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[Music] the 1950s was the decade that saw the birth of the suburban dream in Australia
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that was the time where employment levels were extremely high and there was a very good standard of living across
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the country the economy was booming which is what made it so attractive for hundreds of thousands of people to
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migrate here after World War Two the Holmes family was one of many who moved to Australia from England after the war
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they came here to escape the destruction to a place they thought would be much safer and would offer a better quality
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of life [Music] grace and Kathleen Holmes were sisters grace was 18 years old Kathy was 11
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years old they moved to Australia from England with their parents Eleanor and Clarence Holmes and their brothers Doug
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and Frank Holmes they arrived here on the 27th of March 1950 Clarence served in both world wars
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during World War two the Holmes family lived - just outside of London and we're victims of the German Blitz suffering
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from heavy bombing but they survived they lived six months huddled in a bomb shelter
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Clarence was wounded in the war and he decided to move his family to Australia for a better chance in life once World
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War Two had ended they arrived in Sydney on Grace's 18th birthday the family rented two rooms on Williams Street in
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Kings Cross Sydney Grace was able to find work at a clothing factory to help with expenses in July 1950 they made the
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move to to Cle on the New South Wales Central Coast they rented a room on Pierce Avenue for three pounds and ten
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shillings a week which is about one hundred and seventy three dollars in today's money Clarence was a painter and
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decorator and he was able to find work in Newcastle about one hour's drive north of to Cle - Klee is 107 kilometers
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or 66 miles north of Sydney it is near a large residential area in popular holiday spot - Klee is surrounded by the
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ocean on the eastern side and on the other side by Tuggerah and budge away Lakes - large interconnected lakes
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divided by narrow strips of land Grace and caffee were healthy and able to take care of themselves
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grace was described as being particularly strong they often put on a pair of boxing gloves inspired with
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their brothers Grace and Kathy were both extremely close and were rarely out of each other's company
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on Tuesday the 29th of August 1950 Grace and Kathy spent the day at home with their mother Eleanor they shared lunch
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together which is cold tongue mashed potato and peas the girl's father Clarence was away
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working in Newcastle about 1:00 p.m. the girls left the house and went down to the local shop to buy some lollies they
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returned home about 1:15 Pam grace got changed into a green striped cotton frock and whites and shoes
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she wore a pair of light colored glasses into hair ribbon Kathy put on a green coloured short pleated skating frock
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into black stretch shoes Greg grabbed the small red striped hand tail and they left home together at 1:30 p.m. both
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bills were in good spirits and perfectly happy when they left home they told their mother they were headed to the
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nora head lighthouse which was a few miles away at 1:00 p.m. that afternoon the three Massey brothers Bruce Raymond
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and Alan left to their home in to Cle to go shooting in an area nicknamed by the
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locals the jungle the jungle was a thick scrub overgrown bush area that ran along
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the edge of tiger lake a quiet and very isolated spot they walked south along the lakes for sure heading about 90
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metres down past the spot known as Duncan's Hut Duncan's hut was a fisherman's hut that had nearly been
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overgrown by the jungle and was on the verge of collapse it was a popular place for underage drinkers and for other
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things people wanted to do away from prying eyes from that point 90 meters south of
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Duncan's hut the Massey's headed east making their way into the centre of the jungle they walked north up through the
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thick of the jungle they had a double-barrel shotgun with them on their hunt they walked about 90 meters back
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past Duncan's Hut through the jungle and then made their way back out onto the lake for sure
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the Massey brothers continued walking north along the foreshore until they came to a small Creek there was a piece
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of timber laid down over the creek people used as a bridge to get across when they arrived at the creek
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brace and Cathy Holmes were trying to walk across the piece of timber the girls were headed south down the lake
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for Shore the opposite direction to the Massey brothers the Massey's had never met grace or Cathy before the time was
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now about 3:30 p.m. Raymond Demasi grabbed the girl's hands and helped them both across the creek
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they thanked him and continued south down along the lake for Shore the Massey brothers crossed the creek themselves
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and continued north about 100 metres past the creek they ran into a man by the name of William Biddle
