05:40
I think naming them has probably been the best outcome that we could have here Lorraine's brother Eric found peace with
01:05:50
the fact that the community was now aware of the criminals walking among them quote
01:05:56
the mountain of fear that sat on my shoulders can sit on theirs now Eric sought permission from the
01:06:05
Toowoomba Regional Council to install a Memorial Park in a park a garden in the name of his sister and Wendy Evans
01:06:13
after some back and forth Eric's request was denied Eric said of the decision it was an excellent opportunity to make
01:06:25
amends and acknowledge what happened not only to the girls but the community who
01:06:30
have been held hostage for 40 years had it been installed the plaque would have included the message
01:06:39
fear and intimidation must never again silence a community the so-called Gold Coast hitchhiker
01:06:49
murderer who is believed to be responsible for the deaths of Michelle Riley Gabrielle Janke Robin hoinville
01:06:55
Bartram Anita Cunningham and Margaret roseworn has never been brought to Justice
01:07:03
investigators don't believe that the Hilton and Lorry gang were involved with these crimes
01:07:09
hopes remain that advances in genealogical DNA testing could soon lead to the killer or Killers being
01:07:16
identified a plaque in memory of Lorraine Wilson and Wendy Evans was installed on the
01:07:24
grounds of Saint George Hospital in Sydney where the pair had worked as trainee nurses
01:07:30
for Lorraine's mother Betty it was ironic that her daughter had a particular interest in psychiatric
01:07:36
nursing prior to Betty's death she remarked it seems the kind of people Lorraine
01:07:45
wanted to help most ended up killing her [Music] [Music]