1 00:00:05,881 --> 00:00:07,281 Speaker 1: Appoche Production. 2 00:00:14,521 --> 00:00:16,601 Speaker 2: Welcome to Real Crime with Adam Shand. I'm your host, 3 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:19,401 Speaker 2: Adam Shand. Thanks for tuning in. If you enjoy the show, 4 00:00:19,401 --> 00:00:22,041 Speaker 2: please subscribe and share it with your friends, even your enemies. 5 00:00:22,041 --> 00:00:22,601 Speaker 3: I'm not picky. 6 00:00:23,681 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 2: I've got several stories that I've followed for years that 7 00:00:26,121 --> 00:00:29,601 Speaker 2: I simply can't let go of. Mysteries that should be solved, 8 00:00:29,641 --> 00:00:32,881 Speaker 2: wrongs that should be righted. Often it's about supporting the 9 00:00:32,881 --> 00:00:36,001 Speaker 2: efforts of those who seek justice, whether it's loved ones 10 00:00:36,001 --> 00:00:39,281 Speaker 2: of murder victims or the police officers who worked tirelessly 11 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 2: to bring closure. The top of my list is the 12 00:00:42,521 --> 00:00:46,521 Speaker 2: nineteen sixty nine disappearance and murder of Lucille Gay Butterworth. 13 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:50,881 Speaker 4: Twenty year old Lucille Butterworth vanished from a bus stop 14 00:00:50,921 --> 00:00:52,481 Speaker 4: at Claremont near Hobart. 15 00:00:52,921 --> 00:00:54,121 Speaker 1: She was never seen again. 16 00:00:55,281 --> 00:00:58,361 Speaker 2: Lucille was last seen around six pm on Monday, the 17 00:00:58,401 --> 00:01:01,281 Speaker 2: twenty fifth of August nineteen sixty nine, at a bus 18 00:01:01,281 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 2: stop on Main Road at Claremont in Hobart, Tasmania. In 19 00:01:05,601 --> 00:01:09,001 Speaker 2: twenty sixteen, the coroner determined that Lucille accepted a lift 20 00:01:09,041 --> 00:01:11,401 Speaker 2: from the bus stop and was murdered on the Lyle 21 00:01:11,521 --> 00:01:15,801 Speaker 2: Highway roughly halfway between Granton and New Norfolk around six 22 00:01:15,801 --> 00:01:20,481 Speaker 2: point fifteen pm. Who killed Lucille is not really a 23 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:21,441 Speaker 2: mystery at all. 24 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 4: The coroner found that, on the balance of probabilities, Lucille 25 00:01:25,441 --> 00:01:28,960 Speaker 4: Butterworth was murdered by New Norfolk man Jeffrey Charles Hunt. 26 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:34,761 Speaker 2: Like many victims, Lucille knew her killer. This came to 27 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:39,041 Speaker 2: light during an exhaustive and excellent investigation by three detectives 28 00:01:39,161 --> 00:01:44,281 Speaker 2: from Tasmania Police, David Plumpton, Christine Rushden and Carrie Millhouse. 29 00:01:44,601 --> 00:01:48,921 Speaker 4: Despite an exhaustive investigation and a coroner's finding, no one 30 00:01:49,001 --> 00:01:52,281 Speaker 4: has ever been charged with Lucille Butterworth's murder. 31 00:01:53,641 --> 00:01:56,281 Speaker 3: So why hasn't Hunt been charged to put before the court. 32 00:01:56,921 --> 00:02:00,481 Speaker 2: That's the question for the Tasmanian Director of Public Prosecutions. 33 00:02:01,401 --> 00:02:01,801 Speaker 3: Today. 34 00:02:02,121 --> 00:02:07,201 Speaker 2: Hunt remains a free man. Time is running out. Lucille's 35 00:02:07,241 --> 00:02:11,081 Speaker 2: family are steadily dying off. Only her brother John remains 36 00:02:11,481 --> 00:02:14,841 Speaker 2: and I speak to him regularly. He never gives up hope, 37 00:02:15,041 --> 00:02:17,201 Speaker 2: But I got to tell you, I'm having my doubts. 38 00:02:17,881 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 2: Two of the three cops who pursued Hunts so doggedly 39 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 2: from twenty ten have both retired now, but they will 40 00:02:23,561 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 2: never forget this case. Former Detective Constable Carry Millhouse is 41 00:02:27,281 --> 00:02:30,201 Speaker 2: writing a book about the investigation, and he's agreed to 42 00:02:30,201 --> 00:02:33,761 Speaker 2: talk about the fight to bring justice for Luciale. 43 00:02:34,441 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 3: Get a carry good. 44 00:02:36,441 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 2: Athnue Adam, and thank you very much for your unstinting 45 00:02:40,161 --> 00:02:41,761 Speaker 2: work on this case. You're still working on it and 46 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:43,481 Speaker 2: even though you're retired, you should be playing at golf 47 00:02:43,481 --> 00:02:46,321 Speaker 2: and enjoying your motor home life style that you've adopted. 48 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 2: And your former colleague David Plumpton gave you high praise 49 00:02:50,841 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 2: when I called him today and I said, tell me 50 00:02:52,841 --> 00:02:56,601 Speaker 2: something about the way that Carrie regards this case. He said, 51 00:02:57,041 --> 00:03:02,081 Speaker 2: Carrie believes this matters, and it still matters today. Why 52 00:03:02,121 --> 00:03:03,001 Speaker 2: does it matter to you? 53 00:03:03,041 --> 00:03:03,641 Speaker 3: Still? Carry? 54 00:03:04,761 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: See, it's just not justice. 55 00:03:06,601 --> 00:03:11,041 Speaker 5: We know from our exhaustive investigation who's committed this abduction 56 00:03:11,121 --> 00:03:13,321 Speaker 5: of murder, and we just can't get it over the line. 57 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:15,441 Speaker 5: I said to you earlier that I believe it's like 58 00:03:15,481 --> 00:03:17,881 Speaker 5: a computer trying to load and it's ninety nine percent 59 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,081 Speaker 5: and that we were spinning. We just can't get that 60 00:03:20,121 --> 00:03:22,081 Speaker 5: one percent to get over the line with it. It's 61 00:03:22,121 --> 00:03:25,361 Speaker 5: just so frustrating. We know from what the current has 62 00:03:25,601 --> 00:03:29,481 Speaker 5: supported that our offender is Jeffrey Charles Hunt. We presented 63 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:35,361 Speaker 5: an overwhelming case, a circumstantial case to the DPP and 64 00:03:35,441 --> 00:03:38,561 Speaker 5: in their wisdom and they justified why, but they weren't 65 00:03:38,561 --> 00:03:40,921 Speaker 5: prepared to take it on for a case. 66 00:03:41,801 --> 00:03:43,961 Speaker 2: So tell me how did you become involved in this? 67 00:03:44,041 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 2: Back in twenty ten, I believe. 68 00:03:45,961 --> 00:03:49,681 Speaker 5: David Plumpton was fairly newly appointed as inspected to the 69 00:03:49,761 --> 00:03:53,841 Speaker 5: Lucky solb I was already there as a constable a 70 00:03:53,841 --> 00:03:55,761 Speaker 5: little while in. I think he had a visit from 71 00:03:55,801 --> 00:03:58,401 Speaker 5: the Butterweth brothers, Jim and John to know what was 72 00:03:58,441 --> 00:04:01,681 Speaker 5: going on with the investigation, and David obviously knew nothing 73 00:04:01,721 --> 00:04:03,801 Speaker 5: about it. He may have been aware of it, but 74 00:04:04,601 --> 00:04:07,041 Speaker 5: he got the file up from the Police Academy where 75 00:04:07,041 --> 00:04:09,361 Speaker 5: it was gathering dust down there, and thought he'd have 76 00:04:09,401 --> 00:04:12,521 Speaker 5: a bit of a look. And what he did find 77 00:04:12,521 --> 00:04:15,681 Speaker 5: out was that the case had never been to an inquest. 78 00:04:16,681 --> 00:04:19,521 Speaker 5: So a way of resurrecting the inquiry, I suppose, was 79 00:04:19,561 --> 00:04:22,761 Speaker 5: to prepare it for inquest, and he asked for volunteers 80 00:04:22,801 --> 00:04:26,601 Speaker 5: in the office if anyone was keen, I was, and 81 00:04:26,721 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 5: I was very keen straight away, only for the reason 82 00:04:28,641 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 5: that I as a seven year old when she went missing. 83 00:04:31,361 --> 00:04:33,561 Speaker 5: I was aware that where Lucill went missing was close 84 00:04:33,601 --> 00:04:37,601 Speaker 5: to my home, and I always read the newspaper articles 85 00:04:37,601 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 5: and I always wanted to myself, I wonder what happened 86 00:04:40,161 --> 00:04:42,481 Speaker 5: to Lucille. I wonder if anyone will ever find out 87 00:04:42,521 --> 00:04:45,481 Speaker 5: what happened to her. And that was the reason I 88 00:04:45,561 --> 00:04:47,361 Speaker 5: was very interested in taking long with David Ask. 89 00:04:48,081 --> 00:04:51,041 Speaker 2: It is a real classic true crime case, this one. 90 00:04:51,201 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 2: The victim is almost an archetype. She was going to 91 00:04:53,961 --> 00:04:56,001 Speaker 2: be a beauty queen. She was headed to New Norfolk 92 00:04:56,081 --> 00:04:59,201 Speaker 2: that night to attend a function for Miss Tasmania as 93 00:04:59,201 --> 00:05:01,921 Speaker 2: a prelude to competing the following year herself. 94 00:05:02,361 --> 00:05:04,961 Speaker 3: She had a boyfriend in New Norfolk, John Fitzger. 95 00:05:05,801 --> 00:05:08,361 Speaker 2: She would regularly visit him up there, and the idea 96 00:05:08,481 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 2: was she was going to attend this function and then 97 00:05:11,801 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 2: meet John Fitzgerald afterwards. She never got to meet him, 98 00:05:16,641 --> 00:05:20,401 Speaker 2: and the alarm was raised the next day. The initial 99 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:24,721 Speaker 2: investigation was, I guess typical of those years where the 100 00:05:24,721 --> 00:05:27,241 Speaker 2: police of the day, and it's hard not to be critical, 101 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 2: had the attitude here's another young girl who's probably gone 102 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:34,481 Speaker 2: off with another guy or gone to the mainland, she'll 103 00:05:34,481 --> 00:05:37,841 Speaker 2: come back in a few days, And of course these 104 00:05:37,961 --> 00:05:41,041 Speaker 2: days you'd say that vital first forty eight hours, the 105 00:05:41,081 --> 00:05:42,361 Speaker 2: opportunities were missed. 