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he appeared suddenly out from behind some oak trees William berdal was 25 years old he was
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also a native of England but he had been living in Australia since he was three years old he had previously worked in a
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coal mine in the lift go 200 kilometres or 120 miles west of to Cle he had moved
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to to Cle two years earlier he lived with his mother and stepfather his sister and two stepbrothers he worked as
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a well digger as well as a praana and fisherman the massive brothers were keen fisherman themselves and they got
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talking with berdal about fishing for several minutes the Massey brothers described berdal is wearing shorts and a
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white athletic singlet he wasn't wearing any footwear after their conversation william Bertil walked south in the same
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direction as grace and kathy the girls were always home before 5:00 p.m. every night they helped Elinor prepare dinner
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and set the dinner table by 5:30 p.m. Elinor became worried she sent her sons Frank and Douglas here to see if they
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could find the girls by 7:30 p.m. there was still no sign of them Elinor sent Doug and Frank up to notify family
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friend Fred Jackson and ask for his help Fred Jackson was an estate agent and quickly got to work helping Elinor
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Clarence was still away in Newcastle working Fred Jackson organized the search party and about 60 local
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residents volunteered they searched the tucker lake foreshore in surrounding areas but they couldn't find any trace
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of the girls they didn't notify the police until about 1:30 a.m. that next morning Wednesday the 30th of August
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sergeant Kempton was familiar with the location the girls had gone missing and he headed up the search team for the
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police sergeant Kempton split the search parties into two he led one party down south to a location known as the
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entrance 13 kilometres for 8 miles away they performed a search heading back north towards the girl's home at to Cle
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the other search party was led by Fred Jackson and his friend Stuart Brennan to locals who assisted them included a man
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by the name of Robert Bertil and his son William Bertil this search team headed straight to the jungle area of Tupper
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Lake they searched the foreshore the scrub and the bushland down to about 500 meters south of Duncan's huck after
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searching for several hours both search teams started to feel that if the girls were still alive and had just been lost
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in the jungle area they would have been able to make their way to the water's edge by now a feeling came across the
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group that they were looking for bodies robert and william berdal were instructed to get in a boat and start
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searching the water's edge along the lake foreshore other members of the search party were sent further south to
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meet up with the team headed by sergeant Kempton Stuart Brianna and Frank Jackson
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continued paying attention around the jungle and in particular around Duncan's Hut they kept a lookout for any tracks
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leading into the jungle they may have missed it was in a spot about 50 meters north of Duncan's Hut they found a
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disturbed patch of sand there were bloodstains and a deep impression similar to the front portion of a
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barefoot in the sand they also noticed the button and a pair of glasses this spot was about 40 meters east of
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the water's edge of the lake they continued searching and it was about 30 meters east of this disturbed sand area
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but they found that the bodies of Grace and Cathy lying face down in shallow swamp water behind a log that area was
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referred to as the swamp because after rain shallow pools of water would always form and it had been raining heavily the
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previous two days the spot where the girls were found was in total about 70 meters east of the water's edge of tiger
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lake Stuart Briana and Fred Jackson walked to the lakes edge and called out to the Bertels
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it was still out on their boat searching about 200 meters away the Bertels came ashore and brown and Jackson got in the
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boat and returned to to Cle they made no mention to the Bertels that they had found the girls bodies the reason for
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this was that they didn't want other people knowing and going to have a look at the crime scene disturbing evidence
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in the process upon returning to to cleave the police were notified under the officer in charge of the
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investigation detective Whalen along with dr. England the government medical officer started making their way to to
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flee from Newcastle Eleanor Holmes was notified of the girl's death by Fred Jackson she
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collapsed and had to be carried home newcastle police found Clarence at work and notified him he made the journey
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back home in the meantime sergeant Whelan who had led the southern search party actually came across the crime
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scene as well he left one officer to guard the scene and he returned to to Cle where he learned the girls had
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already been found and detectives were already on the way detective Whelan and dr. England arrived about 1:30 p.m. it
