As I listened to the flurry of rumour and speculation on talkback radio about the bodies in the Belanglo State Forest, I could only hope that Police Headquarters had learnt its lesson about the dangers of playing to the media.
I arrived at the police base in the forest around mid-afternoon and found a situation of organised chaos. The large—and growing—media contingent was clamouring for interviews with investigating detectives, pictures of the crime scenes, responses to speculation about the possible killer or killers and about the number of bodies that might still be in the forest, not to mention exclusive ‘leaks’. Some also wanted to carry out their own search of the forest.
Amid the hysteria, crime scene examiners were quietly getting on with their jobs, retrieving the bodies and searching for clues, thoroughly documenting everything as they went. Others continued their search of surrounding areas, while investigators assessed the needs and operational priorities for the immediate search and for the wider investigation.
The first police officers I met in the forest were Detective Inspector Bob Godden, whom I had known for many years, and Detective Sergeant Steve McLennan. Talking to them eased my fears of a repeat of the Blackburn fiasco. I spent the next few days inspecting the crime scenes and receiving briefings from investigators, specialist and support police in the field, and local police.
Many of the immediate priorities were obvious: we urgently needed more detectives and more police to carry out the search of the forest, as well as office space in both Bowral and Sydney (a temporary incident room had already been established in the Bowral Police Station). Longer term priorities included a system of data collection, management and retrieval that ensured nothing was lost or missed; a plan to ‘manage’ the media; and ongoing local motel accommodation to handle the stronger police presence. Critically, we would also need to insulate the task force from political and media pressures, as well as from Police Headquarters itself, to ensure that we could do the job properly and were not rushed into decisions that could jeopardise the investigation.
At the back of my mind, however, was the fear that we might already be too late. The lack of progress into the murders of Joanne Walters and Caroline Clarke highlighted the problems we faced. The fact that Joanne and Caroline were from overseas meant they had few, if any, ties in Australia. The length of time between their disappearance and the discovery of their remains, the remoteness of the crime scene and the damage caused by the weather were all factors that counted against our hopes of solving the crime.
I doubt I was the only person who felt that in being put in charge of the backpacker murder investigation I had been handed a poisoned chalice.
4
TASK FORCE
The second pair of bodies belonged to the missing Victorian backpacker James Gibson, whose property had been found three and a half years earlier in Galston Gorge, and his friend Deborah Everist. It seemed inconceivable that their deaths were not linked to the murders of Joanne and Caroline. The location, the methods and violence of the killings, the way the bodies had been hidden, the fact that both sets of victims were backpackers who had been hitchhiking, and the absence of backpacks and other personal property all suggested a connection.
Bruce Pryor, a local potter who lived in the town of Bundanoon, had spent plenty of time in the nearby forests, including Belanglo, collecting firewood. He felt that the police could have spent more time in Belanglo looking for other bodies after the discovery of Caroline’s and Joanne’s remains, and had searched the forest himself on a number of occasions but found nothing.
On the morning of Tuesday, 5 October, Pryor set out for Nowra, about 70 kilometres south-east of Bundanoon, but halfway there he changed his mind, turned around and drove to Belanglo instead. He followed a number of different fire trails until he came to a small clearing near the Upper Longacre Creek fire trail, an area he had not searched before. Within minutes he spotted what he thought was a human bone. After examining it, he put it back on the ground where he had found it and continued searching. About half an hour later he saw a human skull that showed signs of violence. Pryor realised he had found another victim and another crime scene, but wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t have a phone and the police were in Bowral. Should he leave the skull or take it with him? Having decided to take it, Pryor wrapped the skull in a jumper. He was about to leave the forest when he saw a man repairing an old hut used by orienteers. Pryor borrowed a phone to report his discovery to the police at Bowral, who were quick to arrive. After showing them the skull, he took them to the spot where he had found it.
At the base of a large gum tree, partially covered in forest debris, lay the skeletal remains of a person. The bones had been scattered by animals and several were missing, but the skull and upper part of the body showed signs of multiple stabbings and fractures. Among the remains were a crucifix and two bracelets. Some partly degraded women’s clothing was found close to the body. The clothes had numerous cut and slash marks, apparently made by a sharp knife, indicating that the victim had been wearing them at the time she was murdered. Four lengths of insulation tape—two yellow and two red—were recovered nearby.
It did not take long for police to find the remains of a second body. About 20 metres from the first, near the base of a large tree, were the remains of a person lying in a foetal position against a log and covered by forest debris. There were signs of multiple stab wounds to the chest and back. The body was clothed.
While the police realised they had the remains of one female and one male, they did not have a positive identification of either. The media were already speculating: were these the bodies of James Gibson and Deborah Everist, Gabor Neugebauer and Anja Habschied, or some other missing persons?
It was an agonising time for the four families. Police phoned Peggy Gibson and Patricia Everist and warned them to prepare for the worst. It took several days before the bodies could be formally identified as those of James Gibson and Deborah Everist. The families had to endure the horror of knowing their children had been murdered and that the killer or killers were still at large, but at least they would be able to put those children to rest. The Neugebauer and Habschied families still had no idea whether their missing children were alive or dead.
