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join the movement case 71 is our final
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so while wait until next week after
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00:01:32
head straight over to tune in to listen
00:01:34
to case 71 our final episode of the year
00:01:37
right now and don't worry we'll be back
00:01:40
early next year and episodes will
00:01:42
continue to be available on tuned in
00:01:44
moving forward
00:01:55
[Music]
00:01:59
our episodes deal with serious and often
00:02:01
distressing incidents if you feel at
00:02:04
anytime you need support please contact
00:02:05
your local crisis center for suggested
00:02:08
phone numbers for confidential support
00:02:09
please see the show notes for this
00:02:11
episode on your app or on our website
00:02:18
the top end is the region of the
00:02:19
Northern Territory which encompasses the
00:02:21
central top section of Australia the
00:02:24
ancient rugged terrain spends over
00:02:26
400,000 square kilometres and is known
00:02:29
for its joining rock shells which often
00:02:31
poke out of dense rainforests table top
00:02:34
mountain ranges are worn almost flat by
00:02:36
millions of years of erosion main rivers
00:02:39
like the Catherine and the Victoria have
00:02:41
a great number of other rivers and
00:02:42
creeks flowing into them especially in
00:02:44
the wet season the swollen waterways
00:02:47
make perfect pathways for crocodiles to
00:02:49
make their way across the region the top
00:02:52
end is home to both the kakadu and the
00:02:54
newt Malak national parks the varying
00:02:57
landscape draws many tourists and locals
00:02:59
to road trip across the region
00:03:00
experiencing all the different terrains
00:03:02
along the way
00:03:03
many stop off to camp and fish at remote
00:03:06
camping grounds along the rivers and
00:03:07
highways deep gorges and ice-cold fresh
00:03:11
water holes flow into vast river systems
00:03:13
that fork across the top end and further
00:03:16
west into the Kimberley region
00:03:19
this is in stark contrast to the arrow
00:03:21
to draw red desert of the southern part
00:03:23
of the Northern Territory known as the
00:03:25
red center
00:03:27
if you travel west from the top end and
00:03:29
cross over the border into Western
00:03:31
Australia on the one and only road that
00:03:33
you can travel you instantly hit the
00:03:35
Kimberley region the Kimberley is the
00:03:38
northernmost region of Western Australia
00:03:40
covering Australia's entire northwestern
00:03:43
corner with prehistoric mountain ranges
00:03:45
steep ridges and gorges of sandstone and
00:03:47
limestone covering an area of 423
00:03:52
thousand square kilometres The
00:03:53
Kimberly's three times larger than
00:03:55
England there is so much steep land that
00:03:58
the Kimberley is extremely challenging
00:03:59
to traverse especially during the wet
00:04:02
season when even sealed roads are often
00:04:04
flooded significant sections of the
00:04:07
coastline have no road access with boat
00:04:09
or helicopter the only means of
00:04:11
transportation to these isolated
00:04:12
locations the two main roads in the
00:04:16
Kimberley are the sealed Great Northern
00:04:18
Highway and the unsealed give River Road
00:04:21
the remoteness of the area means only
00:04:24
three towns of populations in excess of
00:04:26
2,000 people the region's major gateway
00:04:28
Broome on the west coast has just over
00:04:31
12,000 another of the region's bigger
00:04:34
Terrance is Cana Nara
00:04:35
which is just near the central border of
00:04:37
the Northern Territory its population is
00:04:40
about four-and-a-half thousand people as
00:04:43
far back as 1987 annual tourist income
00:04:46
in the Kimberley was estimated at five
00:04:47
million dollars with around 100,000
00:04:50
visitors per year that's a popular draw
00:04:52
card for people who want to get off the
00:04:54
beaten track and experience the rugged
00:04:56
dramatic landscape of the Australian
00:04:58
outback
00:05:00
in contrast to the steep terrain in the
00:05:03
north the southern end of the Kimberley
00:05:04
is flatter with the dry tropical
00:05:06
grassland it's home to over 30 large
00:05:09
cattle stations camping fishing swimming
00:05:12
bushwalking
00:05:14
scenic flights charter boat tours
00:05:15
four-wheel driving and indigenous
00:05:17
history experiences are all popular
00:05:19
activities for tourists and locals in
00:05:22
the Kimberley as the Kimberley is one of
00:05:25
the most remote areas in Australia
00:05:27
tourists are advised not to leave the
00:05:29
main roads and to avoid driving at dawn
00:05:31
or dream Ninoy mainly because of the
00:05:34
dangers of wildlife and the road trains
00:05:36
which dominate the night hours you must
00:05:39
ensure you're adequately prepared with
00:05:40
several days of water food and fuel
00:05:43
off-road travel is only recommended with
00:05:45
inexperienced God and there is no mobile
00:05:48
phone reception only satellite across
00:05:52
the top end and the Kimberley regions
00:05:54
outside the comfort of the cities and
00:05:56
maintenance tourists and locals search
00:05:59
for the undiscovered the secret spot
00:06:01
where they can be alone with their
00:06:03
thoughts like filtering through the
00:06:05
trees the only sounds the crunching of
00:06:08
leaves and rocks under foot or the
00:06:10
trickling of water as it flows by but
00:06:15
whether deep in the bush on a desert
00:06:17
plane or alone on the banks of a remote
00:06:20
River it's easy to leave yourself
00:06:22
vulnerable vulnerable to hazards you may
00:06:26
not even realize
00:06:31
[Music]
00:06:50
in early June 1987 70 year-old Marcus
00:06:54
Pullum the former deputy mayor of
00:06:56
Fremantle in Western Australia was
00:06:58
enjoying a family holiday in the
00:07:00
northern territories top end he was with
00:07:04
his wife Winifred 42 year old son Lance
00:07:07
into Lance's wife Joan they were on the
00:07:11
last leg of their camping trip gradually
00:07:13
making the three and a half thousand
00:07:15
kilometer drive back to Perth from the
00:07:17
top end travelling in their station
00:07:20
wagon on the Victoria Highway between
00:07:22
Catherine and Timber Creek they drove at
00:07:25
a relaxed pace stopping along the way to
00:07:27
camp fish and enjoyed the picturesque
00:07:30
surroundings before they had the return
00:07:32
to the hustle and bustle of the city
00:07:36
approximately 500 kilometers southwest
00:07:38
of Darwin the Bullen family stopped to
00:07:40
camp for the night at the wayside Ian
00:07:42
and caravan park in the small town of
00:07:44
Timber Creek the Wayside Inn was a well
00:07:48
known pit stop on the Victoria Highway a
00:07:50
small general store with a front veranda
00:07:53
sheltering a petrol Belzer from the
00:07:55
searing Northern Territory heat there
00:07:58
was basic accommodation and a caravan
00:08:00
park out the back there was a good
00:08:02
chance to stay the night somewhere with
00:08:04
some mod cons like a real toilet before
00:08:06
setting off camping again in more remote
00:08:08
areas the next day the bullen's plan to
00:08:12
head Southwest along the Victoria
00:08:14
Highway towards the Kimberley region in
00:08:15
Western Australia
00:08:18
Timber Creek was a must stop for the
00:08:20
balloons that part of the Victoria River
00:08:23
was a fisherman's paradise and famous
00:08:25
for its barramundi Marcus and Lance
00:08:28
planned to get some quality fishing in
00:08:30
before they left the area the Victoria
00:08:34
River is 560 kilometers long and runs
00:08:37
from the Jude bra gregory national park