106 00:05:42,961 --> 00:05:45,921 Speaker 5: Yeah, I don't know whether they certainly did say, oh yeah, 107 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 5: I'm sure come back. I just think it's an answer 108 00:05:48,921 --> 00:05:51,681 Speaker 5: when they don't have answers to give the family it's done. 109 00:05:51,681 --> 00:05:54,801 Speaker 5: Know whether it's a way of trying to give them reassurance, 110 00:05:55,001 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 5: but they certainly didn't have answers at the time. We 111 00:05:58,081 --> 00:06:00,121 Speaker 5: know for sure that she was at the bus stoping claimant. 112 00:06:00,161 --> 00:06:03,001 Speaker 5: We have four people saw her at the bus stopping claimant. 113 00:06:03,641 --> 00:06:04,521 Speaker 1: We had one. 114 00:06:04,521 --> 00:06:08,961 Speaker 5: Critical witness that said he saw her, and she had 115 00:06:08,961 --> 00:06:10,121 Speaker 5: this prominent blonde hair. 116 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: She was only had died on the friday before. 117 00:06:13,201 --> 00:06:15,801 Speaker 5: She had a beautiful black coat with white fur trim, 118 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,041 Speaker 5: and she was a beautiful twenty year old. So we 119 00:06:19,121 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 5: had a fellow called Anthony Field. He was sitting in 120 00:06:21,361 --> 00:06:24,201 Speaker 5: a car opposite waiting for his wife to finish at 121 00:06:24,201 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 5: the chemist and he noticed her across at the bus stop. 122 00:06:27,561 --> 00:06:29,921 Speaker 1: His wife came out, she got in the car, they. 123 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:33,281 Speaker 5: Drove off and he said, I'm pretty sure she wasn't there. 124 00:06:33,281 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: After I drove off, but his critical evidence. 125 00:06:36,681 --> 00:06:40,721 Speaker 5: He saw a Bomby turquoise car pull up next to 126 00:06:40,801 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 5: her and then soon after she was gone and saves 127 00:06:43,481 --> 00:06:45,881 Speaker 5: the car. Now that at the time in ninety sixty 128 00:06:45,921 --> 00:06:48,840 Speaker 5: ninems a critical piece of evidence. And I say critical 129 00:06:49,081 --> 00:06:52,001 Speaker 5: from what we know now. If they pursued that line 130 00:06:52,041 --> 00:06:55,161 Speaker 5: of inquiry to the degree that we do these days, 131 00:06:55,561 --> 00:06:57,281 Speaker 5: they may have had more success with it. 132 00:06:58,201 --> 00:07:01,321 Speaker 2: And they might have connected that car with Jeffrey Childs Hunt. 133 00:07:01,361 --> 00:07:04,601 Speaker 2: There was a clear connection to him, But that was 134 00:07:04,641 --> 00:07:07,121 Speaker 2: all to He happened much months later in your investigation. 135 00:07:07,761 --> 00:07:10,721 Speaker 2: In the early days, when they finally accept that Lucille 136 00:07:10,761 --> 00:07:14,801 Speaker 2: was in fact an abductee and was probably dead, they 137 00:07:14,921 --> 00:07:19,521 Speaker 2: fixated on a guy called John Gannon Lonigan, a taxi driver. 138 00:07:19,641 --> 00:07:20,361 Speaker 3: What was his form? 139 00:07:20,801 --> 00:07:22,641 Speaker 5: Well, when I said to you before that the file 140 00:07:22,841 --> 00:07:26,041 Speaker 5: was at the academy gathering dust. The file came up 141 00:07:26,081 --> 00:07:27,281 Speaker 5: and I had a look, and I took it home 142 00:07:27,561 --> 00:07:30,361 Speaker 5: and returned the next morning and said to Inspector Plumpton, 143 00:07:31,081 --> 00:07:34,761 Speaker 5: there's only one suspect, John Lonigan, because the file only 144 00:07:34,801 --> 00:07:39,361 Speaker 5: contained information relative to him. He's offending his motosot Randy 145 00:07:40,081 --> 00:07:44,321 Speaker 5: everything about him. And David said, yes, it looks that way. 146 00:07:44,441 --> 00:07:48,681 Speaker 5: But there's more information relative to jeff What he told 147 00:07:48,681 --> 00:07:52,561 Speaker 5: me then was in nineteen seventy six, Jeffrey made a 148 00:07:52,561 --> 00:07:56,001 Speaker 5: confession to Lucille's murder and disappearance. 149 00:07:57,001 --> 00:08:01,721 Speaker 2: Well, that's right, because at that moment he committed another 150 00:08:01,801 --> 00:08:05,961 Speaker 2: sex murder Susan Knight, a real estate agent. He lured 151 00:08:06,001 --> 00:08:10,921 Speaker 2: her into a meeting and had killed her hastily concealed. 152 00:08:10,961 --> 00:08:14,441 Speaker 2: Her body was picked up, and in the course of 153 00:08:14,481 --> 00:08:18,361 Speaker 2: the interview with two detectives, he offered up a confession. 154 00:08:19,281 --> 00:08:21,401 Speaker 2: Why wasn't that taken seriously back in the day. It 155 00:08:21,441 --> 00:08:23,281 Speaker 2: was quite detailed of how he picked her up at 156 00:08:23,281 --> 00:08:26,041 Speaker 2: the bus stop, had taken her along there, had got 157 00:08:26,121 --> 00:08:29,281 Speaker 2: to the location that was indicated by the coroner, and 158 00:08:29,521 --> 00:08:31,881 Speaker 2: she had a cramp in her foot or something. He 159 00:08:31,921 --> 00:08:34,361 Speaker 2: pulled over, and he said something came over him. He 160 00:08:34,441 --> 00:08:38,281 Speaker 2: tried to kiss as she struggled, He strangled her, killed her, 161 00:08:38,601 --> 00:08:40,721 Speaker 2: put her in a fireman's lift, walked into the marshy 162 00:08:40,761 --> 00:08:45,121 Speaker 2: swamps on the Dermitt River, and dumped her body. Wow, 163 00:08:45,201 --> 00:08:49,801 Speaker 2: a stunning confession which seemed to connect to the facts 164 00:08:49,801 --> 00:08:52,561 Speaker 2: of the case. I guess if that early work had 165 00:08:52,601 --> 00:08:54,201 Speaker 2: been done back in the day, back in ninety and 166 00:08:54,201 --> 00:08:54,721 Speaker 2: sixty nine. 167 00:08:55,321 --> 00:08:58,801 Speaker 1: It was an amazing confession. It wasn't just yeah, yeah, 168 00:08:58,841 --> 00:08:59,321 Speaker 1: I did that. 169 00:08:59,841 --> 00:09:03,001 Speaker 5: He went into detail with the detectives, detective Oulgarian Barry 170 00:09:03,041 --> 00:09:06,201 Speaker 5: Dylon about how we he actually took her because they 171 00:09:06,241 --> 00:09:08,641 Speaker 5: had him in custody for Susan Knight, and they thought 172 00:09:08,921 --> 00:09:11,961 Speaker 5: we might as well ask him about Lucille because they thought, well, 173 00:09:12,001 --> 00:09:15,801 Speaker 5: you know, it's very similar circumstances. So they asked him 174 00:09:16,001 --> 00:09:19,081 Speaker 5: and he put his hand up for it. Now, the 175 00:09:19,121 --> 00:09:23,121 Speaker 5: officer in charge, Inspector Orb Kenning, he was directly will 176 00:09:23,161 --> 00:09:25,441 Speaker 5: keep the police station back in those days, and he said, 177 00:09:25,601 --> 00:09:27,241 Speaker 5: I don't want to hear anything of it. I'll go 178 00:09:27,281 --> 00:09:28,641 Speaker 5: and have a talk to him soon as he's got 179 00:09:28,681 --> 00:09:31,561 Speaker 5: to say. So he went in there and spoke to Hunt. 180 00:09:31,881 --> 00:09:33,481 Speaker 5: He came back out of the meeting and said, no, 181 00:09:33,641 --> 00:09:35,841 Speaker 5: you blokes got it wrong. He doesn't know anything about that. 182 00:09:36,961 --> 00:09:38,841 Speaker 1: Hey. Gary and Dylan looked at each other and thought, 183 00:09:39,401 --> 00:09:40,921 Speaker 1: that's not what he told us. 184 00:09:41,201 --> 00:09:44,641 Speaker 5: So Barry Dylan went back in I believe, and the 185 00:09:44,641 --> 00:09:48,241 Speaker 5: same confession was admitted by Hunt, and they went and 186 00:09:48,281 --> 00:09:49,161 Speaker 5: said or Kening. 187 00:09:49,081 --> 00:09:51,001 Speaker 1: No, no, no, he's good for it. He's put his 188 00:09:51,001 --> 00:09:51,961 Speaker 1: hand up for Lucille. 189 00:09:51,961 --> 00:09:53,761 Speaker 5: You know, he's told us all about how he did it, 190 00:09:53,801 --> 00:09:57,681 Speaker 5: and or Kenny said, look, I don't hear another thing 191 00:09:57,721 --> 00:10:00,561 Speaker 5: of it. He's in custody for Susan Knight. I don't 192 00:10:00,561 --> 00:10:03,321 Speaker 5: want that compromise. I don't want to talk about it again. 193 00:10:03,401 --> 00:10:05,641 Speaker 5: And that was the end of that. And in those 194 00:10:05,761 --> 00:10:09,401 Speaker 5: days I leave it. Today, I mean, its subordination is 195 00:10:10,881 --> 00:10:12,841 Speaker 5: quite a serious matter. But in those days you didn't 196 00:10:12,921 --> 00:10:16,361 Speaker 5: question soon your obviously who he said, don't pursue it. 197 00:10:16,521 --> 00:10:17,441 Speaker 1: They didn't pursue it. 198 00:10:19,441 --> 00:10:23,961 Speaker 2: And Canning had been convinced that Lonegan was the culprit, 199 00:10:24,201 --> 00:10:25,961 Speaker 2: and on the face of it, he was a pretty 200 00:10:26,001 --> 00:10:29,121 Speaker 2: good suspect. He was a resident of New Norfolk. He 201 00:10:29,161 --> 00:10:32,241 Speaker 2: had a history of documented sex crimes. At least one 202 00:10:32,281 --> 00:10:34,081 Speaker 2: of those crimes involved picking up a woman from a 203 00:10:34,081 --> 00:10:37,401 Speaker 2: bus stop on the afternoon of twenty fifth August sixty nine. 204 00:10:37,401 --> 00:10:39,681 Speaker 2: He'd failed to report for work. He was on his 205 00:10:39,721 --> 00:10:42,401 Speaker 2: own between the twenty third and twenty seventh. When his 206 00:10:42,481 --> 00:10:46,161 Speaker 2: wife got home, he had burns on his face and arms, 207 00:10:46,161 --> 00:10:48,601 Speaker 2: had a new pair of pajamas. There were so many 208 00:10:48,641 --> 00:10:51,481 Speaker 2: fishy things. There was also in the back garden remains 209 00:10:51,521 --> 00:10:56,121 Speaker 2: of burnt items, including bits of a makeup compact, scissors, 210 00:10:56,161 --> 00:10:58,801 Speaker 2: bits and pieces looked very very good. And even the 211 00:10:58,801 --> 00:11:01,401 Speaker 2: wife later on said that he'd done some brick work 212 00:11:01,401 --> 00:11:04,681 Speaker 2: at home because there'd been a terrible smell, and she 213 00:11:04,841 --> 00:11:07,521 Speaker 2: was convinced that Donagan had done it. Even when I 214 00:11:07,561 --> 00:11:10,561 Speaker 2: spoke to Lonigan's daughter years later, she was convinced he'd 215 00:11:10,561 --> 00:11:13,121 Speaker 2: done it. So I can understand why Canning was so 216 00:11:13,281 --> 00:11:17,321 Speaker 2: keen not to get distracted, I guess by Hunt's confession, 217 00:11:18,561 --> 00:11:20,921 Speaker 2: but Kraggy's. I would have thought that those two detectives 218 00:11:20,921 --> 00:11:22,601 Speaker 2: could have made a bit more noise on the way through, 219 00:11:22,641 --> 00:11:27,921 Speaker 2: because the record of interview, the interrogation register recorded that 220 00:11:28,041 --> 00:11:31,961 Speaker 2: Hunt could not help with Lucille at all. So he 221 00:11:32,161 --> 00:11:35,521 Speaker 2: was really painted out of the story comprehensively by Canning. 