Casefile True Crime - Case 70: The Kimberley Killer

Episode Date: December 9, 2017

In June 1987,  the bodies of Phillip Walkemeyer, Julie Warren and Terry Bolt were found shot dead at a campsite at the Pentecost River Crossing in Western Australia’s Kimberley Region. Their burnt-out vehicle was found nearby. Similarities were drawn to the double homicide of father and son, Marcus and Lance Bullen, that occurred days earlier at a remote river hundreds of kilometres away in the Northern Territory. --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched and written by Gemma Harris For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-70-kimberley-murders

Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. The top end is the region of the Northern Territory which encompasses the central top section of Australia. The ancient rugged terrain spans over 400,000 square kilometres and is known for its jutting rock shells which often poke out of dense rainforests.

Tabletop mountain ranges are worn almost flat by millions of years of erosion. Main rivers like the Catherine and the Victoria have a great number of other rivers and creeks flowing into them, especially in the wet season. The swollen waterways make perfect pathways for crocodiles to make their way across the region. The top end is home to both the Kakadu and the Nipmaluk National Parks. The varying landscape draws many tourists and locals to road trip across the region, experiencing all the different terrains along the way.

Many stop off to camp and fish at remote camping grounds along the rivers and highways. Great gorges and ice cold fresh waterholes flowing to vast river systems that fork across the top end and further west into the Kimberley region. This is in stark contrast to the arid dry red desert of the southern part of the Northern Territory known as the Red Centre. If you travel west from the top end and cross over the border into western Australia on the one and only road that you can travel, you instantly hit the Kimberley region. The Kimberley is the northernmost region of western Australia, covering Australia's entire

northwestern corner with prehistoric mountain ranges, steep ridges and gorges of sandstone and limestone. Covering an area of 423,000 square kilometres, the Kimberley is three times larger than England. There is so much steep land that the Kimberley is extremely challenging to traverse, especially during the wet season when even sealed roads are often flooded. Significant sections of the coastline have no road access, with boat or helicopter the only means of transportation to these isolated locations. The two main roads in the Kimberley are the sealed Great Northern Highway and the unsealed

Gibb River Road. The remoteness of the area means only three towns of populations in excess of 2,000 people. The region's major gateway, Broom, on the west coast, has just over 12,000. Another of the region's bigger towns is Kananara, which is just near the central border of the Northern Territory. Its population is about four and a half thousand people. As far back as 1987, annual tourist income in the Kimberley was estimated at five million dollars, with around 100,000 visitors per year.

That's a popular drawcard for people who want to get off the beaten track and experience the rugged dramatic landscape of the Australian Outback. In contrast to the steep terrain in the north, the southern end of the Kimberley is flatter with a dry tropical grassland. It's home to over 30 large cattle stations. Camping, fishing, swimming, bushwalking, scenic flights, charter boat tours, four-wheel driving, and indigenous history experiences are all popular activities for tourists and locals in the Kimberley.

As the Kimberley is one of the most remote areas in Australia, tourists are advised not to leave the main roads and to avoid driving at dawn or during the night, mainly because of the dangers of wildlife and the road trains which dominate the night hours. You must ensure you are adequately prepared with several days of water, food and fuel. Off-road travel is only recommended with an experienced guide, and there is no mobile phone reception, only satellite. Across the top end and the Kimberley regions, outside the comfort of the cities and main towns, tourists and locals search for the undiscovered, the secret spot where they can

be alone with their thoughts, light filtering through the trees, the only sounds, the crunching of leaves and rocks underfoot, or the trickling of water as it flows by. But whether deep in the bush, on a desert plain, or alone on the banks of a remote river, it's easy to leave yourself vulnerable. In order hazards, you may not even realise. In early June 1987, 70-year-old Marcus Bullam, the former Deputy Mayor of Fremantle in Western Australia, was enjoying a family holiday in the Northern Territory's top end. He was with his wife Winifred, 42-year-old son Lance, and Lance's wife Joan.

They were on the last leg of their camping trip, gradually making the 3,500km drive back to Perth from the top end. Travelling in their station wagon on the Victoria Highway between Catherine and Timber Creek, they drove at a relaxed pace, stopping along the way to camp, fish, and enjoy the picturesque surroundings before they had to return to the hustle and bustle of the city. Approximately 500km southwest of Darwin, the Bullam family stopped to camp for the night at the Wayside Inn and Caravan Park, in the small town of Timber Creek. The Wayside Inn was a well-known pit stop on the Victoria Highway, a small general store,

with a front veranda sheltering a petrol bowser from the searing Northern Territory heat. There was basic accommodation, and a caravan park out the back. There was a good chance to stay the night somewhere with some mod colons like a real toilet, before setting off camping again in more remote areas. The next day, the Bullam's plan to head southwest along the Victoria Highway towards the Kimberley region in Western Australia. Timber Creek was a must-stop for the Bullens. That part of the Victoria River was a fisherman's paradise, and famous for its barramundi.