00:08:39
to meet the team or sea father creates a
00:08:42
stunning Vista the Victoria River has a
00:08:45
large saltwater crocodile population
00:08:47
which makes it a dangerous place for
00:08:48
those unfamiliar with the area
00:08:51
crocodiles are common throughout the top
00:08:53
end Kathryn and Kimberley regions
00:08:56
after camping tonight at the wayside in
00:08:59
marcus and lance went for a drive the
00:09:01
next morning june 9th to find the
00:09:03
perfect fishing spot and a place along
00:09:05
the Victoria River where they could set
00:09:07
up camp that night they left Winifred
00:09:10
and Joan behind at the inn reassuring
00:09:12
them they'd be back in an hour or so
00:09:16
Marcus and Lance drove around for a
00:09:18
while as they passed the Timber Creek
00:09:20
Airport about nine kilometres west of
00:09:22
the in there was a stretch of the
00:09:24
Victoria Highway where the road hugged
00:09:26
the river giving them a view of the deep
00:09:28
waterway and dense scrub buildup on its
00:09:30
banks just as the road began to divert
00:09:34
away from the river a track appeared
00:09:36
which had been made by other vehicles
00:09:38
they turned to the right and followed
00:09:40
the track through light scrub as the
00:09:43
trees grew more dense a clearing
00:09:45
suddenly appeared where they could park
00:09:47
their car close to the river the
00:09:52
location was a known fishing spot the
00:09:54
tracks had been made by campus and
00:09:56
fishermen before them it looked perfect
00:09:58
to Marcus and lands they got out of
00:10:02
their car to take a closer look around
00:10:05
the spot was cool the hot Sun was being
00:10:08
filtered through the thick trees around
00:10:10
them the unspoiled scenery and silence
00:10:12
made them feel like they were the only
00:10:14
two people around for miles
00:10:17
but they weren't alone they were being
00:10:23
hunted as the hours ticked by and there
00:10:32
was no sign of Marcus or Lance Winifred
00:10:35
and Joan became worried all sorts of
00:10:37
things ran through their minds had their
00:10:40
husbands found a great fishing spot and
00:10:42
lost track of time
00:10:43
had they gotten lost did the car break
00:10:46
down which way did they even go did they
00:10:50
have an argument and one drive off
00:10:52
without the other well one or both of
00:10:54
them injured and unable to go for help
00:10:56
had they been taken by crocodiles they
00:11:00
only had one vehicle between the four of
00:11:02
them and the Lance and Marcus had it so
00:11:05
the women couldn't go for a drive to
00:11:06
search for them as the morning turned
00:11:11
into afternoon Winifred and Joan
00:11:13
contacted the Northern Territory police
00:11:14
at Timber Creek Station to report their
00:11:17
husband's missing constable first class
00:11:20
Martin plum and constable Brett Thorpe
00:11:22
where the two officers stationed at
00:11:23
Timber Creek after taking the
00:11:27
missing-persons report they started
00:11:28
searching the more well-known fishing
00:11:30
spots in the area but they found no
00:11:33
trace of Marcus or Lance Bullen
00:11:36
the officers had a difficult task the
00:11:39
dude broke Gregory National Park is
00:11:41
enormous it's the same size as the
00:11:43
greater Sydney area 13,000 square
00:11:46
kilometers Marcus and Lance could have
00:11:49
been anywhere with no sign of them the
00:11:52
search was called off when darkness fell
00:11:57
earlier that morning when Marcus and
00:11:59
Lance got out of their car at what they
00:12:01
thought would be the ideal fishing spot
00:12:03
along the Victoria River there was
00:12:05
someone watching them the tranquility of
00:12:10
their surroundings was shattered within
00:12:12
seconds when they were ambushed by me
00:12:14
and brandishing a two-to-three rifle who
00:12:16
ordered them to lie face down next to
00:12:18
their vehicle shocked and confused
00:12:21
Marcus and Lance obeyed the stranger
00:12:23
before they could work out who the man
00:12:26
was or which direction he'd come from he
00:12:29
shot them in the back in quick
00:12:30
succession killing both instantly the
00:12:35
killer stripped them both naked and
00:12:36
dragged them by their feet to the
00:12:38
high-water mark in the riverbed where he
00:12:40
dug two shallow graves on the sandy bank
00:12:42
and pushed them in after burying their
00:12:45
bodies the killer threw the bullen's
00:12:47
clothes and belongings into their
00:12:48
station wagon
00:12:49
he drove their vehicle away from the
00:12:51
river into nearby bush that was more
00:12:53
sheltered from view he removed the
00:12:56
number plates and set it alight the
00:13:00
killer then fled in his vehicle
00:13:02
disappearing in a trail of dust
00:13:08
the owner of the Wayside Inn and caravan
00:13:11
park Helen Anderson heard the news about
00:13:13
Marcus and Lance going missing that day
00:13:15
and she thought back to a call she had
00:13:17
received recently asking her to keep a
00:13:19
lookout for a stolen white toyota
00:13:21
4runner only hours after they went
00:13:25
missing Helen saw a man in a white
00:13:27
4runner at the caravan park at about
00:13:29
5:00 p.m. the vehicle matched the one
00:13:32
that was stolen except for the plates
00:13:34
the vehicle Helen saw at the caravan
00:13:37
park had Queensland number plates she
00:13:40
knew how easy it was to swap plates
00:13:41
though so she passed the information on
00:13:44
to police that knowing the following
00:13:49
morning on June 10th the police search
00:13:51
resumed constables plum and Thorpe
00:13:54
continued searching known fishing spots
00:13:56
this took them out past the airport and
00:13:59
down their dirt track the Bullen men had
00:14:01
driven the day before as they continued
00:14:04
up the track they saw the balloons burnt
00:14:06
our station wagon down near the edge of
00:14:10
the river they came across the shallow
00:14:11
graves of Marcus and Lance they sealed
00:14:17
off the area declared at a major crime
00:14:19
scene and then contacted Darwin for
00:14:21
assistance given Darwin is six hundred
00:14:24
kilometers away from the remote town of
00:14:26
timber creek assistants had to be flown
00:14:29
in
00:14:32
at 1:15 p.m. that afternoon the team of
00:14:35
investigators and a forensic pathologist
00:14:37
departed Darwin in a Northern Territory
00:14:39
police aircraft local officers plum and
00:14:43
thought hadn't break the news to a
00:14:45
devastated and disbelieving Winifred and
00:14:47
Joan whose worlds had now been turned
00:14:49
completely upside down only 24 hours ago
00:14:53
they'd been creating memories on a
00:14:55
lovely family holiday they'd said
00:14:58
goodbye to their husbands who they
00:15:00
expected to return with the location of
00:15:02
their next campsite instead they were
00:15:06
viciously murdered after the team from
00:15:12
Darwin arrived and a cursory examination
00:15:14
of the crime scene was undertaken it
00:15:16
became clear that a proper examination
00:15:18
and a full line search would have to be
00:15:20
postponed until the next morning as
00:15:22
night was approaching officers canvassed
00:15:26
the Wayside Inn and caravan park as well
00:15:28
as local stores and businesses looking
00:15:31
for any information on who could be
00:15:32
responsible time was of the essence to
00:15:36
locate the killer who by now could be
00:15:39
anywhere the task of apprehending the
00:15:42
person responsible was overwhelming
00:15:44
given the sheer size of the area as
00:15:48
morning burg on June 11th a routine
00:15:52
crime scene investigation began a full
00:15:54
line search was conducted where police
00:15:57