222 00:11:36,161 --> 00:11:39,641 Speaker 5: Yeah, lookorb Canning, for what I understand, was an ambitious man. Look, 223 00:11:39,681 --> 00:11:42,441 Speaker 5: he ended up becoming an assistant Commissioner, which such was 224 00:11:42,481 --> 00:11:47,001 Speaker 5: his ambition. So with Donigan, he'd obviously had his finger 225 00:11:47,041 --> 00:11:49,161 Speaker 5: on Lonigan for the whole time. And as I said, 226 00:11:49,201 --> 00:11:52,481 Speaker 5: all the statements and information pointed to Lonigan. Even I thought, 227 00:11:52,961 --> 00:11:56,401 Speaker 5: when I only had information relating to Lonigan, how could you. 228 00:11:56,361 --> 00:11:57,201 Speaker 1: Go past this guy. 229 00:11:57,801 --> 00:12:00,041 Speaker 5: But all Canning had put his career on the line 230 00:12:00,041 --> 00:12:03,201 Speaker 5: and said that John Lonigan was responsible for Lucio. Butworth 231 00:12:03,281 --> 00:12:07,121 Speaker 5: told the administration. And I guess now, if Hunt's admission 232 00:12:07,121 --> 00:12:09,401 Speaker 5: had to be taken seriously, he would have looked a 233 00:12:09,441 --> 00:12:12,441 Speaker 5: bit silly, I would have thought. So I can't say 234 00:12:12,441 --> 00:12:17,521 Speaker 5: conclusively that was the reason behind or can dismissing the admission, 235 00:12:17,561 --> 00:12:19,481 Speaker 5: but as a really battling one way, he didn't let 236 00:12:19,561 --> 00:12:20,521 Speaker 5: him pursue that more. 237 00:12:21,321 --> 00:12:21,921 Speaker 3: It really is. 238 00:12:21,961 --> 00:12:24,121 Speaker 2: And you know, that was a classic case of tunnel vision. 239 00:12:24,361 --> 00:12:26,881 Speaker 2: Had a good suspect eventually hoping you get that critical 240 00:12:26,881 --> 00:12:30,001 Speaker 2: piece of information that will put this bloke behind bars, 241 00:12:30,041 --> 00:12:32,761 Speaker 2: but it never came, and it was your job when 242 00:12:32,801 --> 00:12:36,321 Speaker 2: you got the file to tear down the hypothesis like 243 00:12:36,361 --> 00:12:40,281 Speaker 2: a good detective does. Ewan Plumpton actually found Lot again. 244 00:12:40,601 --> 00:12:43,321 Speaker 2: He was living up in Queensland, and I think from 245 00:12:43,321 --> 00:12:46,041 Speaker 2: what I read, he was pretty open about saying that 246 00:12:46,081 --> 00:12:49,561 Speaker 2: he had not done it. It admitted his past crimes, 247 00:12:50,241 --> 00:12:52,561 Speaker 2: so pretty soon I think you were able to discount 248 00:12:53,161 --> 00:12:54,481 Speaker 2: possibility he was involved. 249 00:12:55,201 --> 00:12:55,441 Speaker 3: Yeah. 250 00:12:55,441 --> 00:12:58,601 Speaker 5: Look the fact that he was never charged or they 251 00:12:58,681 --> 00:13:01,561 Speaker 5: never got as far as actually having evidence on him 252 00:13:01,921 --> 00:13:04,321 Speaker 5: so that would suggests that maybe he wasn't responsible. 253 00:13:04,321 --> 00:13:05,921 Speaker 1: There's a lot of anomalies. 254 00:13:06,401 --> 00:13:09,681 Speaker 5: Even his own wife and daughter suspected that he was 255 00:13:09,681 --> 00:13:13,001 Speaker 5: capable of something like that. He certainly was because he 256 00:13:13,041 --> 00:13:16,121 Speaker 5: did time in jail for sexual offenses, so he's certainly 257 00:13:16,161 --> 00:13:19,721 Speaker 5: capable of it. But because of that water's been muddied, 258 00:13:19,961 --> 00:13:23,441 Speaker 5: they failed to look at more obvious things. Now as 259 00:13:23,441 --> 00:13:27,441 Speaker 5: we know, this was seven years before Hunt did murder 260 00:13:27,441 --> 00:13:31,201 Speaker 5: Susan Knight. But there was the fact that they had 261 00:13:31,401 --> 00:13:35,001 Speaker 5: Anthony Field say he saw a turquoise holding right next 262 00:13:35,001 --> 00:13:37,961 Speaker 5: to the female. If they had pursued that better. It 263 00:13:37,961 --> 00:13:41,881 Speaker 5: wasn't until about twenty thirteen where I had conversations with 264 00:13:42,001 --> 00:13:44,441 Speaker 5: Hunt's family. Believe it or not, they'd never been spoken 265 00:13:44,481 --> 00:13:47,401 Speaker 5: to at any stage up until I spoke to them 266 00:13:48,001 --> 00:13:51,561 Speaker 5: some forty odd years later. Keen Hunt started telling me 267 00:13:51,601 --> 00:13:54,761 Speaker 5: about a car that the family had. It was a 268 00:13:54,801 --> 00:13:57,041 Speaker 5: turquoise car. Whether he said it was greeny blue, he 269 00:13:57,081 --> 00:14:00,241 Speaker 5: said turquoise. It was a light bulb moment familiar. I thought, 270 00:14:00,321 --> 00:14:04,041 Speaker 5: he what the family had a turquoise Bomby car. 271 00:14:04,481 --> 00:14:05,041 Speaker 1: Oh my good. 272 00:14:05,361 --> 00:14:08,721 Speaker 5: You know why forty odd years later had this information 273 00:14:08,841 --> 00:14:13,201 Speaker 5: come out? If you murder investigation today is you turn 274 00:14:13,241 --> 00:14:16,201 Speaker 5: it over every stone, you know, you look everywhere. But 275 00:14:16,801 --> 00:14:20,041 Speaker 5: back in nineteen sixty nine to in the years to follow, 276 00:14:21,041 --> 00:14:24,521 Speaker 5: that in his degree wasn't taken and they really missed. 277 00:14:24,321 --> 00:14:27,041 Speaker 1: Something they did. 278 00:14:27,041 --> 00:14:29,361 Speaker 2: And I think the other critical piece about that car 279 00:14:29,561 --> 00:14:31,441 Speaker 2: was that it had damage to one of the doors 280 00:14:31,441 --> 00:14:33,921 Speaker 2: that had been replaced with a different color. And your 281 00:14:33,961 --> 00:14:37,481 Speaker 2: witness Field had also seen that apparently. 282 00:14:37,601 --> 00:14:39,601 Speaker 1: Well he reported damage to. 283 00:14:40,481 --> 00:14:43,841 Speaker 5: It's quite a good detailed observation's Anthony Field. 284 00:14:43,841 --> 00:14:47,561 Speaker 1: He come from England only seven years before. 285 00:14:47,921 --> 00:14:50,321 Speaker 5: So his knowledge of Australian beings may not have been 286 00:14:50,441 --> 00:14:53,001 Speaker 5: as good as it could have been. So he described 287 00:14:53,001 --> 00:14:56,681 Speaker 5: it as a bomby car, and then police took a 288 00:14:56,681 --> 00:14:59,801 Speaker 5: statement from him and he described it as an FJ. 289 00:15:00,121 --> 00:15:01,921 Speaker 5: We don't know whether he was led by police to 290 00:15:01,921 --> 00:15:05,481 Speaker 5: say it was an FJ or otherwise, but he said 291 00:15:05,521 --> 00:15:08,361 Speaker 5: it had damage to just in front of the driver's door. 292 00:15:08,721 --> 00:15:12,161 Speaker 5: And when David and inspect to plumped and I interviewed Hunt, 293 00:15:12,681 --> 00:15:15,921 Speaker 5: we put that damage to him about the turquoise holding, 294 00:15:16,721 --> 00:15:20,121 Speaker 5: and we were gobs made for him to actually say, no, 295 00:15:21,001 --> 00:15:23,881 Speaker 5: my car had damage on the passenger side just in 296 00:15:23,921 --> 00:15:26,561 Speaker 5: front of the door. I thought, why is he even 297 00:15:26,601 --> 00:15:29,081 Speaker 5: volunteer that information. He's trying to explain something he didn't 298 00:15:29,081 --> 00:15:32,441 Speaker 5: need to explain. We don't have the car to say 299 00:15:32,641 --> 00:15:34,681 Speaker 5: that the damage was on the right hand side or 300 00:15:34,681 --> 00:15:36,561 Speaker 5: the left hand side. But he just tried to explain 301 00:15:36,601 --> 00:15:39,401 Speaker 5: it away. And I thought that was more remarkable. 302 00:15:38,921 --> 00:15:41,641 Speaker 2: To It was because by the time you got to 303 00:15:41,681 --> 00:15:46,401 Speaker 2: interview Hunt, you'd already done an exhaustive investigation. Really exemptary. 304 00:15:46,401 --> 00:15:47,481 Speaker 2: By the way I've got I hand it to you. 305 00:15:47,521 --> 00:15:49,161 Speaker 2: I've seen some pretty poor ones. This is a really 306 00:15:49,201 --> 00:15:52,321 Speaker 2: good one, And forty years after the fact, you're finding 307 00:15:52,361 --> 00:15:55,201 Speaker 2: witnesses that should have been interviewed in the first few days. 308 00:15:55,561 --> 00:15:58,961 Speaker 2: You start to piece together the background of Jeffrey Charles Hunt. 309 00:15:58,961 --> 00:16:01,401 Speaker 2: It was troubled. He was from a big family there 310 00:16:01,401 --> 00:16:05,361 Speaker 2: in New Norfolk. He and his brother were albinos. They'd 311 00:16:05,401 --> 00:16:09,321 Speaker 2: been shunned by their fellows up there. He'd had trouble 312 00:16:09,321 --> 00:16:13,401 Speaker 2: adjusting to society. He was also accused of an attempted 313 00:16:13,681 --> 00:16:16,601 Speaker 2: sexual assault by one of the girls in his cohort 314 00:16:16,641 --> 00:16:20,001 Speaker 2: there in New Norfolk. He knew, this is what you established. 315 00:16:20,161 --> 00:16:24,601 Speaker 2: He knew John Fitzgerald, Lucile's boyfriend. He'd even worked at 316 00:16:24,641 --> 00:16:28,561 Speaker 2: Clyde Fitzgerald's shop in New Norfolk. So you quickly established 317 00:16:28,601 --> 00:16:31,761 Speaker 2: a connection between the victim and your suspect, to the 318 00:16:31,801 --> 00:16:35,521 Speaker 2: point where you had a testimony from John Fitzgerald who 319 00:16:35,601 --> 00:16:40,401 Speaker 2: said Lucille saw Hunt looking at her over the fence 320 00:16:40,441 --> 00:16:42,921 Speaker 2: when she was sun baking, and she, quite in a 321 00:16:43,001 --> 00:16:46,921 Speaker 2: derogatory tone, said, Whitey is looking at me. So you 322 00:16:47,041 --> 00:16:52,841 Speaker 2: set up this marginalized person who's an attractive female and 323 00:16:52,881 --> 00:16:56,001 Speaker 2: you start to see a motive emerging here as you 324 00:16:56,081 --> 00:16:59,401 Speaker 2: went down that path and you're discovering Hunt's background. 