Marcus and Lance planned to get some quality fishing in before they left the area. The Victoria River is 560km long, and runs from the Judebrough Gregory National Park to meet the Timor Sea. While it creates a stunning vista, the Victoria River has a large saltwater crocodile population, which makes it a dangerous place for those unfamiliar with the area. Crocodiles are common throughout the Top End, Catherine, and Kimberley regions. After camping the night at the wayside inn, Marcus and Lance went for a drive the next morning, June 9th, to find the perfect fishing spot, and a place along the Victoria River

where they could set up camp that night. They left Winifred and Joan behind at the inn, reassuring them they'd be back in an hour or so. Marcus and Lance drove around for a while. As they passed the Timber Creek Airport, about 9km west of the inn, there was a stretch of the Victoria Highway where the road hugged the river, giving them a view of the deep waterway and dense scrub built up on its banks. Just as the road began to divert away from the river, a track appeared which had been

made by other vehicles. They turned to the right and followed the track through the light scrub. As the trees grew more dense, a clearing suddenly appeared where they could park their car close to the river. The location was a known fishing spot. The tracks had been made by campers and fishermen before them. It looked perfect to Marcus and Lance. They got out of their car to take a closer look around.

The spot was cool. The hot sun was being filtered through the thick trees around them. The unspoiled scenery and silence made them feel like they were the only two people around for miles. But they weren't alone. They were being hunted. As the hours ticked by and there was no sign of Marcus or Lance, Winifred and Joan became worried.

All sorts of things ran through their minds. Had their husbands found a great fishing spot and lost track of time? Had they gotten lost? Did the car break down? Which way did they even go? Did they have an argument and one drive off without the other? Were one or both of them injured and unable to go for help? Had they been taken by crocodiles?

They only had one vehicle between the four of them and Lance and Marcus had it so the women couldn't go for a drive to search for them. As the morning turned into afternoon, Winifred and Joan contacted the Northern Territory Police at Timber Creek Station to report their husband's missing. Constable First Class Martin Plum and Constable Brett Thorpe were the two officers stationed at Timber Creek. After taking the missing persons report, they started searching the more well-known fishing spots in the area.

But they found no trace of Marcus or Lance Bullen. The officers had a difficult task. The Judebro Gregory National Park is enormous. It's the same size as the greatest Sydney area, 13,000 square kilometres. Marcus and Lance could have been anywhere. With no sign of them, the search was called off when darkness fell. Earlier that morning, when Marcus and Lance got out of their car at what they thought would be the ideal fishing spot along the Victoria River, there was someone watching them.

The tranquility of their surroundings was shattered within seconds when they were ambushed by a man brandishing a .223 rifle who warded them to lie face down next to their vehicle. Shocked and confused, Marcus and Lance obeyed the stranger. Before they could work out who the man was or which direction he'd come from, he shot them in the back in quick succession, killing both instantly. The killer stripped them both naked and dragged them by their feet to the high watermark in the riverbed, where he dug two shallow graves on the sandy bank and pushed them in. After burying their bodies, the killer threw the Bullen's clothes and belongings into

their station wagon. He drove their vehicle away from the river into nearby bush that was more sheltered from view. He removed the number plates and set it alight. The killer then fled in his vehicle, disappearing in a trail of dust. The owner of the wayside inn in Caravan Park, Helen Anderson, heard the news about Marcus and Lance going missing that day, and she thought back to a call she had received recently, asking her to keep a lookout for a stolen white Toyota 4Runner.

Only hours after they went missing, Helen saw a man in a white 4Runner at the Caravan Park at about 5pm. The vehicle matched the one that was stolen, except for the plates. The vehicle Helen saw at the Caravan Park had Queensland number plates. She knew how easy it was to swap plates though, so she passed the information on to police that night. The following morning, on June 10th, the police search resumed. Constable's Plarmand Thorpe continued searching known fishing spots.

Police took them out past the airport, and down the dirt track the Bullen men had driven the day before. As they continued up the track, they saw the Bullen's burnt out station wagon. Down near the edge of the river, they came across the shallow graves of Marcus and Lance. They sealed off the area, declared it a major crime scene, and then contacted Darwin for assistance. Even Darwin is 600km away from the remote town of Timber Creek. Assistance had to be flown in.