noted the presence of tire impressions
00:15:59
and boot print impressions that didn't
00:16:01
belong to the bullen's a spent cartridge
00:16:04
case from a two to three rifle was
00:16:06
recovered adjacent to drag marks on the
00:16:08
riverbank this led police to believe
00:16:11
that it had fallen out of the killer's
00:16:12
pocket as he was dragging the bodies
00:16:15
they noted small bloodstains on each
00:16:18
side of the tire tracks that the
00:16:19
bullen's vehicle had made the drag marks
00:16:22
started from two large bloodstains on
00:16:25
the ground next the where the bullen's
00:16:27
vehicle was originally Park before the
00:16:29
killer moved it
00:16:31
blood group testing proved once Dane was
00:16:34
from Marcus and the other was from Lance
00:16:36
confirming that spot was where they were
00:16:38
shot the examination of the scene
00:16:42
continued into the next day and didn't
00:16:44
finish until the following evening
00:16:48
between the forensic analysis and the
00:16:51
autopsy it was revealed that both men
00:16:53
was shot lying face down next to their
00:16:55
station wagon the bullets passed through
00:16:57
their bodies and embedded in the ground
00:16:59
beneath them Northern Territory police
00:17:03
set up roadblocks and issued bulletins
00:17:06
for people to be aware of suspicious
00:17:07
vehicles in the area tourist information
00:17:10
centres issued advisories to travel only
00:17:13
during the day and in convoy if possible
00:17:16
while this information would have
00:17:18
reached people fairly quickly via local
00:17:20
media caravan parks petrol stations and
00:17:22
pubs police had no way of contacting
00:17:25
people who were already off the road
00:17:27
there could have been hundreds of people
00:17:29
out there off the beaten track in remote
00:17:32
areas with no way of knowing the
00:17:34
murderer was on the loose
00:17:36
much of the area was so remote that
00:17:39
there was no radio contact at all police
00:17:44
checked to see if anyone had a grievance
00:17:46
against Marcus Bullen back home giving
00:17:48
his local prominence as former deputy
00:17:50
mayor of Fremantle while this was a
00:17:53
plausible theory they failed to come up
00:17:55
with any leads without any further
00:17:58
information it was just a guessing game
00:18:01
no one knew who was responsible whether
00:18:05
it was more than one person or if it was
00:18:07
going to happen again in the Western
00:18:14
Australian Kimberley region
00:18:15
approximately 37 kilometers from the
00:18:17
Northern Territory border is the town of
00:18:20
Canon ara
00:18:21
it is located 226 kilometers west of
00:18:24
timber Creek where the bullen's were
00:18:26
noted if you're driving across the top
00:18:30
end from timber Creek through the
00:18:32
Kimberley region across the Broome there
00:18:34
is only one route that route is along
00:18:37
the Victoria Highway which takes you
00:18:39
through Canon ara
00:18:40
that's most well known as the location
00:18:43
shoot for Baz Luhrmann's 2008 film
00:18:45
Australia starring Hugh Jackman and
00:18:48
Nicole Kidman 25 year old Julie Warren /
00:18:53
26 year old fiance Philip walk a mile in
00:18:56
there 36 year old friend Terry bolt were
00:18:59
well-known Kununurra locals Julie worked
00:19:02
the checkout at the local supermarket
00:19:04
and she and Philip were due to be
00:19:05
married in a few weeks to celebrate
00:19:08
their engagement they'd booked a keg of
00:19:10
beer at the local pub for the following
00:19:11
Saturday night Philip walk a mile was
00:19:16
president of the Kununurra squash club
00:19:17
he was a member of a runners Club and he
00:19:20
and Terry bolt will work mates at the
00:19:22
local airstrip for the Department of
00:19:23
Aviation Philip Julie and Terry were all
00:19:27
well-liked around town on June 13th 1987
00:19:34
the day the crime scene investigation
00:19:36
was finishing up in Timber Creek and
00:19:38
four days after the murders Julie her
00:19:41
fiance Philip and their friend Terry
00:19:43
left can Inara in Philips car they were
00:19:47
heading off on a camping and fishing
00:19:48
trip with a couple of other friends town
00:19:50
wined and relax before focusing on their
00:19:52
upcoming wedding preparations 110
00:19:56
kilometers southwest of Caen Inara
00:19:58
and around 350 kilometres from Timber
00:20:01
Creek the group stopped at a picnic area
00:20:04
at the pentecost river crossing the
00:20:07
picnic area is about three kilometers
00:20:08
away from the actual crossing itself on
00:20:11
Gibb River Road the crossing is a
00:20:13
popular four-wheel-drive tourist
00:20:15
activity however extreme caution is
00:20:17
advised the crossing is wired and can be
00:20:20
almost impossible to pass in the wetter
00:20:22
months but in the drier period it can be
00:20:25
pleasant and there is good access to
00:20:27
camping and fishing spots where you can
00:20:29
escape and get away from it all but like
00:20:32
the Victoria River the Pentecost is also
00:20:35
home to a large saltwater crocodile
00:20:37
population so you need to be careful
00:20:42
Julie Philip and Terry set up camp at
00:20:45
the picnic area and they were soon
00:20:47
joined by their two other friends David
00:20:49
McKenzie and Daniel Rowe who drove in a
00:20:52
separate car the group fished into the
00:20:55
night going to bed around midnight they
00:20:58
ate breakfast together the next morning
00:21:00
June 14th before their two friends David
00:21:02
McKenzie and Daniel Rowe left and
00:21:04
returned to Kununurra Julie Philip and
00:21:09
Terry continued fishing at the same spot
00:21:11
where they were cited by two other
00:21:13
campers who were also fishing about 50
00:21:16
metres away the two other campers have
00:21:20
left the picnic area just before
00:21:22
lunchtime they noticed Philip and Terry
00:21:24
sitting on folding chairs drinking and
00:21:26
chatting whilst Julie was packing their
00:21:28
bed rolls and getting things organized
00:21:31
Philips aluminium dinghy with our board
00:21:33
motor was moored to the riverbank the
00:21:37
two other campers also noticed the white
00:21:39
toyota 4runner parked nearby in a dry
00:21:42
creek bed there was no one with it
00:21:44
though when the two other campers drove
00:21:47
off it was just Julie Philip and Terry
00:21:50
alone at the campsite or so they thought
00:21:57
unbeknownst to them they were being
00:21:59
watched not too far away a man dressed
00:22:05
in camouflage gear was staking out their
00:22:07
campsite from higher ground
00:22:08
the man was watching as David McKenzie
00:22:11
and Daniel row left the campsite after
00:22:13
breakfast and he was watching when the
00:22:15
other two campers left just before
00:22:17
lunchtime leaving Julie Philip and Terry
00:22:20
alone at the campsite suddenly the man
00:22:25
burst forward running towards the trio
00:22:28
before they realized what was happening
00:22:30
Julie was shot once in the back with a
00:22:32
two to three rifle Terry and Philip
00:22:35
scrambled to escape the gunfire but
00:22:38
Terry was shot in the head back and
00:22:39
shoulder Philip sustained multiple
00:22:42
gunshot wounds through his ear in chess
00:22:44
it was a lightning-fast ruthless attack
00:22:50
as with the bullen's five days
00:22:52
previously the killer stripped of the
00:22:54
trio naked this time he rolled their
00:22:57
bodies into the river
00:22:59
perhaps in the hope they would be eaten
00:23:01
by crocodiles the killer then placed
00:23:04
their clothes and belongings into
00:23:06
Philips car drove it on a track and into
00:23:08
a gully back towards the main road and
00:23:11
set it alight shortly before 4:00 p.m.