325 00:16:59,881 --> 00:17:01,601 Speaker 3: Where did it take you? 326 00:17:01,601 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 5: You mentioned earlier that a sexual offense at the time, 327 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:08,281 Speaker 5: and let's say it was alleged, because he was never 328 00:17:08,321 --> 00:17:09,201 Speaker 5: convicted of anything. 329 00:17:09,561 --> 00:17:10,361 Speaker 1: He did front Corp. 330 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:12,600 Speaker 5: But it was dismissed and the victim and that case 331 00:17:12,681 --> 00:17:15,920 Speaker 5: was an eleven year old. This event took place in 332 00:17:15,961 --> 00:17:20,201 Speaker 5: a railway station just near his place. The victim's memories 333 00:17:20,321 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 5: are vague, which he does remember certain aspects of it. 334 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:26,200 Speaker 5: He was charged with that offense and it went to 335 00:17:26,281 --> 00:17:29,201 Speaker 5: court in New Norfolk. And I believe and we could 336 00:17:29,241 --> 00:17:31,841 Speaker 5: never find the file. The file has been destroyed, but 337 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:36,041 Speaker 5: we believe he was dismissed on the grounds of identification. 338 00:17:36,241 --> 00:17:39,360 Speaker 5: And I don't know what aspect of identification there was 339 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:40,201 Speaker 5: a problem. 340 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:43,281 Speaker 1: With, but you're right he was ostracized. Him and his whole. 341 00:17:43,201 --> 00:17:46,841 Speaker 5: Family were albina apart from one sibling, so they all 342 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:52,321 Speaker 5: suffered different points of bullying and finger pointing, and I 343 00:17:52,360 --> 00:17:54,681 Speaker 5: believe that made it very hard for them to interact. 344 00:17:55,521 --> 00:17:57,001 Speaker 1: They didn't have many friends. 345 00:17:57,481 --> 00:18:01,521 Speaker 5: Jeffrey in particular, he struggled with the violence in his 346 00:18:01,561 --> 00:18:04,481 Speaker 5: own home. His father was very violent towards his mother, 347 00:18:05,120 --> 00:18:08,121 Speaker 5: and he felt very deeply for his mother. We don't 348 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:10,640 Speaker 5: know how mixed up he became as a result of 349 00:18:11,001 --> 00:18:11,721 Speaker 5: his upbringing. 350 00:18:12,281 --> 00:18:14,361 Speaker 2: And you even found out that his father, Bill, who 351 00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:15,680 Speaker 2: was a veteran, as you say, he was a bit 352 00:18:15,681 --> 00:18:17,680 Speaker 2: of a drunk and he abused his wife and the 353 00:18:17,761 --> 00:18:19,680 Speaker 2: kids were exposed to that, and there seemed to be 354 00:18:19,721 --> 00:18:23,001 Speaker 2: some sort of relationship between Bill and the local constabatory, 355 00:18:23,561 --> 00:18:26,881 Speaker 2: where I think you ran the theory that young Jeffrey 356 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:30,081 Speaker 2: had been protected from some consequences early on, which might 357 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:32,001 Speaker 2: have been telling in the final outcome. 358 00:18:32,481 --> 00:18:34,681 Speaker 5: There was certainly a lot easier to cover your backside 359 00:18:34,681 --> 00:18:37,400 Speaker 5: in those days and look after people if you wanted to, 360 00:18:37,721 --> 00:18:41,680 Speaker 5: and I believe that, Yeah, Bill Hunt, he had a 361 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:45,041 Speaker 5: really good relationship with the local sergeant. He had been 362 00:18:45,481 --> 00:18:47,680 Speaker 5: a sergeant in Norfolk for almost a decad, I believe, 363 00:18:47,761 --> 00:18:50,281 Speaker 5: so they formed a very strong bond. They drink at 364 00:18:50,281 --> 00:18:55,361 Speaker 5: the RSL together. And there was one witness that attended 365 00:18:55,360 --> 00:18:59,761 Speaker 5: the Norfolk station reporter case of his clothes been taken 366 00:18:59,761 --> 00:19:03,281 Speaker 5: from the clothesline, snowdropping we call it. And always in 367 00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:07,441 Speaker 5: a conversation this witness, he spoke to the sergeant a sergeant. 368 00:19:07,481 --> 00:19:10,081 Speaker 5: Doesn't know which one he said, but the sergeant said 369 00:19:10,120 --> 00:19:13,041 Speaker 5: to him, yeah, yeah, yeah, we know who's taken lou Sille, 370 00:19:13,721 --> 00:19:15,721 Speaker 5: and then he didn't discuss it any further. 371 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,161 Speaker 1: We believe that that sergeant knew. 372 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 5: The circumstances surrounding it, but when we spoke to him, 373 00:19:22,120 --> 00:19:26,001 Speaker 5: he'd suffered quite a few strokes and his reliability. We 374 00:19:26,041 --> 00:19:30,000 Speaker 5: couldn't really tell whether he was giving us a bit 375 00:19:30,041 --> 00:19:32,881 Speaker 5: of a run around, or whether he was genuinely forgetful 376 00:19:33,001 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 5: or otherwise. But we just think a lot of people knew, 377 00:19:36,201 --> 00:19:41,481 Speaker 5: including two Jeffrey's siblings. We can only suggest we think 378 00:19:41,521 --> 00:19:44,561 Speaker 5: they knew. We can't say conclusively, but I think two 379 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:47,681 Speaker 5: of the brothers were kept in the dark pretty much 380 00:19:47,721 --> 00:19:50,761 Speaker 5: by the family, and they ended up being our fantastic 381 00:19:50,801 --> 00:19:53,481 Speaker 5: witnesses to give us an insight into the family life 382 00:19:53,801 --> 00:19:57,400 Speaker 5: growing up and also the vehicle that the family had 383 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:01,001 Speaker 5: for many years. Jeffrey maintained two police in some of 384 00:20:01,041 --> 00:20:04,281 Speaker 5: those interviews and statements that he didn't know Lucille, he 385 00:20:04,321 --> 00:20:07,561 Speaker 5: didn't drive a he didn't have a license. He maintained 386 00:20:07,561 --> 00:20:10,561 Speaker 5: all that he was getting away with it because it 387 00:20:10,561 --> 00:20:13,720 Speaker 5: can be disproved. But when we interviewed him, we were 388 00:20:13,721 --> 00:20:16,401 Speaker 5: able to disprove all those things. It was quite pleasing 389 00:20:16,681 --> 00:20:18,880 Speaker 5: to see him starting to pedal backwards on some of 390 00:20:18,921 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 5: his statements because we were able to prove he had 391 00:20:20,761 --> 00:20:22,960 Speaker 5: a driver's license at the time of taking Lucille. We 392 00:20:23,001 --> 00:20:25,961 Speaker 5: prove he drove to work, and we proved what car 393 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:28,041 Speaker 5: that he drove in, which is a Bomby Turk boys 394 00:20:28,041 --> 00:20:31,521 Speaker 5: holding one way in and out of Hobart in those days, 395 00:20:31,561 --> 00:20:33,521 Speaker 5: and you know, in fact, was one road through Clamont. 396 00:20:33,521 --> 00:20:37,281 Speaker 5: You couldn't go alternate roads. 397 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:36,721 Speaker 1: No other way. 398 00:20:37,441 --> 00:20:39,561 Speaker 5: We know that he drove past that way on that 399 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:41,761 Speaker 5: night because he dropped a colleague off from work at 400 00:20:41,801 --> 00:20:45,120 Speaker 5: his home in Milwaukee. And drove past Lucille, So we 401 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 5: know he was driving, we know what time he was 402 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:48,920 Speaker 5: driving past, and we know. 403 00:20:49,001 --> 00:20:50,840 Speaker 1: That he knew Lucille. 404 00:20:51,001 --> 00:20:53,361 Speaker 5: And it was quite satisfying for us to actually disprove 405 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:58,400 Speaker 5: all those points. And David Plumpton in fact said in 406 00:20:58,441 --> 00:21:00,761 Speaker 5: one of your previous podcasts, we said, we can prove 407 00:21:00,801 --> 00:21:03,440 Speaker 5: that Jeffrey Hunter liar. We just can't prove that he's 408 00:21:03,481 --> 00:21:04,400 Speaker 5: a murderer. 409 00:21:05,761 --> 00:21:09,761 Speaker 2: Except that it came out of his mouth with the 410 00:21:09,801 --> 00:21:13,561 Speaker 2: police and then in jail not once, not twice, not three. 411 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:14,160 Speaker 3: But four times. 412 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:20,881 Speaker 2: I believe four confessions with ringingly similar content and detail. 413 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,360 Speaker 5: During the inquest, and we presented the case. Now at 414 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,441 Speaker 5: the file we presented to the inquest with thirty blinders, 415 00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:31,441 Speaker 5: it was extensive, included clear voyance because they were quite 416 00:21:31,441 --> 00:21:35,561 Speaker 5: popular back in the day, and actually included so much information. 417 00:21:36,321 --> 00:21:39,200 Speaker 5: But during the inquest, a seven week in quest, we 418 00:21:39,321 --> 00:21:42,681 Speaker 5: had three former convicts or prisoners if you like, came 419 00:21:42,801 --> 00:21:45,801 Speaker 5: forward that had spent time in prison with Hunt. Now 420 00:21:45,801 --> 00:21:49,761 Speaker 5: that all spent time with him at different points of 421 00:21:49,761 --> 00:21:51,600 Speaker 5: his centers. Now, jeffing Up was in JAF for twenty 422 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:56,041 Speaker 5: four years, so those three prisoners didn't know each other. 