At 1.15pm that afternoon, a team of investigators and a forensic pathologist departed Darwin in a Northern Territory police aircraft. Local officers Plarmand Thorpe had to break the news to a devastated and disbelieving Winifred and Joan, whose worlds had now been turned completely upside down. Only 24 hours ago, they'd been creating memories on a lovely family holiday. They'd said goodbye to their husbands, who they expected to return with the location of their next campsite. Instead, they were viciously murdered.

After the team from Darwin arrived and a cursory examination of the crime scene was undertaken, it became clear that a proper examination and a full line search would have to be postponed until the next morning, as night was approaching. Officers canvassed the wayside inn in Caravan Park, as well as local stores and businesses, looking for any information on who could be responsible. Time was of the essence to locate the killer, who by now, could be anywhere. The task of apprehending the person responsible was overwhelming, given the sheer size of the area.

As morning broke on June 11, a routine crime scene investigation began. A full line search was conducted, where police noted the presence of tire impressions and boot print impressions that didn't belong to the bullens. A spent cartridge case from a .223 rifle was recovered adjacent to drag marks on the river bank. This led police to believe that it had fallen out of the killer's pocket as he was dragging the bodies. They noted small blood stains on each side of the tire tracks that the bullens vehicle

had made. The drag marks started from two large blood stains on the ground, next to where the bullens vehicle was originally parked, before the killer moved it. Blood group testing proved one stain was from Marcus and the other was from Lance, confirming that spot was where they were shot. The examination of the scene continued into the next day, and didn't finish until the following evening. Between the forensic analysis and the autopsy, it was revealed that both men were shot lying

face down next to their station wagon. The bullets passed through their bodies and embedded in the ground beneath them. Northern Territory Police set up roadblocks and issued bulletins for people to be aware of suspicious vehicles in the area. Tourist information centres issued advisories to travel only during the day, and in convoy if possible. While this information would have reached people fairly quickly via local media, caravan parks, petrol stations and pubs, police had no way of contacting people who were already off the

road. There could have been hundreds of people out there, off the beaten track, in remote areas, with no way of knowing a murderer was on the loose. Much of the area was so remote that there was no radio contact at all. Police checked to see if anyone had a grievance against Marcus Bullen back home, given his local prominence as former deputy mayor of Fremantle. While this was a plausible theory, they failed to come up with any leads. Without any further information, it was just a guessing game.

No one knew who was responsible, whether it was more than one person, or if it was going to happen again. In the western Australian Kimberley region, approximately 37km from the Northern Territory border is the town of Kananara. It has located 226km west of Timber Creek, where the Bullens were murdered. If you're driving across the top end from Timber Creek through the Kimberley region across the Broome, there is only one route. That route is along the Victoria Highway, which takes you through Kananara.

It's most well known as the location shoot for Baz Lerman's 2008 film Australia, starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. 25-year-old Julie Warren, her 26-year-old fiance, Philip Walkamire, and their 36-year-old friend Terry Bolt, were well known Kananara locals. Julie worked the check out at the local supermarket, and she and Philip were due to be married in a few weeks. To celebrate their engagement, they booked a keg of beer at the local pub for the following Saturday night.

Philip Walkamire was president of the Kananara Squash Club. He was a member of a runners club, and he and Terry Bolt were workmates at the local airstrip for the Department of Aviation. Philip, Julie, and Terry were all well liked around town. On June 13th, 1987, the day the crime scene investigation was finishing up in Timber Creek and four days after the murders, Julie, her fiance Philip, and their friend Terry left Kananara in Philip's car. They were heading off on a camping and fishing trip with a couple of other friends to unwind

and relax before focusing on their upcoming wedding preparations. 110km southwest of Kananara, and around 350km from Timber Creek, the group stopped at a picnic area at the Pentecost River Crossing. The picnic area is about 3km away from the actual crossing itself on Gibb River Road. The crossing is a popular four wheel drive tourist activity, however extreme caution is advised. The crossing is wide and can be almost impossible to pass in the wetter months, but in the drier period it can be pleasant, and there is good access to camping and fishing spots

where you can escape and get away from it all. But like the Victoria River, the Pentecost is also home to a large saltwater crocodile population, so you need to be careful. Julie, Philip, and Terry set up camp at the picnic area, and they were soon joined by their two other friends, David McKenzie and Daniel Rowe, who drove in a separate car. The group fished into the night, going to bed around midnight. They ate breakfast together the next morning, June 14th, before their two friends David McKenzie and Daniel Rowe left and returned to Kananara.