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didn't take long for news to spread in the small town and the Massey brothers realized the two girls they helped
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across the creek were the ones that had been found dead they notified the police
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they had seen them about 3:30 p.m. and that a man by the name of William berdal wasn't too far behind them at the time
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the creek where the Massey's had seen the girls was about five hundred meters away from where their bodies were later
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found so the police had become aware that William Bertil appeared to have been following the girls on the Tuesday
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of their murder but they didn't mention it straightaway first detective Whelan sergeant captain and
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dr. England hopped in the Bertels boat and got them to take them across the lake to the crime scene it was about a
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mile walk along the foreshore track to get to the scene by boat it was much quicker as they could get directly there
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they made an examination of the scene both Grace and Kathy had died as a result of severe head injuries Kathy was
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partially covered with branches the spot 30 metres away from the bodies where there was disturbed stand-in bloodstains
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is the spot where they felt the girls have been killed the killer then dragging their bodies over into the
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swamp both girls had bruises scratches and dirt on one arm consistent with being
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dragged at this site they noticed the deep impression appeared to be caused by foot and they also noticed two other
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impressions close by which looked to have been left there by someone nearly a number of other footprints were found in
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the vicinity of this site and over around the swamp area where the girls were found these footprints had an
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abnormality about them in that whoever made them appeared to have a deformity on their right foot after examining the
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scene detective Whalen approached William Bertil who was standing nearby leaning against a tree Bertil was five
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feet eight inches tall he had a strong build weighing in about 90 kilos 198 pounds as far as berdal was concerned he
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was just part of the volunteer search team and was helping police get to the scene via boat detective Whalen
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questioned him in relation to being in the area nearby the girls the day before I am Detective Sergeant Waylon of
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Newcastle Police I'm making inquiries in connection with the death of the home skills yes I brought you over in the
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boat have you been around this point very often I used to come around appointed but haven't been around here
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for about a month but what were you doing around here about a month ago mr. Winterbottom lost a fishing net and I
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used to come around here to see any fisherman that would haul around here trying to find his net for him are you
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quite sure it's a month since you around here yeah I'd be about that well I've received information he was seen around
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here yesterday afternoon how many saw me at least three that I know of at the present time and there may be more I've
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not had time to complete my inquiries that would be the Massey's I've been informed that the Massey's did see you
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coming around this way yesterday evening but surely before they saw you they saw
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the two girls whose bodies we've now found a short distance ahead of you headed in the direction of where they
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were found I didn't come around either where did you come to right around that bend
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berdal pointed north indicating to Detective Whelan that he didn't go anywhere near the crime scene which was
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about five hundred meters away from where the Massey saw him when the Massey's met the two girls it was at the
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creek with a piece of timber used for a bridge did you come across that Creek yes I crossed the bridge but only just
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across to the point over the bridge and then I went back well why did you go back after you had crossed the bridge I
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was only walking about I got tired and I went back home well why were you at the
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lake yesterday afternoon I just went for a walk what were you wearing what I'm wearing now but a different singling
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jumper I had a green jumper Oh would you mind if ever look at the singlet you were wearing no berdal hindered
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detective wailing his singlet Whelan made an examination of it then handed it back to Buddha
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this is the Singler I was wearing did you tell anyone you'd been around here yesterday when you knew the two girls
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were missing and you were taking part in the search for them no they didn't ask me what time did you return to your home
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after you had been here yesterday evening I don't know what time it was time doesn't mean anything to me
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anything mechanical I can tell you about but it was before dark who did you see when you returned home I saw my mother
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and my sister where were they my mother was at the back looking for me why did you say she was looking for you she
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asked me where I'd been why would she ask you where you be we think a lot of one another
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and they get worried when I'm out well what did you tell her I told her I had been out for a walk would you come with
