Casefile True Crime - Case 25: Prue Bird

Episode Date: July 16, 2016

“If any bastard ever thought about going to the cops about us, they’ll be killed and so will their fucking families. And if we don’t get them, our mates will. It would be a shame if anything happened to your sweet little Prue, wouldn’t it”. Those words were allegedly said by one of the men convicted for the Russell Street Bombing that we covered the last episode. The person he said those words to? Paul Hetzel… For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-25-prue-bird

Have you ever tried BBQ on BBQ? Picture this. Freshly prepared crispy seasoned chicken that's tossed in a smoky barbecue glaze and topped with a creamy barbecue sauce. Can't picture it? Well you can try it now at Tim's. Get our new BBQ crispy chicken loaded bowls and wraps for a limited time. If any bastard ever thought about going to the cops about us, they'll be killed. And so will their fucking families. And if we don't get them, our mates will. It would be a shame if anything happened to your sweet little pru, wouldn't it? Those words were allegedly said by one of the men convicted for the Russell Street bombing. The person he said those words to? Paul Hetzel. Hetzel was the man arrested, turned crown witness and whose evidence was instrumental in the conviction of the Russell Street bombers. Pru Birds case is related to the Russell Street case. So if you haven't yet listened to those two episodes, I suggest you do so before listening to this one.

Although it's a totally separate investigation, it's kind of a Russell Street part three. Pru Bird was 13 years old and the oldest of three children. She lived with her mother Jenny Bird on Justin Avenue in Glenroy, Victoria. Glenroy is just outside of the Melbourne City area, about 13 kilometres, 8 miles. Pru's father died when she was only one and her mother Jenny remarried and had two other children to her new husband, Benny Bird. Benny adopted Pru and became a father figure to her. Jenny eventually separated from Benny and she was now in a relationship with a woman, Isabelle. Pru hated the fact that Jenny and Benny had split up and Isabelle had moved in. It was causing friction in the household. Pru resented Isabelle. In the summer of 1992, Pru and her friend Sarah, which isn't her real name, were at Pru's house. A man knocked on the door who Pru didn't recognise. The man said, is that Daniel's car?

Pru had no idea who Daniel was or what this man was talking about. She replied, no. The man said, are you sure? Pru didn't know what was going on. She said yes and then slammed the door in his face. Sarah didn't go to the door so she didn't see the man, but Pru was really shaken up and had turned pale because she said the man was really weird. Sarah left Pru's house a few hours later. As she was walking down Pru's street, a man drove past her in a blue car and waved. Sarah didn't recognise him or the car so she kept walking. The man turned the car around and started driving slowly at walking pace next to Sarah. He was smiling and waving and didn't take his eyes off her. Sarah was freaked out and started running. She ran to a nearby friend's house. The man in the blue car took off. Sarah called Pru and asked her to describe the man who had earlier knocked on her door asking about Daniel's car. Between them they worked out that the man who knocked on the door and the man who stalked Sarah in the car were the same person.

Not long after that incident, on the 2nd of February 1992, Jenny Byrd, Pru's mum, left the house early in the morning. Pru was still asleep and what she didn't know was that Jenny had arranged for Isabel to move out that day, not to end their relationship, but just to make things less intrusive for Pru. Jenny returned home about 1pm. Pru was actually still in better sleep. Isabel was waiting for friends to turn up to help her move. In the meantime, Jenny asked if she could drive her down to the local pool so she could go for a swim on what was a very hot summer's day. Isabel agreed and she was gone for only about 20 minutes. When she arrived home, her two friends had arrived to help her move. While they were having a cup of coffee before they got to work, Pru woke up and walked out of her room. She said hello to Isabel and her friends, emptied a tin of cream corn onto a plate, put it in the microwave and then walked back to her room. About 1.45pm the phone rang. Isabel answered. It was a teenage boy asking for Pru.