Julie, Philip, and Terry continued fishing at the same spot, where they were sighted by two other campers who were also fishing, about 50 metres away. The two other campers left the picnic area just before lunchtime. They noticed Philip and Terry sitting on folding chairs, drinking and chatting, whilst Julie was packing their bed rolls and getting things organised. Philip's aluminium dinghy with outboard motor was moored to the riverbank. The two other campers also noticed a white Toyota forerunner parked nearby, in a dry creek bed.

There was no one with it though. When the two other campers drove off, it was just Julie, Philip, and Terry alone at the campsite. Or so they thought. Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched. Not too far away, a man dressed in camouflage gear was staking out their campsite from higher ground. The man was watching as David McKenzie and Daniel Rowe left the campsite after breakfast,

and he was watching when the other two campers left just before lunchtime, leaving Julie, Philip, and Terry alone at the campsite. Suddenly the man burst forward, running towards the trio. Before they realised what was happening, Julie was shot once in the back with a .223 rifle. Terry and Philip scrambled to escape the gunfire, but Terry was shot in the head, back, and shoulder. Philip sustained multiple gunshot wounds through his ear and chest. There was a lightning fast, ruthless attack.

As with the Bullens five days previously, the killer stripped the trio naked. This time he rolled their bodies into the river, perhaps in the hope they would be eaten by crocodiles. The killer then placed their clothes and belongings into Philip's car, drove it on a track and into a gully back towards the main road, and set it alight. Shortly before 4pm, truck driver Fred Pierce Young was approaching the top of the Pentecost Ranges in the road train he was driving from Mount Barnett to Wyndham. He noticed black smoke near the Pentecost River crossing picnic area, which he thought

must have been from a campsite. But given the accurate nature of the smoke, Fred couldn't quite make out what exactly was causing the fire. As he passed the track entrance to the picnic area, he noticed a white Toyota forerunner leaving in his rearview mirror. Fred slowed and moved over to let the forerunner pass him, and he saw it had Queensland number plates. He couldn't really make out the driver, only describing him as a small man.

Fred thought the larger amount of camping equipment in the rear compartment of the forerunner was unusual, but he didn't think too much more of it, as it disappeared into the distance. When Philip and Terry failed to show up for work the following day, June 15th, David Mackenzie called round to their houses. David had been camping with them, but left straight after breakfast. He couldn't raise anyone, and when he found out Julie had also failed to show up for work, his immediate thought was that they were stranded at the campsite. Maybe their car had broken down.

David drove out to the campsite with another colleague. As they drove to the spot David had last seen the group, they saw Philip's dinghy on the opposite side of the riverbank. They then discovered Philip's burnt-out station wagon, but there was no sign of anyone. David contacted the police. This time it was the Western Australian police who responded. They conducted a search of the campsite, and noticed that the upward motor for Philip's dinghy was in the back of his car.

But when David left the campsite the day before, it was still attached to the dinghy. Police also noticed small spots of blood on the ground, boot prints, and five spanked cartridge cases that appeared to be from a .223 rifle. The forensic evidence was eerily similar to the horrific scene that greeted Northern Territory Police only five days earlier at the Victoria River. The search continued, and around 4.15pm, Julie Warren's body was found floating face-down in the river, 500 metres east of the campsite. A crime scene was established, and local police called for further assistance.

That assistance came from Perth, 3,000 kilometres away. Northern Australian police immediately set up roadblocks throughout the Kimberley, as far south as the Pilbara region, and as far east as the Victoria River, where roadblocks set up by Northern Territory Police after the murders of Lance and Marcus Bullen were still in place. At 7.45am the next day, June 16th, Philip Walkamire's body was found floating in the river close to the campsite. Very bold's body was found on the south bank of the river a few hours later.

Tourists were strongly advised to reconsider their holiday plans. They were warned to stay off the roads and to not stop for strangers under any circumstances. Everyone was on edge. Who was this person travelling the up back, gunning people down? Were they random attacks? Or was there a link between the murders? Police had no idea who the shooter was or in what direction he was headed, but they knew he had a 24 hour head start on them, which was extremely worrying, given the experience

of the Kimberley. There were a lot of tourists around at that time of year, making it easier for the killer to blend in, and giving him more people to attack. In Australia, each police jurisdiction has a special operations group or tactical response group, TRG. These are specialist teams that respond to high risk situations such as sieges, counter terrorism operations and other armed offender incidents. On June 16th, seven officers from the Western Australian TRG and an officer from the forensic