00:23:16
truck driver Fred P s young was
00:23:19
approaching in the top of the Pentecost
00:23:20
ranges in the road train he was driving
00:23:22
from Mount Barnet to Lincoln he noticed
00:23:26
black smoke near the Pentecost River
00:23:28
Crossing picnic area which he thought
00:23:30
must have been from a campsite but given
00:23:33
the acrid nature of the smoke fred
00:23:35
couldn't quite make out what exactly was
00:23:37
causing the fire as he passed the track
00:23:40
entrance to the picnic area he noticed
00:23:42
the white toyota 4runner leaving in his
00:23:45
rearview mirror
00:23:46
Fred slowed and moved over to let the
00:23:49
4runner pass him and he saw it had
00:23:51
Queensland for number plates he couldn't
00:23:54
really make out the driver only
00:23:56
describing him as a small man Fred
00:24:00
thought the large amount of camping
00:24:01
equipment in the rear compartment of the
00:24:03
4runner was unusual but he didn't think
00:24:05
too much more of it as it disappeared
00:24:07
into the distance when Phillip and Terry
00:24:13
failed to show up for work the following
00:24:15
day June 15th David McKenzie called ran
00:24:18
to their houses David had been camping
00:24:21
with them but left straight after
00:24:23
breakfast he couldn't raise anyone and
00:24:26
when he found out Julie had also failed
00:24:28
to show up for work his immediate
00:24:30
thought was that Noah stranded at the
00:24:32
campsite maybe their car had broken down
00:24:37
David drove out to the campsite with
00:24:39
another colleague as they drove to the
00:24:41
spot David had last seen the group they
00:24:44
saw Phillips Dean on the opposite side
00:24:46
of the riverbank
00:24:47
they then discovered Phillips burnt-out
00:24:49
station wagon but there was no sign of
00:24:52
anyone
00:24:54
David contacted the police
00:24:59
this time it was the Western Australian
00:25:01
police who responded they conducted a
00:25:04
search of the campsite and noticed that
00:25:06
the outboard motor for Philips dinghy
00:25:08
was in the back of his car but when
00:25:10
David left the campsite the day before
00:25:12
it was still attached to the Dean police
00:25:16
also noticed small spots of blood on the
00:25:18
ground boot prints and five spent
00:25:21
cartridge cases that appeared to be from
00:25:23
a two to three rifle the forensic
00:25:25
evidence was eerily similar to the
00:25:27
horrific scene that greeted Northern
00:25:29
Territory police only five days earlier
00:25:31
at the Victoria River the search
00:25:36
continued and around 4:15 p.m.
00:25:38
Julie Warren's body was found floating
00:25:40
facedown in the river five hundred
00:25:43
metres east of the campsite a crime
00:25:45
scene was established and local police
00:25:47
called for further assistance that
00:25:50
assistance came from Perth 3,000
00:25:53
kilometers away Western Australian
00:25:57
police immediately set up roadblocks
00:25:59
throughout the Kimberley as far south as
00:26:01
the Pilbara region and as far east as
00:26:03
the Victoria River where roadblocks set
00:26:05
up by Northern Territory police after
00:26:07
the murders of Lance and Marcus Bullen
00:26:09
was still in place at 7:45 a.m. the next
00:26:14
day June 16th Phillip Walker Myers body
00:26:17
was found floating in the river close to
00:26:19
the campsite teri bolts body was found
00:26:23
on the south bank of the river a few
00:26:25
hours later
00:26:25
[Music]
00:26:28
tourists were strongly advised to
00:26:30
reconsider their holiday plans they were
00:26:32
warned to stay off the roads and to not
00:26:34
stop for strangers under any
00:26:36
circumstances everyone was on edge who
00:26:40
was this person traveling the Outback
00:26:42
gunning people down were they random
00:26:45
attacks or was there a link between the
00:26:48
murders police had no idea who the
00:26:52
shooter was worrying what direction he
00:26:54
was headed but they knew he had a
00:26:56
24-hour head start on them which was
00:26:58
extremely worrying given the experience
00:27:01
of the Kimberley there were a lot of
00:27:03
tourists around at that time of year
00:27:04
making it easier for the killer to blend
00:27:07
in and giving him more people to attack
00:27:15
in Australia each police jurisdiction
00:27:18
has a Special Operations Group or
00:27:20
technical response group TRG these are
00:27:24
specialist teams that respond to
00:27:25
high-risk situations such as sieges
00:27:28
counterterrorism operations and other
00:27:30
armed offender incidents on June 16th 7
00:27:34
officers from the Western Australian TRG
00:27:37
and an officer from the forensic
00:27:39
division chartered an aircraft from
00:27:41
Perth to Kona Nara to assist with the
00:27:43
investigation detectives from the major
00:27:46
crime squad were also flown in to
00:27:48
investigate
00:27:50
based on the violent manner and cause of
00:27:52
death the disposal of the victims
00:27:54
personal belongings in vehicles and the
00:27:56
weapon used there was their opinion that
00:27:58
the murders of Julie Warren Phillip
00:28:00
Walker Maya and Terry bolt were
00:28:02
committed by the same person who
00:28:03
murdered Marcus and Lance Bourne
00:28:06
Kununurra locals were devastated at the
00:28:09
loss of Julie Phillip and Terry the
00:28:11
murders of all five victims had by now
00:28:13
made national headlines and media from
00:28:16
all over the country swarmed the local
00:28:17
area although the murders of Lance and
00:28:20
Marcus Bullen occurred in the northern
00:28:22
territories top end east of the
00:28:23
Kimberley the media dubbed the gunman
00:28:26
the Kimberly killer people in the
00:28:30
Kimberley and the top end could always
00:28:31
felt reasonably safe but now with an
00:28:34
unknown gunman on the loose and no clue
00:28:36
of where he might turn up next
00:28:38
locals felt fearful threatened and angry
00:28:42
threatened by the killer threatened by
00:28:45
the abrasive and intrusive media
00:28:47
presence and angry that their way of
00:28:49
life and sense of safety had suddenly
00:28:51
been disrupted by paralyzing uncertainty
00:28:54
they started locking their doors for the
00:28:56
first time and shotguns were kept loaded
00:28:59
and ready to go police decided to use
00:29:04
the increased media presence to their
00:29:05
advantage continuing to issue radio and
00:29:08
TV bulletins warning people in the area
00:29:10
to be alert and to report suspicious
00:29:12
activity this was especially important
00:29:15
given the time of year even though it
00:29:18