Pru did take the call but Isabel didn't hear the conversation because she walked out and started lighting up the trailer for her move. 30 minutes later the phone rang again. Isabel was still busy out in the garage. She assumes Pru answered the call although she isn't sure. About 2.30pm, 15 minutes after that second phone call, Isabel had finished packing the trailer and her friends left the house driving off with the stuff. Isabel had a few things to finish up inside. As she made her way inside she noticed the front door was wide open, the television was on, the plate of cream corn was sitting on the coffee table in the lounge room untouched and Pru was gone. Jenny Bird arrived home sometime after 6pm that night. She saw the cream corn on the coffee table that was still untouched. There was no sign of Pru at all. If Pru was going somewhere she would always leave a note. But there wasn't one. Still Jenny assumed Pru would be at a friends house or with a relative and she started calling around but no one had seen or heard from her. By 9.30pm Jenny was in a panic and she called the police. The first time she called she was told teenagers go missing all the time and usually turn up soon after. That was all the help she got. The only thing missing was Pru's school bag and a pair of pants. Pru's school books had been emptied out of her bag and were still at home. The rest of Pru's clothes and belongings were left untouched. No money had been taken.

And the cream corn was the most alarming thing. Pru never went anywhere before she ate. Jenny didn't believe for a second that Pru had run away. She called the police again. After this second call police turned up and took a report. Jenny Byrd was the eldest of four children and grew up in a flat in West Brunswick, Victoria. A suburb just outside of the Melbourne city area. Her mother Julie had a very bad temper and was capable of extreme violence. There were a lot of fights between Julie and Jenny's father Jim and that in turn would be taken out on the kids. The household generally wasn't a very pleasant place to live. Jenny planned to move out as soon as she could. She was gone when she was 17. She moved in with her boyfriend Terry, Pru's father. But Terry was tragically killed in a car accident. Later Jenny met and married Benny Byrd whom she had two other children with and Benny also adopted Pru. It was around this time that Julie split up with Jenny's father Jim. Julie hooked up with another man who was soon sent to jail for a shooting. Julie was attracted to violent men and she didn't let the prison sentence stop her from seeing her new boyfriend.

But it was while visiting him in jail that Julie met and fell in love with another inmate, Paul Hetzel. Julie became infatuated with Paul who was serving a 22 year jail sentence for armed robbery and the attempted murder of a police officer. You will recall from the Russell Street episodes that it was while serving Miss Jail term that Paul also became best friends with Stan Taylor. One of the men convicted of the Russell Street bombing. Paul Hetzel was released from jail in 1981 and Julie was waiting for him. The two were madly in love and got married soon after. Paul and Julie Hetzel. Jenny Byrd was now Paul's stepdaughter. Her daughter Pru Byrd was now Paul's step-granddaughter. Julie wasn't the only person waiting for Paul Hetzel when he was released from jail. His good mate Stan Taylor who got released before Paul was also waiting. And it wasn't long before Paul was a part of Stan's crew committing a string of violent armed robberies starting with smaller country hotels before progressing up to banks around Melbourne.

The robberies were vicious, a number of people were badly beaten, smashed over the head with guns and kicked while they were on the floor. Their aim was to instill as much fear into people as possible so they would do whatever they wanted. The other people in Stan's crew you will remember were Craig Minogue, his brother Rodney Minogue and Peter Reed. The other men arrested for the Russell Street bombing. Jenny Byrd obviously knew her stepfather Paul Hetzel had a criminal past. Her mother had met him in jail. And she never really liked him. She says she was actually scared of him. Pru on the other hand absolutely loved Julie and Paul, grandma and grandpa. She always wanted to visit and would spend weeks at a time with them. Jenny was comfortable with this, she felt it was important that Pru had a healthy relationship with her grandparents and thought she would be safe with them. Of course that meant Pru was in regular contact with Paul's close mates, Stan Taylor, Craig and Rodney Minogue and Peter Reed. They met Pru countless times. She was always visiting. Paul never saw a problem with this, he believed in the criminal code. No matter what, you never hurt women or children. This code is what Paul believed would keep Pru safe.