division charted an aircraft from Perth to Kananara to assist with the investigation. Police from the major crime squad were also flown in to investigate. Based on the violent manner and cause of death, the disposal of the victim's personal belongings and vehicles and the weapon used, it was their opinion that the murders of Julie Warren, Phillip Walkamire and Terry Bolt were committed by the same person who murdered Marcus and Lance Bullen. Kananara locals were devastated at the loss of Julie, Phillip and Terry. The murders of all five victims had by now made national headlines, and media from all

over the country swarmed the local area. Although the murders of Lance and Marcus Bullen occurred in the Northern Territory's top end, east of the Kimberley, the media dubbed the gunman the Kimberley Killer. People in the Kimberley and the top end had always felt reasonably safe, but now, with an unknown gunman on the loose and no clue of where he might turn up next, locals felt fearful, threatened and angry. Threatened by the killer, threatened by the abrasive and intrusive media presence, and angry that their way of life and sense of safety had suddenly been disrupted by a paralyzing

uncertainty. They started locking their doors for the first time, and shotguns were kept loaded and ready to go. Police decided to use the increased media presence to their advantage, continuing to issue radio and TV bulletins warning people in the area to be alert and to report suspicious activity. This was especially important given the time of year. Even though it was the dry season, waterholes across the area were full due to good rainfall.

For someone who appeared to be as well prepared for the rugged terrain as police believed, the killer could bunker down and take refuge in the more inaccessible parts of the Kimberley for a good amount of time. By now, police were looking for the white Toyota 4Runner with Queensland plates that had been seen in close proximity to both crime scenes. They made nationwide appeals for any information regarding Stalin or missing Toyota 4Runners and sought assistance from the public via the media regarding sightings of any such vehicles in the Kimberley.

They really honed in on this lead and sought registration information for all matching vehicles in the surrounding areas. Following their media appeal, information was forwarded to investigators that a white Toyota 4Runner had been rented from Avers at Brisbane Airport by a German tourist named Joseph Schwab, aged in his mid-20s. The vehicle had failed to be returned in accordance with the date specified on the rental agreement and was now overdue. Police circulated descriptions of both Schwab and the vehicle to other jurisdictions nationwide.

During the arrival of the tactical response group from Perth, they spent the next five days searching outlying station homesteads and abandoned buildings. Police aircraft were used to search for dust plumes from the air. The dust put up by a vehicle travelling on a gravel or dirt road. By this stage, forensic evidence had determined that the boot print recovered from the Pentecost River crime scene was a match to the boot print recovered at the Victoria River crime scene, confirming what police already believed. The murders were committed by the same person.

Roadblocks remained in place across the Kimberley and the top end, with police actively stopping all drivers to warn them against travelling into the area. If drivers insisted on continuing, they were warned to not stop for anyone. The South Australian police force also set up roadblocks in the south along the Stewart Highway. Most tourists by now had bunkered down at caravan parks and motels, and as word spread, the roads into and out of major towns in the region became deserted. But there was still the issue of campers who were already off road that police couldn't

reach. There were also remote mining communities and cattle stations that may not have heard about the murders, which remained a major concern. The most frightening part for Kananara locals was that to travel from the first crime scene in the Northern Territory to the second crime scene at Pentecost River in Western Australia, there was only one road, and that meant the killer had passed through their town. Further on from the second crime scene at Pentecost River, the next main town was Fitzroy Crossing.

It was assumed the killer was either headed there, was already there, or had already passed through. The pressure on police to quickly apprehend the killer was immense. The annual Fitzroy Crossing radio was due to start within a week, which meant thousands of people would be descending on the town. At the time, Fitzroy Crossing had a population of only 1,000 people, and it was very isolated. TV and radio reception was non-existent. Someone who was very familiar with the area was outback helicopter pilot Peter Ludonega.

Peter had heard about the murders, and new police were looking for a white Toyota 4-runner. About 8.20am on June 19th, four days after the murders of Julie Warren, Phillip Walkamire and Terry Bolt, Peter was up in the air, mustering horses from his helicopter, in preparation for the radio at Fitzroy Crossing. He was at a place called Jubilee Downs, only 15km away from where the radio was being held. While up in the air, he spotted what looked like a camouflaged vehicle in the bushes, in a spot that was unusual for tourists to set up camp. He couldn't make out the Makle model of the vehicle as it was heavily camouflaged.

Peter thought it looked suspicious, so he flew to Fitzroy Crossing police station, where he landed and reported his sighting. The tactical response group were alerted and were flown in to Fitzroy Crossing station. They were briefed about Peter's sighting, and then Peter himself took two senior TRG members up in his helicopter to conduct an aerial check of the camouflaged vehicle. They had no idea how many people were with it. Despite the unusual area that was parked, they thought there was every chance it could just be an innocent tourist setting up camp.