was the dry season water halls across
00:29:20
the area were full due to good rainfall
00:29:22
for someone who appeared to be is well
00:29:24
prepared for the rugged terrain as
00:29:25
police believed the killer could bunk it
00:29:28
down and take refuge in the more
00:29:29
inaccessible parts of the Kimberley for
00:29:31
a good amount of time
00:29:33
by now police were looking for the white
00:29:36
toyota 4runner with Queensland plates
00:29:38
that had been seen in close proximity to
00:29:40
both crime scenes they made nationwide
00:29:43
appeals for any information regarding
00:29:45
stolen or missing Toyota 4runner and
00:29:47
sought assistance from the public via
00:29:49
the media regarding sightings of any
00:29:51
such vehicles in the Kimberley they
00:29:54
really honed in on this lead and sought
00:29:56
registration information for all
00:29:58
matching vehicles in the surrounding
00:30:00
areas during their media appeal
00:30:04
information was forwarded to
00:30:06
investigators that a white Toyota
00:30:08
4runner had been rented from Avis at
00:30:10
Brisbane Airport by German tourists
00:30:12
named a Joseph Schwab aged in his
00:30:14
mid-20s the vehicle had failed to be
00:30:18
returned in accordance with the date
00:30:19
specified on the rental agreement and
00:30:21
was now overdue police circulated
00:30:25
descriptions of both Schwab and the
00:30:27
vehicle to other jurisdictions
00:30:28
nationwide following the arrival of the
00:30:33
Tactical Response Group from Perth they
00:30:35
spent the next five days searching
00:30:37
outlying station homesteads and
00:30:39
abandoned buildings police aircraft were
00:30:42
used to search for dust plumes from the
00:30:44
air the dust put up by vehicle traveling
00:30:46
on a gravel or dirt road by this stage
00:30:49
forensic evidence had determined that
00:30:51
the boot print recovered from the
00:30:53
Pentecost River crime scene was a match
00:30:55
to the boot print recovered at the
00:30:56
Victoria River crime scene confirming
00:30:59
what police already believed the murders
00:31:01
were committed by the same person
00:31:05
roadblocks remained in place across the
00:31:07
Kimberley in the top end with police
00:31:09
actively stopping all drivers to warn
00:31:11
them against traveling into the area if
00:31:14
drivers insisted on continuing that were
00:31:16
warned to not stop for anyone the South
00:31:21
Australian police force also set up
00:31:22
roadblocks in the south along the Stuart
00:31:25
Highway most tourists by now had
00:31:28
bunkered down a caravan parks and motels
00:31:30
and as word spread the roads into and
00:31:33
out of major towns in the region became
00:31:35
deserted but there was still the issue
00:31:37
of campers who were already off-road
00:31:39
that police couldn't reach there were
00:31:42
also remote mining communities sent
00:31:44
cattle stations they may not have heard
00:31:46
of
00:31:46
the murders which remained a major
00:31:48
concern the most frightening part for
00:31:52
Kununurra locals was led to trouble from
00:31:54
the first crime scene in the Northern
00:31:55
Territory to the second crime scene at
00:31:57
Pentecost River in Western Australia
00:31:59
there was only one road and that meant
00:32:02
the killer had passed through their town
00:32:14
further on from the second crime scene
00:32:16
at pentecost river the next main town
00:32:19
was fitzroy crossing it was assumed the
00:32:21
killer was either headed there was
00:32:23
already there or had already passed
00:32:25
through the pressure on police to
00:32:29
quickly apprehend the killer was immense
00:32:31
the annual fitzroy crossing rodeo was
00:32:33
due to start within a week which meant
00:32:35
thousands of people would be descending
00:32:37
on the town at the time fitzroy crossing
00:32:40
had a population of only 1000 people and
00:32:43
it was very isolated TV and radio
00:32:45
reception was non-existent someone who
00:32:51
was very familiar with the area was out
00:32:53
back helicopter pilot peter luden eagle
00:32:55
Peter had heard about the murders and
00:32:57
knew police were looking for a white
00:32:59
toyota 4runner about 8:20 a.m. on June
00:33:04
19th four days after the murders of Juli
00:33:07
Warren Phillip Walker Maya and Terry
00:33:08
bulb Peter was up in the air mustering
00:33:11
horses from his helicopter in
00:33:13
preparation for the radio at fitzroy
00:33:15
crossing he was at a place called
00:33:18
jubilee downs only 15 kilometers away
00:33:20
from where the radio was being held well
00:33:24
up in the air he spotted what looked
00:33:26
like a camouflaged vehicle in the bushes
00:33:28
in a spot that was unusual for tourists
00:33:30
to set up camp
00:33:32
he couldn't make out the make or model
00:33:34
of the vehicle as it was heavily
00:33:35
camouflaged
00:33:36
Peter thought it looked suspicious so he
00:33:39
flew to Fitzroy crossing police station
00:33:41
where he landed and reported his
00:33:43
sighting the technical response group
00:33:46
were alerted and were flown into Fitzroy
00:33:48
crossing station they were briefed about
00:33:51
Peters sighting and then Peter himself
00:33:53
took two senior TRG members up in his
00:33:55
helicopter to conduct an aerial check of
00:33:57
the camouflaged vehicle they had no idea
00:34:00
how many people were with it despite the
00:34:05
unusual area it was parked they thought
00:34:07
there was every chance it could just be
00:34:09
an innocent tourist setting up camp but
00:34:12
as they circled the vehicle and got a
00:34:14
closer look something felt off about it
00:34:16
it was so heavily camouflaged they
00:34:19
couldn't determine the make or model and
00:34:21
it just didn't look like a spot a
00:34:23
tourist would set up they couldn't see
00:34:27
anyone with the vehicle so they returned
00:34:29
to Fitzroy crossing police station to
00:34:31
implement the next step of their plan
00:34:33
identifying the person or persons with
00:34:35
the vehicle was crucial both to ensure
00:34:38
their safety and to eliminate them as
00:34:40
the killer they also had to be very
00:34:42
careful because they had no idea if the
00:34:44
killer had taken any hostages the
00:34:47
Kimberley and top-end are so remote
00:34:49
people could be missing and no one would
00:34:51
have any idea every precaution had to be
00:34:55
taken at midday a police cessna 182
00:35:01
small aircraft flew low over the
00:35:04
camouflaged vehicle to try and flush out
00:35:06
anyone inside or nearby in the bush at
00:35:10
the same time the team of seven TRG