Paul says Stan Taylor had been talking about blowing up Russell Street since he was in jail. Paul believed it was just Stan talking shit, jailhouse tough talk. A criminal who hates cops, nothing shocking about that. Paul said he was always of the belief that Stan would never go through with it. On Thursday the 27th of March 1986, when the bomb went off in Russell Street, Paul and Julie heard the news over the radio. They looked at each other and knew straight away who was involved. The day after the bombing, Stan Taylor bragged to Paul, telling him all about it, fully implicating himself. At least that's Paul Hetzel's story. Paul was a violent career criminal who was described as very cunning. He knew the system, knew exactly how to play it and was only ever interested in looking out for himself. There are those that believe Paul had a far greater role in the bombing than what he makes out. To the point where some police who were guarding him while he was under witness protection had a tough time, as they felt he was just as responsible as the men who were charged with the bombing. Remember too, he had already served a lengthy sentence for armed robbery and for the attempted murder of a police officer. And after the bombing, Paul and Julie Hetzel were actually living with Stan Taylor at Berchit. That's the small country town outside of Melbourne, where Craig and Rodney Minogue were also living. The night before Stan and the Minogue brothers were arrested the 29th of May 1986, is the night that Paul and Julie Hetzel, say Craig Minogue, made that chilling threat about their granddaughter, Prude.

If any bastard ever thought about going to the cops about us, they'll be killed. And so will their fucking families. And if we don't get them, our mates will. It would be a shame if anything happened to your sweet little Prude, wouldn't it? Prude was asleep in the next room when this threat was made. Now Craig Minogue strongly denies ever making this threat and claims that Hetzel's made it up. The next day, Stan Taylor and the Minogue brothers were arrested for the Russell Street bombing. Paul and Julie Hetzel were also arrested, although Julie was released soon after without charge. The police had enough evidence on Paul Hetzel to implicate him in the string of armed robberies the group had committed. And they also suspected he may have had some involvement in Russell Street as well. For Paul, it was very simple. Shut up and say nothing and get charged with the bombing and the murder of Constable Angela Taylor, or tell the police what he knew. Paul was well aware he would never see the light of day again if he was convicted for Russell Street. So Paul decided to talk. He told the police everything. His evidence was described as the jewel in the prosecution's case. He denied any direct involvement in the bombing himself. And the police say they couldn't prove otherwise. If they could actually put him at the scene or prove he was directly involved, he would have been charged as well.

But they couldn't prove it. Needless to say, Paul's cooperation made Stan Taylor and Craig Minogue very, very angry. They were convicted in 1988 and both received life sentences. Rodney Minogue was acquitted for being an accessory, but still served some time for the armed robberies. Peter Ried was found not guilty of Russell Street, but served nine years for the armed robberies and he shoot out with police when he was arrested. Paul and Julie were put into witness protection. They had to change their names and cut themselves off from everybody, unable to let anyone know where they were. Jenny Bird was also told to change her name and move to a safe house. Jenny lived under a clout, fearful for her and her children's safety. And it was four years after the conviction of the Russell Street bombers on the 2nd of February 1992, when those fears became a reality. Pru was missing. Jenny Bird was frustrated with police efforts to investigate Pru's disappearance, or their lack of effort.

Jenny knew Pru hadn't run away. Her family knew that she hadn't run away. But the police initially insisted that was most likely the case. It wasn't until many weeks later they started to take a bit more interest when they realized the significance of who Pru was, or who her grandparents were. At the time of Pru's disappearance, Paul and Julie Hetzel were living on the other side of the country, in Western Australia. When Jenny rang them to tell the news, she says Paul Hetzel was strangely aggressive, rather than sympathetic. His words were, what the hell do you expect us to do all the way over here? Given how much they said they loved and adored Pru, Jenny assumed they both would have been on a plane that night to get to Melbourne. But they weren't. It took them a week to make that trip, and when they did arrive, there were no tears, no sympathy. Jenny says Paul was acting extremely odd. His first words to her when he arrived were, what the fuck are you crying for?