But as they circled the vehicle and got a closer look, something fell off about it. It was so heavily camouflaged, they couldn't determine the Makle model, and it just didn't look like a spot a tourist would set up. They couldn't see anyone with the vehicle, so they returned to Fitzroy Crossing police station to implement the next step of their plan. Identifying the person or persons with the vehicle was crucial, both to ensure their safety and to eliminate them as the killer. They also had to be very careful because they had no idea if the killer had taken any hostages.

The Kimberley and Top End are so remote, people could be missing and no one would have any idea. Every precaution had to be taken. At midday, a police Cessna 182 small aircraft flew low over the camouflaged vehicle to try and flush out anyone inside or nearby in the bush. At the same time, the team of seven TRG officers were sent in on foot. As the TRG approached, dressed in camouflage gear, the pilots were directing them via radio communication while keeping their eyes on the vehicle.

As they watched on from above, a figure suddenly emerged from the driver's side of the vehicle and started firing up at the aircraft with a high-powered rifle. The police pilot had to maneuver the plane to avoid the rifle fire, all the while providing instructions back to the approaching TRG officers on the ground who were incredibly vulnerable. The TRG team heard the gunfire, and Officer Bob Browne recalled in an interview with the Weekend West, quote, It was about then everyone made peace with their maker, because we knew what we were walking into.

As they got within eyesight of the vehicle, they could see someone standing on the front rhubar shirtless wearing camouflage pants and firing up at the police plane. Despite their being low-lying scrub, the area was open, and the TRG team were forced to take cover behind the ant hills and whatever trees they could find. As they were taking cover, the gunman spotted one of the officers in his peripheral vision and swiftly turned to face them. The officer in command called on the gunman to stop firing, identifying several times that police were present.

But instead of getting a verbal response that could lead officers to engage with him and hopefully negotiate a quick end to his hostile reaction, the opposite occurred. The gunman pulled the rifle up to his face, took a good look through the telescopic sight, and with military precision, began targeting the TRG team. It became immediately clear that he was not firing indiscriminately. He was well trained. His frightening degree of accuracy meant the TRG officers were a split second from death. As bullets flew past them while they desperately sought cover, officer Bob Brown opened fire

with his M16, taking off the gunman's left thumb and blasting the stock of his rifle. Although injured, the gunman ran to his car and emerged with the Ruger Mini 14, a firearm he could easily handle with one arm. The gunman continued his aggressive assault while retreating in a westerly direction. The TRG returned fire and used grenades consisting of prior-technic tear gas. Being the dry season, the use of these grenades set fire to the scrub, reducing visibility and increasing the risk that everyone involved. The gunman had stockpiled ammunition all around his vehicle, and as the scrub fire continued

to spread rapidly, the heat caused the ammunition to start exploding. The police plane above retreated slightly to avoid the fire and explosions. The gunman retreated as well, but then he stopped, repositioned himself, and continued shooting at the TRG team. He repeated this action several times. Officers recognized that as a military tactic in which an individual fires at the enemy, in this case the police, to prevent them from advancing, then moves to a new position and shoots again, repeating until they're in a position to escape.

By this stage, a significant amount of the area was ablaze, but the gunman wasn't backing down. TRG officers still had no idea if the gunman was holding hostages, so under covering gunfire from members of his team, Officer Bob Brown ran through the flames towards the camouflaged vehicle which was starting to be engulfed by fire. After accessing the vehicle through the front passenger door, he fell across through the choking smoke to find the keys in the ignition. He started the engine, engaged gear, and then drove the vehicle out through the flames and

gunfire in case hostages were being held inside. But none were. The vehicle was empty. Then the shooting stopped suddenly. Everything fell silent. There was no sign of the gunman. The TRG team began to search the area cautiously given the air was still thick with smoke. They had no idea whether the gunman was dead or alive and hiding, waiting to ambush them.

During their search, the police pilot spotted something lying in the undergrowth and radioed down. As the TRG continued to close in through the smoke, they discovered a man's body lying face down on the ground, a rifle beside him. He had a gunshot wound to his back which had exited his heart. He was wearing camouflaged army fatigue trousers and a bandana around his head, but was topless and barefoot. It was 1.15pm.

The heavily camouflaged vehicle was a white Toyota forerunner with Queensland plates. Police set to work preserving the area for forensic investigation. Given the man wasn't wearing any shoes, police searched the forerunner and found a pair of Timberline brand boots which would later be found to match the boot prints located at both murder scenes. They located a firearms license, driver's licenses, credit cards, checkbooks and camping equipment which were all items that belonged to the five murder victims. Fishing tackle, a toolbox and 10 sets of water buffalo horns were also found.