Once again, forensic pathologist Peter Bradhurst and forensic odontologist Christopher Griffiths carried out preliminary examinations of the bodies before the remains were taken to the morgue at Glebe. They were assisted by the local coroner, Ian McRae.
Examination of the crime scenes took several days. About 400 metres from the bodies, investigators found a tree trunk with nine bullets embedded in it. Eight had been damaged beyond identification. The ninth was identified as a .22 calibre bullet.
On 7 October a community meeting organised by Detective Godden took place at Bowral. The discovery of two more bodies had cast a pall over the town. Around 200 people came to the meeting, together with a large number of journalists. Godden, McLennan and I gave a broad outline of progress on the Clarke and Walters investigation and a summary of recent developments. We couldn’t share many details. Our most important message was that we, the police, were there to stay. We were redoubling our efforts and were appealing for help from the community. Any scrap of information, however seemingly insignificant, could be crucial in helping us solve these murders. People at the meeting were clearly worried, and had every right to be, even though the killer or killers did not appear to be targeting locals.
With four bodies already discovered, and perhaps more still to be found, I knew our only hope of success lay with the creation of a large, well-resourced task force, and I quickly called for it to be formed.
The first recruits were Detectives Godden and McLennan, and other investigators and analysts who were already in the forest. Detective Inspector Rod Lynch, a very capable, experienced and meticulous investigator, was appointed deputy commander. I had known Rod for many years and had great respect for him. From the outset I saw him not as a deputy but as an equal par
tner.
The then State Crime Command assigned names to task forces. We were told verbally that the backpacker task force was to be called ‘Air’ and assumed the usual spelling. (Having informed the media of the task force and its name, I was startled to receive paperwork spelling it as ‘Eyre’, as in Lake Eyre in South Australia. I could picture the newspaper headlines if we tried to correct the spelling: ‘They can’t get the name of the task force right, what chance have they got of catching the killers?’ We decided to stick with ‘Air’ and not mention the error, but it didn’t remain secret for long.)
Task Force Air began with fifteen detectives and two intelligence analysts assisted by forensic investigators. Over the next three months the task force grew until it had a total of 33 detectives, eleven analysts and an administrative officer, supported by ballistics, crime scene and other forensic investigators. (See Appendix 4 for a complete list of task force members.)
There was great pressure on print, television and radio journalists to get a daily story, preferably an exclusive. We knew many of the journalists personally. Their approach was always the same: ‘What’s really going on?’, ‘What are you doing tonight—can we buy you dinner?’, ‘Can we get the first interview tonight?’ Some would speculate in the hope of getting a response. Refusal only encouraged them to try their luck with another investigator.
How to manage the media was a key question from the first days of the task force. I was convinced the media would play an important role in the investigation and that it might be vital in solving the case. At the same time, wild speculation by journalists could result in the waste of valuable time and resources, and unguarded ‘leaks’ could seriously damage both the investigation and the chances of a successful prosecution. In deciding what information to give to the media, we had to take into account the priorities and needs of the whole investigation, not just parts of it.
To make this work we had to put in place a strict media protocol. There would be no leaks or unofficial briefings to the media. There would be no ‘quiet’ drinks or meals with members of the media. All media releases would be handled by me unless otherwise authorised.
The complexity of the case, as well as the intense media interest, made a ‘single voice’ approach essential, both to ensure consistency of information and to minimise disruption to the investigation. There would be one briefing in the morning and one in the afternoon. That meant two stories a day, unless there was a breaking story that required a special briefing, or some other special circumstance. The timing of the briefings would be determined by the journalists to enable them to meet their deadlines. Each night we expected to be left alone to have dinner. If a journalist wanted to join us afterwards, he or she would be welcome, but it would be a social meeting and there would be no discussion of the investigation. Inevitably, there was some disappointment among journalists eager for scoops, but they all agreed it was a fair arrangement. Most nights we ended up at the Bowral Hotel.
Due to the remoteness of the search area, we decided to allow the media access to police facilities (including the canteen) without cost.
Once the media realised there would be no leaks, nights at the hotel became more relaxed. We knew there was a killer out there who had to be stopped, but the pressure to catch him was intense and we needed somewhere to unwind.
5
SERIAL KILLER
After the discovery of two bodies in 1992 there had been an extensive search of Belanglo State Forest. The discovery of two more bodies, just thirteen months later, was a serious embarrassment. Now the task force set about searching the forest again. The new search would be led by Detective Chief Inspector Bob May of the Tactical Support Unit; it would have to be more extensive, more thorough and more painstaking than last time. When we left the forest we had to be certain there were no more bodies waiting to be found.
Before beginning the search we had to develop a detailed plan to ensure nothing was missed. We used satellite images of the forest to identify changes in the density of vegetation between the late 1980s and 1993 that could affect vehicle access, to identify possible burial sites and to help us plot individual search areas. We estimated the search would cover about 78 kilometres of tracks and fire trails, extending up to 150 metres either side of the track (depending on the terrain)—a total of around 24 square kilometres.