423 00:21:56,681 --> 00:21:59,120 Speaker 5: They didn't know each other had come forward, but they'd 424 00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:02,241 Speaker 5: all come forward with various piece of information. Now one said, 425 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:05,481 Speaker 5: when I was in prison with Hunt, went up to 426 00:22:05,561 --> 00:22:07,481 Speaker 5: him and I said, hi, mate, what are you in for? 427 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 5: And Hunt said, I'm in for murder. But they haven't 428 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:11,481 Speaker 5: got me on. 429 00:22:11,441 --> 00:22:13,640 Speaker 1: The other one yet, they haven't found the body. 430 00:22:14,801 --> 00:22:18,801 Speaker 5: The next prisoner had a similar conversation with him and 431 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:23,920 Speaker 5: Hunt spraguing about having killed Dual Butterworth completely unsolicited. Witnesses 432 00:22:23,961 --> 00:22:27,880 Speaker 5: come forward and Dual Butterworth, and that in itself is 433 00:22:29,001 --> 00:22:33,561 Speaker 5: fairly reliable because he knew very well the inquest was 434 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:37,481 Speaker 5: for Lucille Butterworth. But he quoted Hunt the way hand 435 00:22:37,561 --> 00:22:39,201 Speaker 5: said it Dual Butterworth. 436 00:22:39,761 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 1: Another prisoner his information was. 437 00:22:43,921 --> 00:22:46,681 Speaker 5: The conversation went along the lines of if you ever 438 00:22:46,681 --> 00:22:49,080 Speaker 5: want to pick up a girl, the best way is 439 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 5: should rive past the bus stop if they're looking a 440 00:22:52,241 --> 00:22:55,201 Speaker 5: little bit lost, or they're looking like they need to write. 441 00:22:55,281 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 5: He said that's the best way to pick up a girl. 442 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:02,640 Speaker 5: That's quite profound as well. So that's all circumstantial evidence 443 00:23:02,681 --> 00:23:05,721 Speaker 5: on top of everything else we had. So we put 444 00:23:05,761 --> 00:23:08,640 Speaker 5: the matter to the DPP and to review, and we 445 00:23:08,681 --> 00:23:11,920 Speaker 5: thought we had an overwhelming case of circumstantial. 446 00:23:11,281 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 2: Events, and the coroner agreed and he came to the 447 00:23:14,281 --> 00:23:17,160 Speaker 2: view that Jeffrey Charles Hunt was the corpet. It's not 448 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 2: his role to apportion guilt or innocence, but certainly to 449 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:22,561 Speaker 2: play out the facts that can then be taken up 450 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:26,761 Speaker 2: by the Director of Public Prosecutions. I reading all the eddents, 451 00:23:26,761 --> 00:23:29,081 Speaker 2: I thought this blokes a walk up start to be charged. 452 00:23:29,281 --> 00:23:32,680 Speaker 2: You'd a fantastic interview with him where all the inconsistencies 453 00:23:33,041 --> 00:23:35,920 Speaker 2: were highlighted. You'd done the work and you tied him 454 00:23:35,961 --> 00:23:38,641 Speaker 2: to a story and his own lies in there where 455 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:41,680 Speaker 2: he said he didn't drive the car, didn't have a license, 456 00:23:42,201 --> 00:23:44,961 Speaker 2: he always caught the bus to motors there his workplace 457 00:23:45,001 --> 00:23:48,001 Speaker 2: in Hobart. He couldn't have picked up Lucir because he 458 00:23:48,041 --> 00:23:49,481 Speaker 2: didn't have a license or a car. And this was 459 00:23:49,521 --> 00:23:52,681 Speaker 2: all false because you knew that he'd driven the whole 460 00:23:52,681 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 2: family to a wedding in Lonceston prior to this. So 461 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:57,721 Speaker 2: you were able to put all this stunning evidence to him, 462 00:23:57,721 --> 00:23:59,400 Speaker 2: and what was his response. He started to get very 463 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:01,960 Speaker 2: angry and pounding the table and other sort of stuff, 464 00:24:01,961 --> 00:24:04,160 Speaker 2: And it was a classic case of good cop and 465 00:24:04,201 --> 00:24:05,881 Speaker 2: bad copy. He had plumb than there who was sort 466 00:24:05,921 --> 00:24:09,440 Speaker 2: of jollying Hunter Long where you were delivering the killer blows, 467 00:24:09,441 --> 00:24:11,241 Speaker 2: as it were, from all the evidence that you'd created. 468 00:24:11,281 --> 00:24:13,240 Speaker 2: And I thought the ennybody was going to confess, but 469 00:24:13,321 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 2: he didn't. Yeah, he'd lost his He had a chance 470 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:18,761 Speaker 2: to confess for real and didn't take it. 471 00:24:18,761 --> 00:24:20,801 Speaker 5: It was a bit like a volleyball game. You sort 472 00:24:20,801 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 5: of set the ball up for the slam. You know, 473 00:24:22,961 --> 00:24:25,921 Speaker 5: I don't have a license. I never had a license. Okay, Jeffrey, 474 00:24:26,360 --> 00:24:28,441 Speaker 5: when did you get your licensees? So I was nineteen 475 00:24:28,481 --> 00:24:30,281 Speaker 5: blah blah blah, And I already knew at this point 476 00:24:30,281 --> 00:24:32,921 Speaker 5: that I had some information from a former police officer 477 00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:36,001 Speaker 5: that left the job Christmas time ninety sixty eight or 478 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:40,160 Speaker 5: January by ninety sixty nine. And in those days, police 479 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 5: officers took people for their driver's license, and he actually 480 00:24:43,481 --> 00:24:46,521 Speaker 5: took Jeffrey for his driver's license. He can't remember the 481 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:50,920 Speaker 5: day or date, but that particular police officer lost his 482 00:24:51,041 --> 00:24:55,401 Speaker 5: job with Tasmania Police at the Christmas in ninety sixty eight, 483 00:24:55,961 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 5: and he had already awarded Jeffrey license. 484 00:24:57,721 --> 00:25:01,121 Speaker 1: So that proved and I put that to Jeffrey and oh, 485 00:25:01,281 --> 00:25:02,041 Speaker 1: I can't be sure. 486 00:25:02,120 --> 00:25:04,321 Speaker 5: I can't be sure of the time, but for forty 487 00:25:04,360 --> 00:25:06,281 Speaker 5: years he's been made. I never had a license at 488 00:25:06,281 --> 00:25:08,321 Speaker 5: that time, so you know, it was those sort of 489 00:25:08,360 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 5: things where he's backtracking. And you know the same with 490 00:25:11,201 --> 00:25:14,561 Speaker 5: the car. I never drove that car, but his dad 491 00:25:14,801 --> 00:25:16,960 Speaker 5: literally never drove. He did not drive the car. The 492 00:25:16,961 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 5: only person to drive the car was Jeffrey, and he 493 00:25:19,921 --> 00:25:21,680 Speaker 5: bought that car so the whole family could take a 494 00:25:21,681 --> 00:25:25,160 Speaker 5: trip to Long System to a family wedding, and Jeffrey 495 00:25:25,241 --> 00:25:29,681 Speaker 5: drove that particular time. So yeah, all those all those 496 00:25:29,721 --> 00:25:32,160 Speaker 5: pieces of evidence were fantastic. 497 00:25:33,961 --> 00:25:36,881 Speaker 2: Yeah, what was brilliant in this interview was that Plumpton 498 00:25:37,001 --> 00:25:40,001 Speaker 2: was allowing him to extemporize on all this detail to 499 00:25:40,041 --> 00:25:45,440 Speaker 2: show his incredible recall of seeming the unimportant minutie of 500 00:25:45,481 --> 00:25:49,721 Speaker 2: his life, so obviously demonstrating his memory, and then you 501 00:25:49,761 --> 00:25:53,281 Speaker 2: would come in with specific points about Lucille. Suddenly he 502 00:25:53,321 --> 00:25:56,001 Speaker 2: would develop amnesia all life. 503 00:25:56,801 --> 00:26:00,561 Speaker 5: Yeah, and that was frustrating too, because you've got nowhere 504 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,401 Speaker 5: to go, you know very well that we've got him 505 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 5: in a corner. He just needed him to say, yeah, 506 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:09,281 Speaker 5: I did it. You know, that was particularly frustrating. My 507 00:26:09,921 --> 00:26:12,240 Speaker 5: dad was a prison officer for thirty five years. He 508 00:26:12,321 --> 00:26:14,561 Speaker 5: knew Hunt, he spent time with Hunt. He just said 509 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:17,960 Speaker 5: that he's count as the shit house rat. He's very shrewd. 510 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,880 Speaker 5: And I had a chat with Hunt outside the station 511 00:26:22,041 --> 00:26:24,600 Speaker 5: now just before we drove him home after the interview, 512 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:26,801 Speaker 5: and I was just chatting with him about It's funny 513 00:26:26,801 --> 00:26:29,281 Speaker 5: he knew my dad too. Here he put the Millhouse 514 00:26:29,360 --> 00:26:32,521 Speaker 5: name to it, and he just started talking about it. 515 00:26:32,561 --> 00:26:35,521 Speaker 5: And he started talking to him on a casual basis 516 00:26:35,561 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 5: about nothing that's going to give him issues like his 517 00:26:38,761 --> 00:26:39,880 Speaker 5: dad and my dad and everything. 