Police still had no idea who they had shot. They initially identified the man through a passport found in his vehicle as Joseph Schwab, the German tourist who had failed to return a white Toyota forerunner rental car to Brisbane Airport, but they would have to wait for formal fingerprint identification to be sure. A group of detectives from the major crime squad in Perth and forensic officers arrived at Fitzroy Crossing for a briefing. They then took control of the crime scene. The gunman's body was transported to Derby Regional Hospital for a post-mortem and on

June 21st he was formally identified as Joseph Schwab. To confirm identification, police sent his fingerprints to Interpol to allow a comparison to his fingerprints held in what was at the time West Germany. Joseph Thomas Schwab was born in the district of Stamberg, West Germany on November 25th 1960 to Joseph and Johanna Schwab. Not much is known about his childhood, but he was said to be obsessed with firearms from an early age. He joined a rifle association at age 15, he started carrying a pistol at age 16, and he

remained a member of the Rifle Association into adulthood. Joseph grew into a quiet man who didn't mix in large social circles, he had few friends. In his early 20s Joseph decided to explore the world. On June 15th 1981 he arrived in Australia and moved to Henley Beach in South Australia. He commenced work as a cabinet maker and maintained his interest in firearms by joining a pistol club. In his spare time he enjoyed packing his rifles and taking trips in his four wheel drive into the South Australian bush to hunt wild pigs.

Joseph didn't do well maintaining steady work and he eventually made the decision to return to West Germany for financial reasons. Little is known about his life following his return home on May 10th 1984. It's known he commenced work as a security guard 11 months later in April 1985. As part of his role he carried a Ruger 357 magnum revolver and received firearms training in combat shooting. His on the job training did not include the use of rifles. Joseph then became heavily involved with a criminal gang in West Germany.

He stole cars and broke into houses resulting in numerous criminal convictions. It was likely due to police attention heating up on his criminal involvement that prompted Joseph to leave West Germany and return to Australia. He purchased $5,400 in travellers checks in Munich and quit his job as a security guard. The following day he departed Frankfurt headed for Australia. He arrived in Brisbane Queensland on a tourist visa on April 18th 1987. Three days later he visited a Brisbane branch of the ANZ Bank where he lied and told the bank teller his travellers checks had been stolen.

They were replaced to the value of $1,000. The following day April 22nd Joseph hired the White Toyota 4Runner four wheel drive from Brisbane Airport providing a false address of a non-related Joseph Schwab in Munich. He then drove to Wollongabba where he cashed both the original and the fraudulent travellers checks at two banks. He visited a licensed firearms dealer and paid a deposit on a Winchester 12 gauge pump action shotgun and three rifles, a 223 caliber Ruger self-loading Mini 14, a Sarko Bolt Action 308 and a Bolt Action 22.

The next day he paid the money owing and also purchased a large amount of ammunition, around 3,000 cartridges in total. Little is known about Joseph's movements in the days that followed. However on May 6th he stopped to buy petrol in a remote area in Queensland that borders both South Australia and the Northern Territory. Like the Kimberley and the Top End, precautions are essential for anyone travelling through the outback in Western Queensland. Sufficient food, fuel and water provisions must be kept on hand at all times.

After receiving a parking ticket on May 9th in the Queensland mining town of Mount Isa, Joseph made his way north-west towards Darwin. By May 20th Joseph had driven 3,500km from Brisbane and arrived in Winnelley, an industrial northern suburb of Darwin where he had the front end of his four wheel drive repaired. The next day he took the time to send his parents a postcard. Joseph wasn't seen again until June 4th when he was spotted at Carmore Plains, a game reserve southeast of Darwin. A large number of water buffalo in the area were found shot and their horns removed.

It was these horns that police found in Joseph's vehicle after the shootout. Joseph continued his journey through the Northern Territory, driving south-west towards Timber Creek in the Victoria River where he set up camp, camouflaged himself and stalked Marcus and Lance Bullen, viciously gunning down the unsuspecting father and son. He then made his way to Pentecost River in the Kimberley where he did the same to Julie Warren, her fiance Philip Walkermire and their friend Terry Bolt. An inquest into the murders and police operation was held by Coroner David McCann, it concluded on December 17th, 1987.