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us and show me the point that you came to yesterday berdal walked north along the foreshore to a spot about 100 metres
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south of the creek and timber breach so a spot about 400 meters north of the crime scene this spot is where berdal
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informed Whelan that he had come to and that he had gone no further Bertil was barefoot at the time and
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Waylon noticed that the footprints he was leaving or a close resemblance to the footprints he observed around the
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crime scene Myrtle had a deformity on his right foot the right foot prints at the scene
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showed a similar deformity he also noticed similar looking footprints nearby at where Dahl's teeny they were
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heading south in the opposite direction Whalen believed these were Bertels as well and he was lying about how far
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south along the foreshore he had walked the police had already checked with other searches about Bertels movements
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Myrtle had not ventured up that fire on the foreshore during the search and he hadn't been in the area around the crime
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scene in fact for most of he's searching had been done in a boat on the lake itself when berdal stopped at the point
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he claimed was the furthest he had been he said this is where I came to then I went back are you sure of that
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yes I only came here and then went back well you as a fisherman would know something about footprints wouldn't you
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yeah so worried well I'm going to show you some footprints which appeared have been made by you and appear identical
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with those footprints you've made what's walking to this spot with us firstly will you have a look at the prints you
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made today Waylon pointed to the line of footprints berdal that made walking up north from the crime scene a variance
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yes now have a look at these footprints was a proceeding south past this point would you say he's as far as you came
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yesterday afternoon waylynn pointed out the other set of prints heading south along the foreshore
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they appear to me to be identical with the footprints you made today no I won't admit that there may tracks I'd like to
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show you similar footprints down here will you come with us yes Waylon walk back south a few hundred
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meters along the foreshore to an area about 70 metres away from the crime scene Waylon pointed out similar looking
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footprints to those berdal was making do you see these footprints yes they seem to be identical to yours do you still
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deny you came this far south no I didn't come to this point but I didn't go any further and I didn't see the girls I
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would like to show you similar footprints further on will you come with us yes Waylon took berdal to a spot
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within 10 metres of the area where there was disturbed sand and bloodstains the spot where they believed the girls were
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killed these are similar footprints to the ones I've already shown you I won't admit that they're my tracks I can show
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you similar footprints on the point opposite Duncan's heart will you come with us
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alright Waylon walked with berdal South about 80 meters down past the crime scene Waylon pointed out more footprints
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that resembled Bertels but along with these footprints there were other prints made by a pair of sand shoes I've
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already shown you footprints up near where we are the pinion the girls were killed
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now these footprints on the sand I consider identical with your footprints I want you to have a look at them berdal
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looked at the prints and said I'm not going to admit that they're mine do you see other marks here which appear to be
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made by a sense shoe yeah they look like Sanchez grace was wearing Sanchez and I
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am of the opinion that these marks were made by her and these footprints which are very similar to yours are very close
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to the imprint of their shoes can you offer any explanation of the similarity of these footprints and yours I am NOT
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going to admit that they are my footprints I haven't been on this beach for about a month and that was when I
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told you that I came around about Winterbottom's there will you have a look at the
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freshness of these footprints in my opinion they've been made within the last 24 hours and they are quite fresh
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and will not be anything like a month old bird will remain silent for quite some time before saying well I might
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have made them when I was around here on Sunday what were you doing around here on Sunday looking for Winterbottom's net
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why did you tell me that you had not been here for a month when you were here on Sunday myrtle didn't reply after this
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conversation a crime-scene officer detective Clark attended the scene at the site where the
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girls bodies were found he located a broken wine bottle in the water next to them an examination of the broken edges
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revealed that the bottle had been smashed very recently a blood-stained B bottle was located three meters away and
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there are also bloodstains on a log adjacent to where the girls bodies were found there were no fingerprints on