518 00:26:39,921 --> 00:26:43,680 Speaker 1: And oh wow, what a memory. He's just so fluent, 519 00:26:44,721 --> 00:26:45,521 Speaker 1: cunning as the word. 520 00:26:46,120 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 3: Yes. 521 00:26:46,561 --> 00:26:48,761 Speaker 2: And so those confessions came at a time when he 522 00:26:48,761 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 2: felt very secure. He was in a minimum security prison, 523 00:26:51,681 --> 00:26:53,641 Speaker 2: I think it was a prison farm, and they gave 524 00:26:53,721 --> 00:26:55,400 Speaker 2: him some dogs and he had some sheep, and he 525 00:26:55,441 --> 00:26:57,640 Speaker 2: felt like he had a bit of position and comfort 526 00:26:57,681 --> 00:26:59,561 Speaker 2: in life. And he was then seeking friends which he'd 527 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:01,681 Speaker 2: never had before in his life. So, and you don't 528 00:27:01,681 --> 00:27:04,161 Speaker 2: have that option anymore in Tasmania for a minimum security 529 00:27:04,281 --> 00:27:05,761 Speaker 2: I wonder if he could have been offered to him 530 00:27:05,761 --> 00:27:08,561 Speaker 2: that he could have served out his jail term in 531 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,681 Speaker 2: such an environment that he might have offered a confession up. 532 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:14,321 Speaker 1: Yeah, he may very well have done. 533 00:27:14,360 --> 00:27:16,921 Speaker 5: But in those early days after he made that confession 534 00:27:16,921 --> 00:27:20,321 Speaker 5: and all Canning shutting down, he had uncle Max Moult, 535 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:22,281 Speaker 5: who's also he was a detective. 536 00:27:23,201 --> 00:27:23,881 Speaker 1: I believe that. 537 00:27:24,521 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 5: A few people who got around him family included you 538 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:31,241 Speaker 5: keep your mouth shut. I don't ever talk of it again. 539 00:27:31,321 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 5: If you ever asked, don't speak of it again. So 540 00:27:33,681 --> 00:27:36,001 Speaker 5: the small window with the confession was made that all 541 00:27:36,001 --> 00:27:41,200 Speaker 5: Canning shut down was lost. But this investigation was completely thorough. 542 00:27:41,201 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 5: There were people that we had spoken to the meeting 543 00:27:44,120 --> 00:27:46,880 Speaker 5: that Lucy went to in an all folk, no one 544 00:27:46,961 --> 00:27:50,200 Speaker 5: ever spoke to anyone at that meeting because, as you know, 545 00:27:50,281 --> 00:27:53,880 Speaker 5: John Fitzgerald was attending that meeting, and in any murder case, 546 00:27:53,961 --> 00:27:56,281 Speaker 5: you perhaps look at the de facto or the husband 547 00:27:56,360 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 5: or the wife or the person in the relationship. And 548 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:01,361 Speaker 5: no one spoke to anyone at that meeting to determine 549 00:28:01,561 --> 00:28:03,761 Speaker 5: John Fitzgerald's demeanor, you. 550 00:28:03,721 --> 00:28:06,401 Speaker 1: Know he was or otherwise. 551 00:28:07,481 --> 00:28:13,160 Speaker 2: It just seems so incomplete, Yeah, very incomplete. And I 552 00:28:13,201 --> 00:28:15,400 Speaker 2: guess we could have thought that Jeffrey Charles Hunt was 553 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:17,521 Speaker 2: out of sight out of mind. He was serving a 554 00:28:17,561 --> 00:28:20,681 Speaker 2: life sentence without the prospect of parole back in those 555 00:28:20,761 --> 00:28:22,680 Speaker 2: days when you had those sort of sentences, and then 556 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:23,680 Speaker 2: there was a change. 557 00:28:23,761 --> 00:28:25,801 Speaker 3: He was given a minimum sentence and he. 558 00:28:25,761 --> 00:28:28,241 Speaker 2: Gets out and pretty soon we start to hear stories 559 00:28:28,281 --> 00:28:32,521 Speaker 2: about him hanging around caravan parks where there were women 560 00:28:32,961 --> 00:28:35,360 Speaker 2: and possibly going back to his old tricks. This bloke 561 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:41,161 Speaker 2: is a recalcitrant sex offender who should never have been released. 562 00:28:41,161 --> 00:28:44,960 Speaker 5: In my opinion, yeah, absolutely, I can agree with that, 563 00:28:45,001 --> 00:28:48,561 Speaker 5: and I can't clarify his behavior after that time, but 564 00:28:48,681 --> 00:28:52,761 Speaker 5: I know that prior to murdering Susan Knight in nineteen 565 00:28:52,761 --> 00:28:56,801 Speaker 5: seventy six, he become very tempted in a lot of ways. 566 00:28:57,001 --> 00:29:01,841 Speaker 5: There was people that he was pursuing prior to the murder, 567 00:29:02,001 --> 00:29:05,841 Speaker 5: in the months prior, trying to set them up in 568 00:29:05,881 --> 00:29:10,121 Speaker 5: the end the way that Susan Knight was taken down unfortunately. 569 00:29:10,521 --> 00:29:14,681 Speaker 5: For example, Jeffrey Hunt, he responded to a notice in 570 00:29:14,721 --> 00:29:17,801 Speaker 5: the local newspaper a nineteen year old girl had offered 571 00:29:17,841 --> 00:29:21,121 Speaker 5: her services as a babysitter, so it was advertised in 572 00:29:21,161 --> 00:29:25,241 Speaker 5: the miscellaneous part of the newspaper and said Hunt was 573 00:29:25,601 --> 00:29:29,521 Speaker 5: replied to it ringing her and said I've got two 574 00:29:29,641 --> 00:29:33,201 Speaker 5: children the agents of this and that can we meet 575 00:29:33,241 --> 00:29:36,121 Speaker 5: to discuss it? So on the Monday morning that was 576 00:29:36,161 --> 00:29:40,200 Speaker 5: the arranged time he rocked up at her house. He 577 00:29:40,241 --> 00:29:42,321 Speaker 5: must have been sitting off it because once her husband 578 00:29:42,401 --> 00:29:45,921 Speaker 5: left for work, he knocked on the door some hour early. 579 00:29:47,001 --> 00:29:49,760 Speaker 5: She was still dressed in her NightWare. It turned out 580 00:29:49,761 --> 00:29:52,921 Speaker 5: to be a neglige. She told us an interview was 581 00:29:52,961 --> 00:29:55,001 Speaker 5: the one she worn on a honeymoon, so she was 582 00:29:55,081 --> 00:29:58,481 Speaker 5: quite attractive to Hunt, so she felt uncomfortable she invited 583 00:29:58,521 --> 00:30:02,081 Speaker 5: him in anyway. That started to discuss the circumstances around 584 00:30:02,841 --> 00:30:07,081 Speaker 5: his children being babysat without notice. He then lunged at 585 00:30:07,161 --> 00:30:10,401 Speaker 5: her on the couch. He grabbed her and graped her, 586 00:30:10,441 --> 00:30:13,201 Speaker 5: and she screamed. And she was on the lower level 587 00:30:13,201 --> 00:30:15,641 Speaker 5: of a townhouse, and the people upstairs can be heard 588 00:30:15,721 --> 00:30:19,361 Speaker 5: running across the floor, obviously to see what the screams were, 589 00:30:19,641 --> 00:30:24,321 Speaker 5: at which point Hunt then fled the apartment and left. Now, 590 00:30:24,361 --> 00:30:27,401 Speaker 5: this particular witness gave a statement to police and described 591 00:30:27,721 --> 00:30:31,520 Speaker 5: who he was. He wasn't identified until he was in 592 00:30:31,521 --> 00:30:34,361 Speaker 5: custody for the murder and on TV, and then she 593 00:30:34,401 --> 00:30:36,720 Speaker 5: went to police and said that man that's on TV 594 00:30:36,841 --> 00:30:39,881 Speaker 5: for that particular matter, he was the man that attacked me. 595 00:30:40,321 --> 00:30:43,841 Speaker 5: The police officers at the time said, well, look, he's 596 00:30:43,881 --> 00:30:48,521 Speaker 5: in custody now for a serious matter and he's unlikely 597 00:30:48,561 --> 00:30:51,240 Speaker 5: beginning out of jail, and they never pursued her sexual 598 00:30:51,281 --> 00:30:55,841 Speaker 5: assault case, and that lady today still grieves over that 599 00:30:56,001 --> 00:30:56,761 Speaker 5: lack of justice. 600 00:30:58,521 --> 00:31:02,641 Speaker 2: Absolutely, I mean this guy seriously, he's better off in jail. 601 00:31:03,041 --> 00:31:06,961 Speaker 2: He finally gets parole and has plans to leave Tasmania 602 00:31:07,001 --> 00:31:10,641 Speaker 2: to get a caravan and drive around Australia. My goodness, 603 00:31:10,681 --> 00:31:14,641 Speaker 2: what an opportunity for a sex offender without regret, to 604 00:31:14,681 --> 00:31:18,401 Speaker 2: take up his old profession once more. And luckily that 605 00:31:18,561 --> 00:31:21,041 Speaker 2: was stopped and the parole his conditions were changed, so 606 00:31:21,041 --> 00:31:23,881 Speaker 2: he has to remain within Tasmania. So he finds himself 607 00:31:24,361 --> 00:31:27,041 Speaker 2: put in a let's say, a northern Tasmanian town. I'm 608 00:31:27,041 --> 00:31:28,921 Speaker 2: not going to reveal the town because there's enough people 609 00:31:29,081 --> 00:31:31,361 Speaker 2: hastling him already. I've got no sympathy for him, but 610 00:31:31,361 --> 00:31:33,601 Speaker 2: he is in a kind of purgatory where he's better 611 00:31:33,641 --> 00:31:34,321 Speaker 2: off in jail. 612 00:31:34,641 --> 00:31:35,721 Speaker 3: And in fact, I went to the. 613 00:31:35,681 --> 00:31:38,961 Speaker 2: Location where he is a few years ago and I 614 00:31:39,001 --> 00:31:42,001 Speaker 2: was told that it'll all be dark. He doesn't come out. 615 00:31:42,241 --> 00:31:43,761 Speaker 2: He only comes out to go and see his parole 616 00:31:43,801 --> 00:31:46,601 Speaker 2: officer in Devonport. The only way you'll know he's in 617 00:31:46,641 --> 00:31:49,440 Speaker 2: there is the heating pipe will be on, it'll be warm. 618 00:31:49,761 --> 00:31:52,041 Speaker 2: So sure enough it was warm, and he was in there. 