00:35:12
officers were sent in on foot as the TRG
00:35:16
approached dressed in camouflage gear
00:35:18
the pilots were directing them via radio
00:35:21
communication while keeping their eyes
00:35:23
on the vehicle as they watched on from
00:35:26
above a figure suddenly emerged from the
00:35:29
driver's side of the vehicle and started
00:35:30
firing up at the aircraft with a
00:35:32
high-powered rifle
00:35:33
the police pilot had to maneuver the
00:35:36
plane to avoid the rifle fire
00:35:37
all the while providing instructions
00:35:39
back to the approaching trj officers on
00:35:42
the ground who were incredibly
00:35:43
vulnerable
00:35:44
the tij team heard the gunfire and
00:35:47
officer bob brown recording an interview
00:35:49
with the weekend west quote it was about
00:35:53
then everyone made peace with their
00:35:55
maker because we knew what we were
00:35:57
walking into as they got within eyesight
00:36:00
of the vehicle they could see someone
00:36:02
standing on the front rubra shirtless
00:36:05
wearing camouflage pants and firing up
00:36:08
at the police plane despite there being
00:36:11
low-lying scrub the area was open and
00:36:14
the TRG team were forced to take cover
00:36:16
behind it in hills and whatever trees
00:36:18
they could fall in as they were taking
00:36:21
cover the gunman spotted one of the
00:36:23
officers in his peripheral vision and
00:36:25
swiftly turned to face them the officer
00:36:29
in command called on the gunman to stop
00:36:31
firing
00:36:31
identifying several times that police
00:36:33
were present but instead of getting a
00:36:36
verbal response that could lead officers
00:36:38
to engage with him and hopefully
00:36:39
negotiate a quick end to his hostile
00:36:41
reaction the opposite occurred the
00:36:46
gunman pulled the rifle up to his face
00:36:48
took a good look through the telescopic
00:36:50
sight and with military precision began
00:36:54
targeting the trj team it became
00:36:57
immediately clear that he was not firing
00:36:59
indiscriminately he was well trained his
00:37:03
frightening degree of accuracy meant the
00:37:05
trj officers were split-second from
00:37:07
death as bullets flew past them while
00:37:11
that desperately sought cover officer
00:37:13
Bob Brown opened fire with his m16
00:37:15
taking off the gunman's left thumb and
00:37:18
blasting the stock of his rifle although
00:37:21
injured the gunman ran to his car and
00:37:24
emerged with the Ruger mini-14 a firearm
00:37:27
he could easily handle with one arm
00:37:29
the gunman continued his aggressive
00:37:32
assault while retreating in a westerly
00:37:34
direction the trj returned fire and used
00:37:39
grenades consisting of prior technique
00:37:41
tear gas being the dry season the use of
00:37:45
these grenades set fire to the scrub
00:37:47
reducing visibility and increasing the
00:37:49
risk that everyone involved
00:37:52
the gunmen had stockpiled ammunition all
00:37:55
around his vehicle and as the scrub fire
00:37:57
continued to spread rapidly the heat
00:37:59
caused the ammunition to start exploding
00:38:02
the police plane above retreated
00:38:04
slightly to avoid the fire and
00:38:06
explosions the gunmen retreated as well
00:38:10
but then he stopped repositioned himself
00:38:13
and continued shooting at the tig team
00:38:16
he repeated this action several times
00:38:20
officers recognized that as a military
00:38:22
tactic in which an individual fires at
00:38:25
the enemy in this case the police to
00:38:27
prevent them from advancing then moves
00:38:30
to a new position and shoots again
00:38:32
repeating until they're in a position to
00:38:34
escape by this stage a significant
00:38:38
amount of the area was ablaze but the
00:38:40
gunman wasn't backing down tij officers
00:38:44
still had no idea if the gunman was
00:38:46
holding hostages
00:38:47
so under covering gunfire from members
00:38:49
of his team officer Bob Brown ran
00:38:51
through the flames towards the
00:38:52
camouflaged vehicle which was starting
00:38:54
to be engulfed by fire after accessing
00:38:58
the vehicle through the front passenger
00:38:59
door he felt across through the choking
00:39:02
smoke to find the keys in the ignition
00:39:04
he started the engine engaged ear and
00:39:07
then drove the vehicle out through the
00:39:09
flames and gunfire in case hostages were
00:39:11
being held inside but none were the
00:39:17
vehicle was empty then the shooting
00:39:22
stopped suddenly
00:39:25
everything felt so on there was no sign
00:39:29
of the gunmen the trj team began to
00:39:36
search the area cautiously given the air
00:39:38
was still thick with smoke they had no
00:39:41
idea whether the gunman was dead or
00:39:43
alive and hiding waiting to ambush them
00:39:47
during their search the police pilot
00:39:51
spotted something lying in the
00:39:52
undergrowth and radioed down as the TRG
00:39:57
continued to close in through the smoke
00:39:59
they discovered a man's body lying face
00:40:01
down on the ground a rifle beside him he
00:40:06
had a gunshot wound to his back which
00:40:08
had exited his heart he was wearing
00:40:11
camouflage army fatigue trousers and a
00:40:13
bandana around his head but was topless
00:40:16
and a barefoot
00:40:18
it was 1:15 p.m. the heavily camouflaged
00:40:26
vehicle was a white toyota 4runner with
00:40:29
queensland plates police set to work
00:40:32
preserving the area for forensic
00:40:33
investigation given the man wasn't
00:40:36
wearing any shoes
00:40:37
police searched the 4runner and found a
00:40:39
pair of Timberline brand boots which
00:40:41
would later be found to match the boot
00:40:43
prints located at both murder scenes
00:40:45
they located a firearms license driver's
00:40:48
licenses credit cards checkbooks and
00:40:51
camping equipment which were all items
00:40:54
that belonged to the five murder victims
00:40:57
fishing tackle a toolbox and ten sets of
00:41:00
water buffalo horns were also filmed
00:41:04
police still had no idea who they had
00:41:07
shot they initially identified the man
00:41:10
through a passport found in his vehicle
00:41:12
as Joseph Schwab the German tourist who
00:41:14
had failed to return a white Toyota
00:41:16
four-runner rental car to Brisbane
00:41:18
Airport but that would have to wait for
00:41:21
formal fingerprint identification to be
00:41:23
sure a group of detectives from the
00:41:26
Major Crime Squad in Perth and forensic
00:41:28
officers arrived at Fitzroy crossing for
00:41:31
a briefing they then took control of the
00:41:33