Another pretty disturbing comment he made to the panic-stricken Jenny, whose 13-year-old daughter had been missing for over a week, was, she's probably out getting the ass fucked off her. Of course, that's what Jenny alleges Paul said, and Paul denies it. So make of it what you will. Paul and Julie insisted that Pru had just run away. Jenny was taken aback by their behaviour and lack of concern. When the runaway theory didn't quite add up, Paul and Julie started to try and shift the blame onto Isabelle, Jenny's partner, insisting she must be somehow involved. The police did thoroughly investigate Isabelle out of necessity. She was the last person to see Pru, but she was cleared. There is no way she had anything to do with it. Years later, Jenny and Paul said that they insisted on these alternate theories because it was easier to believe than their revenge theory. If it was revenge for Paul giving evidence, then that would mean they were responsible, and if they didn't want that on their conscience. After seven weeks, the case made its way onto the desk of Officer Chris Jones from the missing persons unit. The giant elephant in the room could no longer be ignored.

The Hetzels were crown witnesses under witness protection. The people Paul Hetzel testified against had allegedly made a threat that Pru would be harmed if they ever spoke to the police. Six years after that threat was made, and four years after their conviction, Pru was now missing. Chris Jones tried to get the Homicide Squad to take over the investigation, stating that the missing persons unit simply didn't have the resources required to thoroughly investigate. That request was denied. The head of the Homicide Squad telling Chris to keep looking at it and to let him know if he found anything. Chris never did find anything. Weeks turned into months, which turned into years. The case went totally cold, despite what seemed to be an obvious connection to Russell Street. Pru's case remained with the missing persons unit, just another name amongst the thousands of other missing people. Jenny tried to do her own investigating. She put up posters, talked to people in the street, tried to get media coverage of the case. But little was achieved until 2008. 16 years after Pru's disappearance. Jenny Byrd managed to convince the government to offer a $500,000 reward for any information that could help solve Pru's case.

It was after this reward was offered that the name Leslie Camilleri popped up. Camilleri was in jail, serving a life sentence without the possibility for parole. He had been convicted for committing the murders of 14-year-old Lauren Barry and 16-year-old Nicole Collins. Another well-known Australian case, otherwise known as the Bigger Schoolgirl Murders, which happened in 1997. Five years after Pru's disappearance. When Pru's case and the new reward started making headlines again in 2008, Camilleri confessed to the murder, freely admitting to police that he was the one who killed Pru Byrd. His version was that he approached Pru in the street because he believed Pru's father had sexually abused him when he was younger. Pru refused to tell him anything about her father, so he placed his hands around her neck until she was unconscious. He then hugged tied her and put her in his car, planning to ask her further questions about her father. But it was some time after that Camilleri realized Pru was dead.

Camilleri was already never getting out of prison, and he wouldn't be the first person to admit to a murder he didn't commit. So police needed more than just his word for it. His story really wasn't adding up either. Pru's schoolbag had been emptied and was missing from the house, along with a pair of pants. And she left a plate of cream corn untouched on the table, something she would never do. She always ate before she left the house. Why would she empty her schoolbag, take a pair of pants, to just walk along the street? Where she just so happened to cross paths with Camilleri, who started asking her questions about her father who allegedly abused him when he was younger. No one believed Camilleri's version. It just didn't make sense. But that didn't mean he wasn't responsible. He was in jail for the violent murder of two girls around Pru's age. He was certainly capable. But his version seemed to be very self-serving, taking the blame, but trying to minimize it by saying it was just an accident, and he didn't mean to kill her.

He just wanted to ask her further questions, and she died on him. After a thorough investigation, police believed he was actually involved, but he was coming up with a bullshit story to take the full rap, so nobody else would be implicated. The police strongly believed Camilleri didn't act alone. Pru's friend Sarah became a crucial witness. She says Camilleri was the man who followed her in the car that day she left Pru's house. The same man who knocked on Pru's door asking about Daniel's car. Although it was many years later that she made this identification by seeing Camilleri's picture in the paper. Another witness came forward which confirmed the belief that Camilleri wasn't acting alone. One of Pru's neighbours, Sam, not her real name.

