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He Told Her to Count to 100… #mr.cruel #truecrimestories #truecrimeshorts

March 10, 2026 / 01:17

This episode covers the 1987 home invasion in Melbourne by a masked intruder known as Mr. Cruel, who assaulted a young girl and terrorized her family.

The episode recounts the harrowing details of the crime, where a father was awakened by a man with a knife and gun. The intruder restrained the parents and targeted their children, tying the young boy to a bed and taking the girl into the bathroom.

Listeners hear about the disturbing tactics used by the intruder, including turning on a loud radio to mask the sounds of his assault. After the attack, he forced the girl to brush her teeth and take a bath before further assaulting her.

In a chilling moment, he instructed the girl to count to 100 before freeing herself and her family, a detail that highlights the psychological manipulation involved in the crime.

The episode emphasizes the lasting impact of this case on the victims and the community, as Mr. Cruel became a notorious figure in Australian crime history.

TLDR

A masked intruder known as Mr. Cruel assaulted a girl during a 1987 Melbourne home invasion, leaving lasting trauma on the family.

Episode

1:17

00:00:00

He told her to count to 100 before she moved. In 1987, a masked man broke into a Melbourne home while a family slept.

00:00:07

The dad told police he was woken up at 4:00 a.m. by a man in a balaclava with a knife and a gun standing over him and

00:00:13

his wife in bed. Now, the two of them, they get restrained and they get locked in a

00:00:17

closet, but they are not the only ones in the house. There is also a 7-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl, and the

00:00:24

intruder tied the little boy to a bed, and then he took the girl with him, but actually like staying in the house.

00:00:31

Now, he covered her eyes and her mouth with tape, and then he took her into the bathroom,

00:00:38

and he turned on the radio really loud to drown out the noise of him assaulting her.

00:00:43

And afterwards, he had the girl brush her teeth and take a bath before dragging her to the kitchen so he could

00:00:48

eat a snack. And then he assaulted her again. After this second attack, he moved the

00:00:53

girl to another room, binds her feet with nylon rope, and then he told her that the attack was over and he was

00:00:59

going to leave, but that she needed to count to 100 before she untied herself and then went to free her family.

00:01:06

So, she began to count. And she had no idea that the man who attacked her would go on to earn the

00:01:13

name Mr. Cruel.

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

90
Most shocking
85
Most heartbreaking
80
Most dramatic
75
Most intense

Episode Highlights

The Intruder's Command
A masked man breaks into a Melbourne home, leaving a family in terror.
“Count to 100 before you untie yourself.”
@ 00m 59s
March 10, 2026

Episode Quotes

Count to 100 before you untie yourself.
He Told Her to Count to 100… #mr.cruel #truecrimestories #truecrimeshorts

Key Moments

The Attack00:38
Survival Instincts00:59
Mr. Cruel01:13