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either bottle back over at the spot where police believed the attack occurred Clark found that 'no button on
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the scene came off the dress worn by kathy and it was near this button where there were two impressions in the scene
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looked to be caused by someone kneeling Clark also noticed the deep impression in the scene made by the ball and toes
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of somebody's right foot he made a plaster cast of that footprint he also took a plaster cast of the footprints
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located close to the crime scene and the other footprint south of the scene near
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Duncan's Hut he also took a plaster cast of the scene shooing prints from this spot
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they then got William berdal to walk along the sand in a natural manner a plaster cast was made of his right foot
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impression berdal suffered from hammer toe on his right foot meaning his toes were bent under in a claw like fashion
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they dug deeply into the sand making the impression that toes were pointing down
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instead of along the surface in a normal manner it was detective Clark's evidence that
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Bertels footprint matched all the other footprints they suspected were his the ones near the crime scene the ones near
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Duncan's Hut near the scene shoe impressions all of them the sensual impressions were confirmed as a match to
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those worn by grace Holmes police escorted berdal back to his home at to flee the police requested that berdal
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hand over the clothing he was wearing when he was seen by the Massey's berdal agreed and got undressed as he already
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told police he was wearing the same clothes he handed over a pair of shorts the green jumper and a blue singlet
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berdal then got changed into another set of clothes and was taken back to the police station detective Whelan visited
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with the Massey brothers and got a more detailed statement from them while Whelan was off speaking to the Massey's
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verdure remained at the police station being watched by another detective detective Dogen berdal suddenly started
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talking to him now I remember why I went around jungle on Sunday two women came up from Sydney to see me about digging a
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well on their property the three women my brother Albert and my sister Sally left to go home and view the place where
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the well was to be put down I didn't go with him though I said I would follow later I soon left after them but I
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couldn't find them so I walked at Duncan's heart and returned home detective Duggan made note of what
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berdal had told him Whelan later returned and had a further conversation with burden I've seen Raymond Massey and
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he informs me when he and his brothers were out talking to you you were wearing a plain white bond singlet and not the
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blue thing that you handed to they also said you weren't wearing a green jumper at all only the whites
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England a pair of shorts I was wearing the clothing I handed to you do you have a white singlet yes I only wear them
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occasionally and what did he got on now birddog took off the sweater he was wearing and revealed a white singlet
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underneath did you see anyone else apart from the message that afternoon yes I saw two young fellas shooting him one
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had a bow and arrow did you know graceful Cathy no I have not met them and they saw them once up
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around Fred Jackson's place he was having a sale that Walt passed and mr. Jackson pointed about to me after this
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conversation detective Dogen informed detective Whelan about Bertels news story as to
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why he was walking around the jungle and Duncan's hut on Sunday the 28th of August Whelan spoke with berdal about
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that but you have already told me that you were there for the purpose of looking for mr. Winterbottom's net that
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is not right this is the true story well where were you going to dig the will on
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breeds property the Reid's property isn't in that direction no I found out later it wasn't with this information
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detective Whelan returned to Bertels house berdal sister handed over a number of white singlets belonging to burton
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she confirmed with Whelan that he only wore his wife singlets occasionally but that he had washed them all the morning
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the girls bodies were found bernal sister and stepfather also answered a number of questions about Bertels
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movements on Sunday the 28th of August with the information received from this visit Whalen spoke with berdal again we
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have spoken to your father and your sister and they each say you were only away from home for about 15 minutes on
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Sunday when you went out after the people who wanted to put the wheel down they said you definitely wouldn't have
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had time to get to Duncan's Hut and he would only have been able to make it a quarter of the way they can please
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themselves about that I still say I went around there the Massey's have also informed me that it rained very heavily
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and was blowing a gale on Sunday night and arraigned all of Monday as well had you been there on Sunday like you say
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your footprints would have been obliterated you got me now I want a lawyer are a few