She came forward saying, the day Pru disappeared, she saw two cars parked near Pru's house. One of the cars was blue and similar in description to the car that followed Sarah during the incident before Pru's disappearance. Two men were standing outside the blue car smoking, and a third man was sitting in the second car watching. Later that day, Sam says she saw Pru in the back seat of the blue car. Pru was banging on the back window. Sam thought she was waving at first, but clearly she wasn't. Sam kept that information to herself for 16 years. The reason she says she never came forward was because she had no self-confidence. And she did eventually decide to come forward because she says she felt Pru's presence, and Pru was telling her to do something.

Camilleri wasn't from Victoria, he was from Yass, a country town in New South Wales. But he had a very close friend who he regularly visited in Victoria, Mark McConville. A well-connected, violent drug dealer, who just so happened to have links to the Russell Street bombing crew as well. He also owned a small blue car at the time of Pru's disappearance. So this is how it all ties together. It is alleged that Pru was abducted in a planned kidnapping as payback against Paul and Julie Hetzel for testifying in the Russell Street case. The bombers making good on their threat to harm Pru. Mark McConville, the violent associate of the bombers, and his good friend, child murderer Leslie Camilleri, were used to carry out the kidnapping and murder of Pru.

In another twist, Jenny Bird claims she saw Rodney Minogue in her street only a week before Pru disappeared. Not only that, she says some family members of Pru's boyfriend at the time were later discovered to be close friends with Craig and Rodney Minogue. Again, that's all alleged. It is denied by the Minogue brothers. There was a witness, Laura, not her real name, who says she was actually with McConville and Camilleri on one occasion when they drove to Glenroy looking for Pru. During the drive, Camilleri and McConville mentioned they were looking for a girl that had to be bumped, and if they didn't get rid of her, they were fucked. Laura also says that she saw Pru at McConville's house tied up and asking for her mum. The day she disappeared. Now, all of that is alleged. It can't be proven. And for that reason, it was never pressed by the prosecution in court. There is a difference between knowing something or believing something happened and being able to prove it to the required standard in a courtroom.

There are a lot of probables and possibles and maybes surrounding Pru's case. Unfortunately, the full truth will most likely never be known. Mark McConville died in jail in 2003. He was there for an unrelated charge. So he was dead before his name was ever linked to Pru's case. Stan Taylor and Craig Minogue both strongly deny ever making a threat against Pru and obviously deny having anything to do with her death. Camilleri is sticking to his story, insisting he acted alone. An accident. He just wanted to question Pru about her father's whereabouts. The judge said he didn't believe his story and instructed Camilleri that it might be time to exercise his conscience. But he never did. To this day, Camilleri has never even said where he left Pru's body. He has given a couple of different stories. One that he placed her inside a fridge at Frankston Tip and another that he buried her in Bushland. Searches of those areas revealed no trace of Pru.

Jenny Bird read a victim impact statement at the sentencing hearing pleading with Camilleri to tell her where Pru's body was so she could be given a proper burial. But he refused. Camilleri was sentenced to 28 years in jail for Pru Bird's murder, which of course is totally irrelevant because he was already serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. During sentencing, the judge conceded many of the facts of the case were unclear, as Camilleri's version was unreliable. However, the judge was satisfied. Camilleri abducted and murdered Pru with the help of two other men. Camilleri is unreliable. Stan Taylor has a terminal illness and a severe hatred of authority. Mark McConville is dead. Craig Minogue is due for parole in a couple of months and strongly denies any involvement in Pru Bird's case. Rodney Minogue was questioned but there was no evidence on him and he also strongly denies any involvement.

But Paul Hetzel has no doubt his cooperation with police was the cause of Pru's death, although there is not enough evidence to prove it in court. To this day the case remains open and efforts are ongoing to try and locate Pru's body. Pru Bird's murder, which of course is totally irrelevant because he was already serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.