619 00:31:52,121 --> 00:31:54,121 Speaker 2: And I spent most of the night in an awful 620 00:31:54,161 --> 00:31:58,121 Speaker 2: Tasmanian weather was pouring and shocking. And the next time 621 00:31:58,121 --> 00:32:00,041 Speaker 2: I missed him and he's gone off to his appointment 622 00:32:00,081 --> 00:32:02,361 Speaker 2: in Devonport. And I happened to catch him on the 623 00:32:02,401 --> 00:32:05,281 Speaker 2: way out, and I decided not to confront him him 624 00:32:05,681 --> 00:32:08,161 Speaker 2: but to follow him to see what he did. And 625 00:32:08,201 --> 00:32:09,881 Speaker 2: he had to walk I think about a four hundred 626 00:32:09,881 --> 00:32:11,720 Speaker 2: meter journey back to the place where he's getting his 627 00:32:11,721 --> 00:32:14,281 Speaker 2: community bust to his residence. But he did this two 628 00:32:14,281 --> 00:32:17,201 Speaker 2: and a half three kilometer secuitous route which was clearly 629 00:32:17,241 --> 00:32:20,601 Speaker 2: about Canas surveillance that he knew people were following him. 630 00:32:20,801 --> 00:32:22,321 Speaker 2: So I thought, this, what sort of life is this 631 00:32:22,361 --> 00:32:25,601 Speaker 2: bloke got? He's living on his own. Family, I don't 632 00:32:25,601 --> 00:32:28,081 Speaker 2: think talks to him very much, and there he is. 633 00:32:28,441 --> 00:32:32,801 Speaker 2: I meanwhile, this whole case is just I was reflecting 634 00:32:32,801 --> 00:32:35,801 Speaker 2: this afternoon carry actually that what happens to these cases 635 00:32:35,841 --> 00:32:38,681 Speaker 2: where all the witnesses die off. A lot of people 636 00:32:38,721 --> 00:32:42,161 Speaker 2: you spoke to fifteen years ago are probably dead now 637 00:32:42,561 --> 00:32:45,121 Speaker 2: or their memories have failed. Could they even go before 638 00:32:45,161 --> 00:32:48,681 Speaker 2: a court. Lucille's parents are dead. Her brother Jimmy, who 639 00:32:48,681 --> 00:32:51,921 Speaker 2: had driven the investigation for years as also did him, 640 00:32:51,961 --> 00:32:54,681 Speaker 2: went up there to Hunt's town and I thought was 641 00:32:54,681 --> 00:32:57,841 Speaker 2: going to murder him, and you're offside of Plumpton had 642 00:32:57,881 --> 00:32:59,801 Speaker 2: to virtually cut him off at the past, so he 643 00:32:59,801 --> 00:33:03,521 Speaker 2: didn't do that. Jimmy's gone, John Fitzgerald, the boyfriend's gone. 644 00:33:03,761 --> 00:33:05,681 Speaker 2: There's only one brother left, John butter Worth. And it 645 00:33:05,721 --> 00:33:07,841 Speaker 2: was so sad a few years ago when in anger 646 00:33:07,881 --> 00:33:10,161 Speaker 2: and frustration he goes down there to the spot where 647 00:33:10,201 --> 00:33:12,960 Speaker 2: you believe Blue Seal was dumped for one of a 648 00:33:12,961 --> 00:33:16,641 Speaker 2: better word, with a shovel and was digging himself, had 649 00:33:16,641 --> 00:33:18,921 Speaker 2: his scuba gear out, was diving in the river himself, 650 00:33:19,321 --> 00:33:21,960 Speaker 2: hoping against hope that something would be just. So something 651 00:33:22,081 --> 00:33:25,001 Speaker 2: was being done. Of course, the way the Dermot works, 652 00:33:25,401 --> 00:33:28,521 Speaker 2: if Hunt had put her body in the river would 653 00:33:28,521 --> 00:33:31,001 Speaker 2: have been taken by the current, probably the same day, 654 00:33:31,241 --> 00:33:32,081 Speaker 2: fast flowing river. 655 00:33:33,321 --> 00:33:35,881 Speaker 5: Look, the reason we looked at that particular spot, because 656 00:33:36,001 --> 00:33:39,001 Speaker 5: when he confessed in nineteen seventy six, he actually identify 657 00:33:39,121 --> 00:33:41,721 Speaker 5: where he had dubb Bluse Hill, and he was specific 658 00:33:42,281 --> 00:33:44,801 Speaker 5: in the fact that he said, as you said earlier, 659 00:33:45,281 --> 00:33:48,681 Speaker 5: he tried to kiss her, she resisted. He then, I 660 00:33:48,761 --> 00:33:53,121 Speaker 5: don't know what overcame me and strangled, strangled it to death. 661 00:33:53,321 --> 00:33:56,041 Speaker 5: And then in his admissions, he said he took her 662 00:33:56,481 --> 00:33:59,321 Speaker 5: in a fireman's carry out of the vehicle to walk 663 00:33:59,361 --> 00:34:02,841 Speaker 5: towards the river through the shrubs and dumped her. Then 664 00:34:02,841 --> 00:34:04,881 Speaker 5: he said got back to the car, one of the 665 00:34:04,881 --> 00:34:07,961 Speaker 5: shoes still there and her handbag, so he also took 666 00:34:08,001 --> 00:34:11,361 Speaker 5: them out as well, So his emission was very specific. 667 00:34:11,601 --> 00:34:12,761 Speaker 1: Now, we for. 668 00:34:12,761 --> 00:34:16,121 Speaker 5: One month dug an area around that particular point. We 669 00:34:16,161 --> 00:34:20,121 Speaker 5: had nineteen sixty nine satellite aera photography from that particular site, 670 00:34:20,161 --> 00:34:22,480 Speaker 5: so we can see what it looked like in ninetly 671 00:34:22,481 --> 00:34:24,281 Speaker 5: sixty nine and we can see what it looked like today. 672 00:34:24,441 --> 00:34:29,081 Speaker 5: It was very similar in appearance. But where police dug 673 00:34:29,441 --> 00:34:33,041 Speaker 5: recently was in an area that was obviously an open 674 00:34:33,121 --> 00:34:37,561 Speaker 5: space where Hunt said he took her out towards the river. Now, 675 00:34:38,441 --> 00:34:41,561 Speaker 5: I'd say the river from his car would be one 676 00:34:41,641 --> 00:34:44,121 Speaker 5: hundred and fifty meters. We don't know how far he 677 00:34:44,161 --> 00:34:46,801 Speaker 5: walked out, but that area where he walked out was 678 00:34:46,841 --> 00:34:50,081 Speaker 5: never looked at because of swamp land. At the time 679 00:34:50,121 --> 00:34:54,001 Speaker 5: of our our digging excavation. It was a king tie, 680 00:34:54,041 --> 00:34:58,121 Speaker 5: would you believe, So right up to where his car 681 00:34:58,161 --> 00:35:01,721 Speaker 5: would have been, we had tider water, so it was 682 00:35:01,761 --> 00:35:05,881 Speaker 5: impossible to actually dig anywhere outside there area that we had, 683 00:35:06,321 --> 00:35:09,321 Speaker 5: and the area that we had was simply not the 684 00:35:09,361 --> 00:35:11,721 Speaker 5: place because it was just a car park basically. 685 00:35:11,881 --> 00:35:13,881 Speaker 1: Now, that area back in sixty. 686 00:35:13,681 --> 00:35:17,081 Speaker 5: Nine was used by main roads when they were building 687 00:35:17,081 --> 00:35:20,161 Speaker 5: the highway to double the gravel their excavators and everything, 688 00:35:20,561 --> 00:35:23,001 Speaker 5: so that's why that was there. So that was a 689 00:35:23,081 --> 00:35:25,841 Speaker 5: site that people use to go parking with their other 690 00:35:27,281 --> 00:35:31,001 Speaker 5: and smooch and etc. And we believe from what we 691 00:35:31,081 --> 00:35:33,001 Speaker 5: can see from the era of photography that there was 692 00:35:33,561 --> 00:35:35,601 Speaker 5: a bit of an alcove where he could actually drive 693 00:35:35,601 --> 00:35:38,121 Speaker 5: in there not be seen from the main road and 694 00:35:38,721 --> 00:35:41,681 Speaker 5: the rest history. We certainly believe that's the spot where 695 00:35:41,801 --> 00:35:42,521 Speaker 5: it would have been. 696 00:35:43,881 --> 00:35:46,641 Speaker 2: And this was at corroborated by one of the convict witnesses, 697 00:35:46,681 --> 00:35:48,960 Speaker 2: if you like. Philip Paris said much the same sort 698 00:35:48,961 --> 00:35:52,161 Speaker 2: of thing. So it's quite mystifying what happens now, because 699 00:35:52,201 --> 00:35:54,961 Speaker 2: it must have been so disappointing to you when the 700 00:35:55,001 --> 00:35:59,081 Speaker 2: coroner was so emphatic about the excellent investigation, the mountains 701 00:35:59,081 --> 00:36:04,281 Speaker 2: of circumstantial evidence, but the DPP declined to put him 702 00:36:04,281 --> 00:36:04,881 Speaker 2: before the court. 703 00:36:05,601 --> 00:36:05,881 Speaker 1: Yeah. 704 00:36:06,001 --> 00:36:10,441 Speaker 5: Unfortunately, the matters before a coroner not admissible in a 705 00:36:10,481 --> 00:36:13,041 Speaker 5: Supreme court, So anything that was said in there is 706 00:36:13,041 --> 00:36:16,241 Speaker 5: not admissible and couldn't be used. But what happened in 707 00:36:16,281 --> 00:36:19,521 Speaker 5: the inquest for one day, Hump was afforded one day's defense. 708 00:36:20,521 --> 00:36:23,801 Speaker 5: In that one day's defense, they had a lawyer come in, 709 00:36:23,841 --> 00:36:26,841 Speaker 5: a good criminal lawyer come in and start crossing examining 710 00:36:26,881 --> 00:36:29,401 Speaker 5: some of our witnesses. And the way he tore down 711 00:36:29,441 --> 00:36:33,401 Speaker 5: one of those ex prisoners and Jeffrey's brother King, it 712 00:36:33,521 --> 00:36:36,440 Speaker 5: was really harsh. Everyone's seen it on TV, the way 713 00:36:36,481 --> 00:36:40,041 Speaker 5: they defense lawyers work. He tore them up pretty much 714 00:36:40,721 --> 00:36:43,801 Speaker 5: about the unreliability of their memories and it was really 715 00:36:43,801 --> 00:36:47,121 Speaker 5: hard to watch. So I imagine if we did ever get 716 00:36:47,281 --> 00:36:50,241 Speaker 5: the matter to a court based on circumstantial evidence, it 717 00:36:50,241 --> 00:36:53,201 Speaker 5: would be very, very hard to convict, and I think 718 00:36:53,241 --> 00:36:56,201 Speaker 5: that's probably how the DPP saw it. With as you said, Adam, 719 00:36:56,481 --> 00:36:59,041 Speaker 5: the witnesses all dying out, and we've lost a lot 720 00:36:59,041 --> 00:37:01,321 Speaker 5: more since the two thousand and sixth An inquest as well. 721 00:37:01,961 --> 00:37:06,561 Speaker 5: But the unreliability of memory defense would tear that apart. 722 00:37:06,681 --> 00:37:08,841 Speaker 1: It'd be hard to watch well. 723 00:37:09,001 --> 00:37:10,641 Speaker 2: But you've got to put your faith in juries to 724 00:37:10,641 --> 00:37:14,641 Speaker 2: occasionally get this right, because you had the stunning precedent 725 00:37:14,761 --> 00:37:18,001 Speaker 2: really where you had the murder of alleged murder of 726 00:37:18,041 --> 00:37:22,081 Speaker 2: Bob Chappell by his partner Syni Or Fraser in two 727 00:37:22,121 --> 00:37:25,481 Speaker 2: thousand and nine, where there was no body again, a 728 00:37:25,481 --> 00:37:29,601 Speaker 2: lot of circumstantial evidence, a lot of post offense conduct 729 00:37:29,681 --> 00:37:32,361 Speaker 2: issues like lies, and they were able to convict syon 730 00:37:32,361 --> 00:37:33,041 Speaker 2: Neil Fraser. 731 00:37:33,441 --> 00:37:35,121 Speaker 3: And I think there was less evidence in that case. 732 00:37:35,121 --> 00:37:38,401 Speaker 2: And I wonder whether this is a bit of judicial conservatism. 733 00:37:38,841 --> 00:37:42,561 Speaker 2: The previous DPP tim Ellis had been fairly i'd say 734 00:37:42,681 --> 00:37:45,641 Speaker 2: adventurous by bringing that case to Cord he had success. 735 00:37:46,081 --> 00:37:47,281 Speaker 3: Do you think you're a victim of that? 736 00:37:48,001 --> 00:37:52,281 Speaker 5: Well, I can speculate in that direction, and I actually 737 00:37:52,281 --> 00:37:55,601 Speaker 5: have said that looking at the circumstantial events related to 738 00:37:56,361 --> 00:38:00,361 Speaker 5: Sir Neil Fraser, I believe that the Hunt and Butterworth 739 00:38:00,401 --> 00:38:03,361 Speaker 5: case we had so much more circumstantial evidence, but couldn't 740 00:38:03,361 --> 00:38:07,441 Speaker 5: get over the line. And I actually saw the coroner 741 00:38:07,801 --> 00:38:10,241 Speaker 5: just in a casual conversation. I said, oh, they're not 742 00:38:10,321 --> 00:38:13,361 Speaker 5: running with it, and the jaw dropped and they're not 743 00:38:14,041 --> 00:38:17,401 Speaker 5: like that. I mean, he had to stay reasonably professional, 744 00:38:17,401 --> 00:38:20,441 Speaker 5: but I could see his surprise after knowing what we know. 745 00:38:21,841 --> 00:38:24,481 Speaker 3: Mmm, so do you feel like this is unfinished business 746 00:38:24,481 --> 00:38:24,681 Speaker 3: for you? 747 00:38:24,761 --> 00:38:25,041 Speaker 2: Carry? 