The search team was increased from 40 to 300, using police seconded from several regions. The searchers would sleep at the Police Academy in Goulburn and be bussed to and from the forest command post each day.
For the period of the search the command post would be staffed around the clock. It had communications support, including radio contact with searching groups. GPS would be used to plot sites where human remains and other significant items were found. This data would then be plotted on search progression maps.
Searchers worked in teams of about 40, moving through the forest in single lines. When an item of interest was found, the whole team stopped and the team leader was informed. The finding officer’s details were recorded and the command post was contacted. Crime scene personnel, including forensic officers, would be called in. Photographs of locations and items found, together with detailed information, would be logged with the command post. In the case of major finds, such as human remains, the site would be guarded until all crime scene investigations had been completed.
Two specially trained cadaver dogs with handlers searched selected areas of the forest. Because the terrain was so rugged we had to have special ‘boots’ made to protect the dogs’ feet. Police search teams scoured some areas on their hands and knees, used metal detectors and sieved the soil.
On 1 November searchers found the skeletal remains of a fifth body, which we later identified as that of Simone Schmidl. The skull and part of the upper body were visible, despite an attempt to hide the still-clothed body under a pile of dried wood, sticks and other forest debris. Other clothing, jewellery and backpacking equipment were found nearby. A red T-shirt with the front cut open was found about 50 metres from the body. Preliminary examinations by Drs Bradhurst and Griffiths revealed multiple stab wounds to the chest and back. A length of soft wire tied in the shape of a noose, as though it had been used as a restraint, was found nearby. As with the other victims, there was no sign of Simone’s backpack. Items found by forensic investigators were bagged, labelled and taken away for further examination, while Simone’s body was taken to the Glebe morgue.
Before we could contact her, Erwinea Schmidl heard news of the discovery of her daughter’s body on the radio in Germany.
Three days later searchers found a brown leather sandal with a broken strap. About 15 metres away the skeletal remains of a human body, later identified as that of Anja Habschied, were found buried under sticks and other forest debris. Anja appeared to have been wearing a pink top at the time she was killed. The top showed signs of multiple stabbings and slashings. Her spine had been severed by a knife, but the skull was missing. Anja wore a ring on one finger. A wrist watch and wrist bands or ankle bands were found close to the body, along with a 4.5-metre length of blue and yellow rope, doubled over with tied loops at both ends.
Fifty metres from Anja’s remains, searchers found the skeletal remains of a seventh body, together with decomposed clothing, covered in debris beside a log. The skull had six bullet holes in it. A cloth had been tied over the mouth as a gag. Four fired bullets were later found in the skull and another in the upper chest. Four were identified as .22 calibre Winchester bullets; the others were too badly damaged to identify. Airline tickets in the name of Gabor Neugebauer were found in a clear plastic bag 5 metres from the remains. Seventy metres away, searchers found the remains of a Jack Wolfskin–brand money belt containing Neugebauer’s and Habschied’s International Student Cards, five American Express travellers’ cheques and some cash. A black plastic adjustable tie, a length of black insulation tape wound into two wrist-sized loops, a length of cord and a 1-metre leash with a catch at each end were disc
overed 20 metres from the money belt. The leash and cord were wrapped around the insulation tape and tie. Searchers also found several other pieces of black electrical tape.
After a preliminary forensic examination, the bodies of Anja and Gabor were taken to the Glebe morgue.
Nearly 200 metres from the site where Gabor’s body was discovered, searchers found other vital pieces of evidence: a weathered green cardboard ammunition packet with the words ‘Winchester brand, Winner model, .22 calibre cartridge’, and a partial batch number, ‘. . . CD . . . CF2’ (the first and fourth letters or numbers were illegible); a black plastic cartridge holder for 50 bullets; an ammunition packet for 50 Eley Subsonic hollow-point .22 calibre bullets, batch number ‘J23CGA’ or ‘J26CGA’; and a pair of pink jeans later identified as belonging to Anja Habschied.
Altogether, forensic investigators found 47 fired .22 calibre Winchester cartridge cases and 46 fired .22 calibre Eley cartridge cases. Fragments of six .22 calibre bullets were found in two tree trunks 30 and 50 metres away. The same calibre bullets had been used to murder Caroline Clarke.
Detective Godden made the phone calls to the Neugebauers and Habschieds in Germany and told them the news.
After the discovery of Gabor’s and Anja’s remains, we continued searching the forest for another twelve days, until I finally called a halt on 16 November.
Although Galston Gorge had been searched in April 1990 after James Gibson’s backpack and camera were found, I wanted the whole area combed after the discovery of James’s body. Between 16 and 19 November police boats and divers searched the full length of Berowra Creek from Crosslands to Galston Road, while the area from the upper Berowra Creek to the junction of Galston Creek was searched on foot. Eighty police, supported by members of the State Emergency Service, then spent three days conducting a shoulder-to-shoulder search of an area up to 100 metres on either side of the Benowie Walking Track and Galston Road, but nothing was found.
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