Joseph Schwab's death was found to be justifiable homicide on the basis that he fired at police attempting to escape arrest and police returned fire in self-defense. Schwab's death meant there were no answers as to his motivation for brutally executing five strangers. However, it likely prevented more innocent people from being murdered. There was no doubt in the mind of TRG officer Bob Brown, quote, Tragically, somebody was killed. Given what we were confronted with, that was probably going to be the only result or the

best result we could hope for, because he was very much determined to kill one of us. And if he hadn't been stopped then, he would have killed other members of the community. We have no doubt. Joseph Schwab's parents were in disbelief that their son could have perpetrated such cold-blooded, unprovoked attacks. At the time, Western Australia's gun laws were far more restrictive than those in Queensland, where there was no requirement for background checks or any restriction on the quantity of ammunition that could be purchased.

Had Schwab attempted to purchase the same weapons and ammunition in Western Australia, it would have been impossible. In handing down his findings, Coroner McCann was highly critical of gun laws in place at the time. He urged for strong revision of Commonwealth legislation to restrict general importation of high-powered firearms and to limit their availability to the public under strict licensing laws. Questions around Schwab's motivation and state of mind prior to and at the time of

the murders remain unanswered to this day. Theories vary as to what motivated him to ambush and shoot five defenseless strangers in cold blood, deceptively obtaining and cashing the extra travellers checks and providing a false address when he hired the Toyota 4Runner, indicate a level of premeditation. However, they fail to reveal a motive. Stripping his victims naked and burning their belongings has been interpreted by some as an act of anger as opposed to an attempt to destroy evidence. Robbery was also considered a potential motive, given some of the victims' possessions were

found in his vehicle. But we will never know for sure. In an epilogue to the case, in the years following the murders and Joseph Schwab's death, public concern grew over the behaviour and integrity of the Western Australian police force. As a result, the Kennedy Royal Commission was established in 2002 to determine whether any Western Australian police officers had engaged in corrupt or criminal conduct. One former detective, referred to only as the codename L5, agreed to give information relating to the conduct of a number of detectives in the mid-80s to the early 90s.

His testimony was lawfully exchanged for payment. He said he had a guilty conscience, but he was also struggling financially. He alleged that he and other detectives engaged in criminal behaviour, including theft of money and property from crime scenes. One of those scenes was the shootout resulting in Joseph Schwab's death. Former detective L5 was involved in the Schwab investigation with a detective sergeant from the major crime squad in Perth, only known as Detective Sergeant LS20. These L5 and LS20 were not part of the TRG squad that shot Joseph Schwab.

They were part of the team that arrived from Perth and took over the crime scene afterwards. One of their roles was to make a list of every item found in Schwab's vehicle, an exhibit list. A black leather wallet was found in the glove box containing $353.75, however the cash didn't make the exhibit list. L5 alleged that while the forensic examination was being conducted, Detective Sergeant LS20 approached him, gave him some cash, and said, here's some spending money for you while you're up here.

When L5 asked where the money had come from, LS20 said it had been recovered from the glove box of Schwab's vehicle, but he didn't say who had taken it. While some of the officers involved in the investigation and subsequent operation outside Fitzroy Crossing are no longer members of the force, the memories of the firefight in the bush that day have stayed with them. Officer Bob Brown recalls the professionalism and bravery of his fellow TRG team members. Before every operation you certainly become a little nervous, but training, confidence in yourself, and confidence in your team members overcomes that.

Normal people wouldn't do this, they would turn around and walk off or run away, but we're not in a position to, we are sworn to do the job we do, so turning tail and getting out of it is not an option. Everyone in that team can be proud of their actions on that day. Nobody took a backward step. This is something that really only happens in wartime. 30 years later, the victims' families still feel a void in their lives. On the anniversary of the murders this year, Phillip Walkamire's parents Maureen and Otto

spoke with the West Australian newspaper. Quote, Grief from Homicide is a never-ending story, it's like a scar that never heals. Some people think that after a few months, grief should have passed and things should be back to normal. Not so. There is a scar there that will never heal. Even after 30 years, our Christmas is never the same as it was.

Phillip was a kind and caring young man and was ready to help anyone. He had a great sense of humour and one of the things we miss is hearing his laugh. It was magic. He was a gentle giant, a beautiful person. He loved people, camping and fishing. These are not morbid times, but the opportunity to share and remember the 26 years of happiness that he gave us. About Coroner McCann's recommendations in 1987, it wouldn't be until 9 years later

that gun law reform in Australia would occur, following the Port Arthur massacre in 1996. The horrific nature of the Kimberley murders at the height of the tourist season failed to deter visitors from flocking to the Australian outback. They remained a popular destination in the years to come, drawing people from all over the world curious to explore the majestic, dusty experience, including a backpacking British couple in 2001 named Joanne Lees and Peter Falconeo.