748 00:38:26,521 --> 00:38:27,481 Speaker 3: Yeah, it is. 749 00:38:27,841 --> 00:38:29,921 Speaker 5: I always hope that I'm going to get a phone 750 00:38:29,921 --> 00:38:31,641 Speaker 5: call one day to say, look, Hunt wants to speak 751 00:38:31,681 --> 00:38:36,321 Speaker 5: to you. We know he's done it. We absolutely know. 752 00:38:36,961 --> 00:38:40,041 Speaker 5: And the two of the brothers have said he's done this. 753 00:38:40,361 --> 00:38:43,041 Speaker 1: You know they know. People close to this know. 754 00:38:43,241 --> 00:38:47,681 Speaker 5: We all know John Boworth. He's not been able to 755 00:38:47,721 --> 00:38:50,841 Speaker 5: move forward with his life ever because you know, he 756 00:38:50,881 --> 00:38:53,201 Speaker 5: promises mum. You know, we'll never give up on this, Mum. 757 00:38:53,241 --> 00:38:56,241 Speaker 5: We'll find Lucille for you. We'll never give up. And 758 00:38:56,281 --> 00:39:00,201 Speaker 5: I saw John only this month and I said to him, look, 759 00:39:00,361 --> 00:39:03,041 Speaker 5: be satisfied. You've you've honored your comment to your mum. 760 00:39:03,201 --> 00:39:05,681 Speaker 5: I said, we know what happened to steal, we know 761 00:39:05,721 --> 00:39:08,681 Speaker 5: where she is. Forgive yourself, John, if you've done what 762 00:39:08,801 --> 00:39:12,601 Speaker 5: you can. We're not going to give up until a 763 00:39:12,681 --> 00:39:15,961 Speaker 5: space until Hunt dies and then Neill take that, you 764 00:39:16,081 --> 00:39:20,000 Speaker 5: take that with him. But yeah, it's a murderer who's 765 00:39:20,001 --> 00:39:20,641 Speaker 5: got away with it. 766 00:39:20,681 --> 00:39:20,921 Speaker 1: Really. 767 00:39:22,161 --> 00:39:25,001 Speaker 2: Hunt was born in nineteen fifty, makes him seventy five. 768 00:39:25,041 --> 00:39:28,161 Speaker 2: Now he's not getting any younger. All the witnesses are dying. 769 00:39:28,481 --> 00:39:30,081 Speaker 2: You wonder what happens to this case. So what happens 770 00:39:30,081 --> 00:39:31,881 Speaker 2: when he dies? Do you think the police just stop? 771 00:39:31,961 --> 00:39:33,881 Speaker 2: Is that what happens in these cases when there's no 772 00:39:33,881 --> 00:39:35,001 Speaker 2: longer anybody to lock up. 773 00:39:35,721 --> 00:39:39,321 Speaker 5: The potential for prosecution is pretty much done, so it 774 00:39:39,401 --> 00:39:42,081 Speaker 5: can only be convicted in the public call of opinion 775 00:39:42,161 --> 00:39:45,601 Speaker 5: as they call it. I think it's so frustrating because 776 00:39:46,121 --> 00:39:50,481 Speaker 5: the whole Naufai community they all know, everyone knows, but 777 00:39:50,561 --> 00:39:54,081 Speaker 5: we just can't get the man convicted of Lucille's death. 778 00:39:54,681 --> 00:39:55,881 Speaker 3: It's up to him, really, isn't it. 779 00:39:55,961 --> 00:39:57,921 Speaker 2: Listen, Carry you've done your best, along with Plumping and 780 00:39:57,961 --> 00:39:59,561 Speaker 2: Christine Rush and a fantastic team. 781 00:39:59,881 --> 00:40:01,520 Speaker 3: You can be proud of yourselves what you did. 782 00:40:01,801 --> 00:40:04,281 Speaker 2: And really, for police officers, it's not about the result, 783 00:40:04,481 --> 00:40:07,681 Speaker 2: it's about the process. Doing everything you can to honor 784 00:40:07,721 --> 00:40:11,281 Speaker 2: your promises to family and loved ones that everything shall 785 00:40:11,361 --> 00:40:13,641 Speaker 2: be done. No stones should be left unturned. And I 786 00:40:13,641 --> 00:40:16,081 Speaker 2: think this was an exemporary investigation of which you can 787 00:40:16,121 --> 00:40:19,681 Speaker 2: be dutifully proud, because this was one of those things 788 00:40:19,681 --> 00:40:21,441 Speaker 2: where you didn't really get a lot of support for 789 00:40:21,441 --> 00:40:22,281 Speaker 2: the whole investigation. 790 00:40:22,481 --> 00:40:23,601 Speaker 3: You did it off the side of. 791 00:40:23,561 --> 00:40:26,761 Speaker 2: Your desk, almost a part time investigation amongst everything else 792 00:40:27,081 --> 00:40:28,521 Speaker 2: that you were dealing with at. 793 00:40:28,361 --> 00:40:29,281 Speaker 3: The dass of CIB. 794 00:40:29,961 --> 00:40:31,961 Speaker 5: That's right, as I said, inspect to plump and ask 795 00:40:32,041 --> 00:40:35,161 Speaker 5: for anyone to volunteer to put the matter to an inquest. 796 00:40:35,201 --> 00:40:36,641 Speaker 1: So I'll put my hand up. 797 00:40:37,241 --> 00:40:41,281 Speaker 5: So along with other duties, I started investigating Lucille, and 798 00:40:41,321 --> 00:40:43,961 Speaker 5: to the point where I was sometimes afforded two or 799 00:40:43,961 --> 00:40:46,241 Speaker 5: three weeks specifically for Lucille, but then I had to 800 00:40:46,241 --> 00:40:49,601 Speaker 5: go back to my volume of crime carburgs and homeburgs, 801 00:40:49,601 --> 00:40:53,161 Speaker 5: et cetera. So it really was just how we managed 802 00:40:53,201 --> 00:40:55,241 Speaker 5: to afford it. And you mentioned Christine Russia and when 803 00:40:56,201 --> 00:40:58,721 Speaker 5: I managed to gather so much information that had becoming 804 00:40:59,201 --> 00:41:02,041 Speaker 5: overwhelming because if I speak to one person that at 805 00:41:02,121 --> 00:41:04,441 Speaker 5: least to five more, those five lead to another five 806 00:41:04,601 --> 00:41:08,721 Speaker 5: and then you've got more questions than answers. So Christine 807 00:41:08,801 --> 00:41:12,241 Speaker 5: come on board as an analyst and started documenting everything 808 00:41:12,241 --> 00:41:15,921 Speaker 5: and did analytical reports which were absolutely top class. And 809 00:41:15,921 --> 00:41:18,361 Speaker 5: that's how we rolled and David plumped and oversaw the 810 00:41:19,241 --> 00:41:22,681 Speaker 5: whole matter. So it wasn't a case of let's get 811 00:41:22,681 --> 00:41:24,361 Speaker 5: this cold case team on it. We did it on 812 00:41:24,401 --> 00:41:27,361 Speaker 5: the side of our desk, as we say, And after 813 00:41:27,721 --> 00:41:30,601 Speaker 5: David came forward and asked volunteers, took five more years 814 00:41:30,601 --> 00:41:31,561 Speaker 5: to get that do inquest. 815 00:41:31,761 --> 00:41:32,761 Speaker 1: So that's how long it took. 816 00:41:33,521 --> 00:41:35,841 Speaker 2: Yeah, well done, But I really appreciate that on behalf 817 00:41:35,881 --> 00:41:38,321 Speaker 2: of the Blue Seal and her family, So thanks very much, 818 00:41:38,601 --> 00:41:46,161 Speaker 2: thank you. That was Curry Milhouse, retired Tasmanian detective on 819 00:41:46,281 --> 00:41:49,241 Speaker 2: the ongoing mystery into the fate of Blue Seal. 820 00:41:49,361 --> 00:41:50,841 Speaker 3: But it worth not really a mystery at all. 821 00:41:50,841 --> 00:41:53,841 Speaker 2: This is normally the moment where I say, anybody with 822 00:41:53,881 --> 00:41:56,281 Speaker 2: evidence should come forward, call crime Stoppers one OU hundred, 823 00:41:56,281 --> 00:41:57,321 Speaker 2: triple three, triple zero. 824 00:41:57,401 --> 00:42:00,001 Speaker 3: But there is no mystery here. We know who did it. 825 00:42:00,001 --> 00:42:02,201 Speaker 2: It's now up to Jeffrey Charles Hunt to search his 826 00:42:02,281 --> 00:42:05,801 Speaker 2: soul and see if he can come forward to resolve this. 827 00:42:06,721 --> 00:42:09,561 Speaker 2: If he has any belief in God or the afterlife, 828 00:42:09,721 --> 00:42:11,921 Speaker 2: this is his moment to clear his conscience. I'm not 829 00:42:11,921 --> 00:42:14,761 Speaker 2: sure that he will. He's deep in denial, deep in 830 00:42:15,121 --> 00:42:18,761 Speaker 2: self justification. That's often what happens in these cases. But 831 00:42:18,801 --> 00:42:21,041 Speaker 2: it is a terrible shame, and I do feel a 832 00:42:21,041 --> 00:42:23,441 Speaker 2: little bit of despair for the family and that they 833 00:42:23,521 --> 00:42:25,921 Speaker 2: put so much into this investigation, so much hope in 834 00:42:25,961 --> 00:42:28,241 Speaker 2: the police would do the right thing, and they did, 835 00:42:28,721 --> 00:42:32,081 Speaker 2: only to be disappointed by the Director of Public Prosecutions. 836 00:42:32,121 --> 00:42:35,361 Speaker 2: I understand the limitations with which they work, but still 837 00:42:35,801 --> 00:42:41,000 Speaker 2: this was a very good case and Lucille her memory, unfortunately, 838 00:42:41,601 --> 00:42:45,601 Speaker 2: may be lost, replaced by new cold cases, by new 839 00:42:46,561 --> 00:42:49,481 Speaker 2: tragedies that are failed to be investigated. We sometimes we 840 00:42:49,481 --> 00:42:51,521 Speaker 2: don't learn the lessons. You see this in so many 841 00:42:51,561 --> 00:42:54,841 Speaker 2: areas of the criminal law. The same mistakes keep getting 842 00:42:54,841 --> 00:42:57,841 Speaker 2: made over and over again. Now with excuses of lack 843 00:42:57,881 --> 00:43:01,841 Speaker 2: of resources, lack of staff. Things get done once over lightly. 844 00:43:02,401 --> 00:43:05,561 Speaker 2: But the dead only deserve the truth. And this is 845 00:43:05,601 --> 00:43:09,361 Speaker 2: what Carrie and his mates in Tasmania Police did for Lucille. 846 00:43:09,441 --> 00:43:12,601 Speaker 2: Unfortunately it wasn't enough anyway, No much more we can 847 00:43:12,601 --> 00:43:14,721 Speaker 2: do with at the moment. But if someone does have 848 00:43:14,761 --> 00:43:17,961 Speaker 2: some information, please come forward, anything at all. Maybe he's 849 00:43:18,001 --> 00:43:20,481 Speaker 2: told somebody else, Maybe there's one more piece of evidence 850 00:43:20,801 --> 00:43:23,921 Speaker 2: that can be the final piece that says to Jeffrey 851 00:43:24,001 --> 00:43:28,321 Speaker 2: charles On, it's time to confess. Thanks once again for listening. 852 00:43:28,441 --> 00:43:30,521 Speaker 2: If you like the podcast, please subscribe, share it with 853 00:43:30,561 --> 00:43:33,201 Speaker 2: your friends. This has been real crime with Adam shanned. 854 00:43:33,321 --> 00:43:34,121 Speaker 2: Thank you for listening.