crime scene the gunman's body was
00:41:36
transported to Derby Regional Hospital
00:41:38
for a post-mortem and on June 21st he
00:41:41
was formally identified as Joseph Schwab
00:41:44
to confirm identification police sent
00:41:47
his fingerprints to Interpol to allow a
00:41:49
comparison to his fingerprints held in
00:41:51
what was at the time West Germany Joseph
00:42:01
Thomas Schwab was born in the district
00:42:03
of Schaumburg West Germany on November
00:42:06
25th 1962 Joseph and Johanna Schwab not
00:42:11
much is known about his childhood but it
00:42:13
was said to be obsessed with firearms
00:42:14
from an early age
00:42:17
he joined the Rifle Association at age
00:42:20
15 he started carrying a pistol at age
00:42:22
16 and he remained a member of the Rifle
00:42:25
Association into adulthood
00:42:28
Joseph grew into a quiet man who didn't
00:42:31
mix in large social circles he had few
00:42:33
friends in his early 20s
00:42:36
Joseph decided to explore the world on
00:42:39
June 15th 1981 he arrived in Australia
00:42:43
and moved to Henley Beach in South
00:42:45
Australia he commenced work as a
00:42:47
covenant maker and maintained his
00:42:49
interest in firearms by joining a pistol
00:42:51
club in his spare time he enjoyed
00:42:54
packing his rifles and taking trips in
00:42:56
his four-wheel drive into the South
00:42:57
Australian bush to hunt wild pigs Joseph
00:43:02
didn't do well maintaining steady work
00:43:04
and he eventually made the decision to
00:43:06
return to West Germany for financial
00:43:08
reasons little is known about his life
00:43:10
following his return home on May 10th 84
00:43:13
it's known he commenced work as a
00:43:15
security guard 11 months later in April
00:43:18
85 as part of his role he carried a
00:43:21
Ruger 357 magnum revolver and received
00:43:24
firearms training in combat shooting his
00:43:27
on-the-job training did not include the
00:43:29
use of rifles Joseph then became heavily
00:43:32
involved with a criminal gang in West
00:43:34
Germany
00:43:35
he stole cars and broke into houses
00:43:37
resulting in numerous criminal
00:43:39
convictions it was likely due to police
00:43:42
attention heating up on his criminal
00:43:44
involvement that prompted Joseph to
00:43:46
leave West Germany and return to
00:43:48
Australia
00:43:50
he purchased five thousand four hundred
00:43:52
dollars in traveler's checks in Munich
00:43:54
and quit his job as a security guard the
00:43:57
following day he departed Frankfurt
00:43:59
headed for Australia
00:44:00
he arrived in Brisbane Queensland on a
00:44:03
tourist visa on April 18th 1987 three
00:44:08
days later he visited a Brisbane branch
00:44:10
of the A&Z bank where he lied and told
00:44:13
the bank teller his traveler's checks
00:44:14
had been stolen they were replaced to
00:44:17
the value of $1,000 the following day
00:44:21
April 22nd Joseph hired the white Toyota
00:44:24
4runner four-wheel drive from Brisbane
00:44:26
Airport providing a false address of an
00:44:28
unrelated a Joseph Schwab in Munich he
00:44:31
then drove to woollen gabber where he
00:44:33
cashed both the original and the
00:44:35
fraudulent traveler's checks at two
00:44:37
banks he visited a licensed firearms
00:44:40
dealer and paid a deposit on a
00:44:42
Winchester 12-gauge pump-action shotgun
00:44:44
and three rifles a two to three caliber
00:44:47
Ruger self-loading mini-14 Asarco
00:44:50
bolt-action 308 and a bold action 22 the
00:44:55
next day he paid the money owing and
00:44:57
also purchased the large amount of
00:44:59
ammunition around 3000 cartridges in
00:45:02
total little is known about Joseph's
00:45:07
movements in the days that followed
00:45:08
however on May 6th he stopped to buy
00:45:11
petrol in a remote area in Queensland
00:45:13
the borders both South Australia in the
00:45:15
Northern Territory
00:45:17
like the kimberley in the top-end
00:45:19
precautions are essential for anyone
00:45:21
traveling through the outback in western
00:45:23
Queensland sufficient food fuel and
00:45:26
water provisions must be kept on hand at
00:45:28
all times after receiving a parking
00:45:31
ticket on May 9th in the Queensland
00:45:33
morning town of may annoy sir Joseph
00:45:35
made his way north west towards Darwin
00:45:39
by May 20th Joseph had driven three and
00:45:42
a half thousand kilometres from Brisbane
00:45:44
and arrived in Ueno a an industrial
00:45:46
northern suburb of Darwin where he had
00:45:48
the front end of his four-wheel-drive
00:45:49
repaired the next day he took the time
00:45:53
to send his parents a postcard
00:45:55
Joseph wasn't seen again until June 4th
00:45:58
when he was spotted at caramel Plains a
00:46:00
game reserve south east of Darwin a
00:46:03
large number of water buffalo in the
00:46:05
area were found shot and their horns
00:46:07
removed it was these horns the police
00:46:09
found in Joseph's vehicle after the
00:46:11
shootout Joseph continued his journey
00:46:14
through the Northern Territory driving
00:46:16
south west towards timber craic in the
00:46:18
Victoria River where he set up camp
00:46:20
camouflaged himself and Storch Marcus
00:46:23
and Lance Bowen viciously gunning down
00:46:26
the unsuspecting father and son he then
00:46:29
made his way to Pentecost River in the
00:46:31
Kimberley where he did the same to Julie
00:46:33
Warren her fiance Phillip Walker Moya
00:46:35
and their friend Terry bolt an inquest
00:46:43
into the murders and police operation
00:46:45
was held by coroner David McCann it
00:46:48
concluded on December 17th 1987 Joseph's
00:46:53
Schwab's death was found to be
00:46:54
justifiable homicide on the basis that
00:46:57
he fired at police attempting to escape
00:46:59
arrest and police returned fire in
00:47:01
self-defense
00:47:03
Schwab death meant there were no answers
00:47:06
as to his motivation for brutally
00:47:08
executing five strangers however it
00:47:11
likely prevented more innocent people
00:47:13
from being murdered there was no doubt
00:47:16
in the mind of TRG office of bob brown
00:47:18
quote tragically somebody was killed
00:47:22
given what we were confronted with that
00:47:25
was probably going to be the only result
00:47:27
or the best result we could hope for
00:47:29
because he was very much determined to
00:47:31
kill one of us
00:47:32
and if he hadn't have been stopped then
00:47:34
he would have killed other members of
00:47:36
the community we have no doubt Joseph
00:47:42
Schwab's parents were in disbelief that
00:47:44
their son could have perpetrated such
00:47:46