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things any more questions until I see a lawyer are you prepared to make a written statement of what you say
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happened I won't make any written statement or answer any further questions until I see a lawyer
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Berta was driven up to Newcastle police station and was charged with the murder of grace in Kathy homes during the
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post-mortem some strands of hair were found clasp between the fingers of Kathy's right hand some glass matching
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the broken bottle was also found on the bottom of Kathy's neck hair was taken from berdal to compare to the hair found
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on Kathy but it didn't match it was later discovered that the hair actually belonged to grace the police also
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conducted a visibility test walking along the foreshore of Tuggerah Lake they found that the girls would have
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been in view of berdal for the majority of the time whilst walking along the foreshore Myrtle was found to have
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superficial scratches on his right forearm a scab wound on his right knuckle and two fresh-looking wounds on
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his right finger there were no fingerprints DNA wasn't a thing yet but no blood was found on Bertels clothing
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there were no witnesses to the crime but bird was placed close to the scene walking behind the girls there was also
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the footprint evidence and Bertels changing story during questioning and first the knowing being anywhere near
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the crime scene saying the closest he had gotten was 400 meters away but then changing his story went footprints
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similar to his were pointed out to you that was the basis of the case against Bertil
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while waiting to stand trial police were provided with information from bird or soul mate Robert Humphries Robert gave
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evidence that he asked Bertil did you do it to which he says bird or replied yes
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but they've got to prove me guilty because I can't have people saying my family had a murderer unit
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Robert Humphries was in jail for dishonesty and fraud offenses and cellmate confessions are notoriously
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unreliable Humphries gave evidence at the cranial inquest however he was not called by the prosecutor in the criminal
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trial the trial was held at the Central Criminal Court in Sydney from the 11th to the 20th of December 1950 the trial
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was for the murder of Kathy Holmes our only even though the prosecution had the same case and same evidence for both the
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trial for Grace's murder was going to be held separately detective Clark gave evidence about the footprints there were
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minor differences in the plaster casts taken of Bertels footprints and those taken from near the crime scene
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Clark testified that despite the differences they showed the same characteristic of the deformed right
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foot and he was satisfied they were a match he put the minor differences in the plaster casts down to the different
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quality of the sand from which they were taken the defense called their own expert witness who testified that
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Bertels footprint was not a match to those ferrand near the crime scene at all after hearing all of the evidence the
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jury returned with a verdict not guilty the case was deemed too circumstantial and the footprint evidence too
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complicated and unreliable for the jury berdal was held in custody until the trial of grace Holmes however given
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there was no new evidence that would be presented in that trial the prosecution elected to drop the charge Bertil was a
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free man the police believed they had the right men but they simply didn't have enough evidence to satisfy a jury
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but Clarence Holmes kept hearing other things from members of the community he was quoted in a newspaper years after
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the trial saying ever since the day of the murder we have been disturbed by a succession
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of rumors which various people have recounted to us we have been told that a dangerous sex maniac escaped from a
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mental health hospital at Morissette or Maitland a couple of days before the murder and he was captured in the to Cle
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district on the date which our girls were found then there was the strange suicide of one of the crown witnesses
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who assaulted his wife and left her for dead and then hanged himself just before
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the trial did he know anything about our girls murder we don't even know what evidence he was supposed to give
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Clarence Holmes went on to plead to the government to offer a reward to help solve the murders after which he said
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nothing could ever replace them but the knowledge that their killer had been brought to justice would be some
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satisfaction to us I'd shoot the man if I knew who he was the escaped patient from the mental
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health hospital was one of many rumors that was circulating at the time but it was totally false no patients had
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escaped no reward has ever been offered no other suspects have ever been publicly named William Bertil remainder
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in the to clear area for a number of years after his acquittal after which it's not known where he moved to or what
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he did with the rest of his life it's almost as if he disappeared [Music]