A new investigative crime series starring podcaster and crime journalist Adam Shand and “human lie detector” Steve Van Abairen shares new information about Melbourne’s horrific child abductions dubbed “Mr. Cruel”.
It was named by the press at the time in response to reports of an unidentified serial killer. child rapist After abducting and attacking three girls in suburban Melbourne in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Mr Crowell later became the prime suspect in the abduction and murder of 13-year-old Carmen Chan, whose body was discovered in April 1992, a year after she was abducted from her home.
The unsolved crimes, which come to a sudden halt after the discovery of Carmine’s body, form the basis for the first episode of the series, Hunterswhere we see Shand and Van Aberen examine high-profile crime cases in an attempt to “uncover them wide open.”
The episode sees Shand put forward a startling theory that Mr Crowell was in fact more than one criminal, revelations the journalist hopes will lead to the case being reopened by Victoria Police.
In this episode, he interviews a woman believed to be Mr. Crowell’s first victim, and shares new information, including new DNA evidence he has discovered.
This is the first time a victim has spoken publicly, and the interview took five years to prepare.
“I’ve been working on this issue for a long time – I’ve spoken to former members of staff who were not happy with the way it was handled. [the case] “It’s been dealt with,” Shand said. Sunday times.
“Through this process, I was able to obtain some key documents with which I began my research.
“Then, luckily, one of my mutual friends was friends with one of the victims, and I was able to talk to her.”
Hunters It is the first television programme to uncover DNA evidence proving at least two perpetrators in Mr. Crowell’s cases.
In addition to an interview with one of the victims, the film also includes former police investigators speaking publicly, some of whom are willing to support the multiple-criminal theory.
“We suddenly went from looking at incoming information — maybe new information — to saying the answers to this case might be in the files,” Shand said.
“The databases back then were incredibly small, now they are incredibly large – with the addition of genealogy development.
People are now checking the box that says [their information] “It can be used for law enforcement.”
Could the answer to one of Australia’s most notorious cold cases be hiding right in front of our eyes?
“It relies on an adventurous investigator taking the evidence and moving forward… so it’s not without hope,” Shand says of his new findings, adding that he hopes “police will go back to the files, go back to the investigators, go back to the victims” and keep digging.
“Because I think there are some criminals who can be brought to justice,” he explained.
“I think this can be a good example for the state police force to never give up.”
Shand, who has decades of experience as a crime journalist, says he enjoyed working with Van Abbeyren, a retired detective who has worked on 87 homicide cases and two serial killing investigations.
Van Abern, author of the book The Truth About LiesHe has trained with the FBI, LAPD, and US Secret Service, and is a renowned expert in behavioral interviewing, reading body language, and detecting deception, hence his nickname.
“He was great, and had a really great head,” Shand explains.
“He’s a very smart guy, a great investigator, and he’s taken my usual binary approach to heart.”
Shand says he hopes what the team has discovered will spark renewed interest in solving gruesome crimes.
“We owe it to the community and the police, but most importantly to the victims who were frozen in time, victims of a cruel master, while in reality this individual did not exist,” he says.
“It’s an end to the case. Not only for the victims but also for the families of the victims and the investigators who have been working 18-hour days and are heartbroken that there has been no resolution.
“This has had a ripple effect on many people, and now it is time to review this, look at it and take further action.”
The Hunters: Mr Cruel premieres at 7.30pm on Monday on Channel 7 and 7plus.
This article originally appeared on Perth Now Reproduced with permission.