cold-blooded unprovoked attacks at the
00:47:49
time Western Australia's gun laws were
00:47:51
far more restrictive than those in
00:47:53
Queensland where there was no
00:47:55
requirement for background checks or any
00:47:57
restriction on the quantity of
00:47:58
ammunition that could be purchased had
00:48:01
Schwab attempted to purchase the same
00:48:02
weapons and ammunition in Western
00:48:04
Australia that would have been
00:48:06
impossible in handing down his findings
00:48:10
coroner McCain was highly critical of
00:48:12
gun laws in place of the torn he urged
00:48:16
for strong revision of Commonwealth
00:48:17
legislation to restrict the general
00:48:19
importation of high-powered firearms and
00:48:22
to limit their availability to the
00:48:23
public under strict licensing laws
00:48:27
questions around Schwab's motivation and
00:48:30
state of mind prior to and at the time
00:48:32
of the murders remain unanswered to this
00:48:34
day theories vary as to what motivated
00:48:37
him to ambush and shoot five defenseless
00:48:39
strangers in cold blood deceptively
00:48:42
obtaining and cashing the extra
00:48:43
traveler's checks and providing a false
00:48:45
address when he hired the toyota 4runner
00:48:47
indicate a level of premeditation
00:48:50
however they failed to reveal a motive
00:48:53
stripping his victims naked and burning
00:48:55
their belongings has been interpreted by
00:48:57
some as an act of anger as opposed to an
00:48:59
attempt to destroy evidence robbery was
00:49:02
also considered a potential motive given
00:49:05
some of the victims possessions were
00:49:06
found in his vehicle but we will never
00:49:10
know for sure
00:49:13
in an epilogue to the case in the years
00:49:16
following the murders and Joseph
00:49:17
Schwab's death public concern grew over
00:49:20
the behavior and integrity of the
00:49:22
Western Australian police force as a
00:49:25
result the Kennedy Royal Commission was
00:49:27
established in 2002 to determine whether
00:49:30
any Western Australian police officers
00:49:32
had engaged in corrupt or criminal
00:49:34
conduct one former detective referred to
00:49:38
only as the codename old five agreed to
00:49:40
give information relating to the conduct
00:49:42
of a number of detectives in the mid
00:49:44
eighties to the early nineties his
00:49:47
testimony was lawfully exchanged for
00:49:49
payment he said he had a guilty
00:49:51
conscience but he was also struggling
00:49:54
financially he alleged that he and other
00:49:58
detectives engaged in criminal behaviour
00:50:00
including theft of money and property
00:50:02
from crime scenes one of those scenes
00:50:04
was the shootout resulting in Joseph
00:50:06
Schwartz death former detective l5 was
00:50:11
involved in the Schwab investigation
00:50:13
with the Detective Sergeant from the
00:50:15
Major Crime Squad in Perth only known as
00:50:17
Detective Sergeant LS 20 detectives l5 &
00:50:22
LS 20 were not part of the trj squad
00:50:25
that shot Joseph Schwab they were part
00:50:27
of the team that arrived from Perth and
00:50:29
took over the crime scene afterwards one
00:50:31
of their roles was to make a list of
00:50:33
every item found in Schwab's vehicle an
00:50:35
exhibit list a black leather wallet was
00:50:40
found in the glove box containing 350
00:50:43
$3.75
00:50:45
however the cash didn't make the exhibit
00:50:47
list
00:50:50
detective l5 alleged that while the
00:50:52
forensic examination was being conducted
00:50:54
Detective Sergeant L s20 approached him
00:50:57
gave him some cash and said he's some
00:50:59
spending money for you while you're up
00:51:01
eating when no father asked where the
00:51:04
money had come from LS 20 set that had
00:51:07
been recovered from the glove box of
00:51:08
Schwab's vehicle but he didn't say who
00:51:11
had taken it
00:51:16
while some of the officers involved in
00:51:18
the investigation and subsequent
00:51:19
operation outside fitzroy crossing and
00:51:21
no longer members of the force the
00:51:24
memories of the firefight in the bush
00:51:25
that day have stayed with them officer
00:51:28
Bob Brown recalls the professionalism
00:51:30
and bravery of his fellow TRG team
00:51:32
members quote before every operation you
00:51:37
certainly become a little nervous but
00:51:39
training confidence in yourself and
00:51:41
confidence in your team members so
00:51:43
becomes that normal people wouldn't do
00:51:45
this they would turn around and walk off
00:51:48
or run away but we're not in a position
00:51:50
to we are sworn to do the job we do so
00:51:54
turning tail and getting out of it is
00:51:56
not an option
00:51:58
everyone in that team can be proud of
00:52:00
their actions on that day nobody took a
00:52:02
backwards step this is something that
00:52:05
really only happens in wartime thirty
00:52:11
years later the victim's family still
00:52:13
fill a void in their lives on the
00:52:16
anniversary of the murders this year
00:52:18
Phillip Walker Maya's parents Maureen
00:52:20
and Otto spoke with the West Australian
00:52:22
newspaper quote grief from homicide is a
00:52:26
never ending story it's like a scar that
00:52:29
never heals some people think that after
00:52:32
a few months
00:52:33
grief should have passed and things
00:52:34
should be back to normal not so there is
00:52:38
a scar there that will never heal even
00:52:41
after 30 years our Christmas is never
00:52:43
the same as it was Philip was a kind and
00:52:46
caring young man and was ready to help
00:52:48
anyone he had a great sense of humor and
00:52:51
one of the things we miss is hearing his
00:52:53
laugh that was magic he was a gentle
00:52:57
giant a beautiful person he loved people
00:53:00
camping and fishing these are not morbid
00:53:04
times but the opportunity to share and
00:53:07
remember the 26 years of happiness that
00:53:09
he gave us
00:53:12
despite coroner McCain's recommendations
00:53:15
in 1987 it wouldn't be until nine years
00:53:18
later the gun law reform in Australia
00:53:20
would occur following the Port Arthur
00:53:23
massacre in 1996 the horrific nature of
00:53:27
the Kimberley murders at the height of
00:53:29
the tourist season failed to deter
00:53:31
visitors from flocking to the Australian
00:53:33
outback
00:53:34
they remained a popular destination in
00:53:36
the years to come during people from all
00:53:39
over the world curious to explore the
00:53:41
majestic dusty experience including a
00:53:46
backpacking British couple in 2001 named
00:53:49
- Joanne Lee's and Peter Falcone who
00:54:00
[Music]