Every Town - Terrifying Mr. Cruel, Sadistic Abductor of Melbourne, Australia

Episode Date: August 5, 2022

From the late 1980s to early 1990s, a masked abductor and rapist sparked tremendous terror in Melbourne, Australia for victimizing 4 young girls. This criminals MO had been established, a few of the released victims had narrated their harrowing experiences, thousands of potential suspects were investigated, and hundreds of houses searched….. Yet, he was never caught.--------------------------------------------💀 Exclusive Video Content & Access https://www.patreon.com/scarymysteries 🥇 Watch This Episode on Youtube!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M9zrLFOut8&ab_channel=ScaryMysteriesSOCIAL👁 Videos not found on Youtube check us out on TikTok @andrewfitzgerald💀 Instagram @andrew.fitzg💥 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scarymysteriesofficialPODCAST🎧 Scary Mysteries Podcasthttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1235579 Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you love true crime, grab your favorite mug and pour yourself a dose of creepy true crime every single morning with a morning cup of murder. This short daily show is the perfect podcast to incorporate into your morning routine because in less than 15 minutes, you'll hear about a true crime that took place on a day's date in history. Each day's dark history lesson will kickstart your morning with intriguing tales of murder, abduction, serial killers, cults, and everything in between.

With over 20 million downloads, Morning Cup of Murder has something for every true crime lover. One listener describes the show as a small package with a powerful punch of crime. Another writes that the show is an absolute delight in the morning. Support yourself a piping hot cup of murder every single morning with Morning Cup of Murder. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Everytown. Thank you guys so much for tuning into our podcast. If you guys enjoy listening to Everytown, then I wanted to let you know that there are always a video component to each episode over on our YouTube channel called Scary Mysteries. They're really well put together and put faces to the names, so you can always head over to our Scary Mysteries YouTube channel if you want to view them.

There's also two other videos that come out on our YouTube channel. each and every Monday and Wednesday, where we cover strange and creepy stories from all around the world. Those can also be listened to in podcast form on our other podcast channel called Scary Mysteries. We have tons of cool content for you all around. Thanks so much for the support and tuning in. Hope you enjoy the episode. Every town has a dark side. From the late 1980s to the early 90s, a masked abductor,

and rapists sparked tremendous terror in Melbourne, Australia, for victimizing four young girls. This criminal's MO has been established. A few of the release victims had narrated their harrowing experiences. Thousands of potential suspects were investigated in hundreds of houses searched. Yet, this serial child rapist, who the Sun newspaper called Mr. Cruel, has still eluded the authorities for more than three decades. I'm Andrew Fitzgerald and welcome to this week's episode of Everytown, which will bring us to the land down under and get us an intimate look into the sadistic individual who terrified the northern and eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

The victims and their families have been identified, but the real identity of Mr. Cruel still remains a mystery, and his crimes are yet to be solved. In the late 1980s, Melbourne was known as a safe place, and so many of its citizens took pride in its unofficial slogan, the most livable city in the world. Although it was inevitable that violent crimes still happened within its borders, the rate was comparatively lower than many other places in the world.

So, the city was stunned by a reign of terror that cloak the city and threatened the safety of families and young girls starting in the late 80s. This perpetrator seemed to have come out of nowhere, without any previous record of brutal offenses. And he came to the attention to the Melbourne police on August 22nd, 1987. In Australia, towards the end of August, signals that winter is coming to an end, while in other parts of the world it's beginning to get chilly as fall is ushered in. On August 22nd, 1987, Saturday at 4 a.m.,

everything seemed normal in the suburban area of lower plenty on the outskirts of Melbourne. Most families were at home, deep in their sleep, when a particular family was attacked by an intruder who got inside the house by removing a pain from the living room window. He made his way inside without alerting anyone, and he then went directly to the master bedroom of the parents. Armed with a gun and a knife, the intruder woke up a couple,

forced both of them onto their stomachs, found their hands and feet, blindfolded, and gagged each one with surgical tape, before locking them in a closet. He ensured that they couldn't escape and threatened to kill them if they ever attempted to. His next stop was the adjacent room of the six-year-old boy in the family, who was also blindfolded, gagged, and tied to his own bed.

Fortunately, he was relatively unharmed because the real target of the masked intruder was the family's 11-year-old daughter. He made his way into her bedroom, sexually assaulted the helpless girl for two hours, and even took breaks in between to prepare a meal for himself. When his sexual perversion was over, the man, hiding behind the ski mask,

cut off the telephone lines, stole from the unnamed family, a classic gold record set by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and a blue jacket, and then left without a trace. That night marked the beginning of the widespread notoriety of Melbourne's most despicable child predator, Mr. Cruel.

A police investigation on the lower plenty family attack soon started, and they were baffled how such viciousness had happened to a family that didn't have real demons behind them. The parents recounted to the police the ordeal they had gone through, but their daughter added some exclusive details she experienced firsthand. She told police that during one of the attacker's breaks, he made a phone call, which was apparently threatening the other person on the other line. The girl heard the man demanding that the other person he referred to as bozo to move his children, or they'd be next.

Police then checked the family's phone records, but there was no record of this call whatsoever. Later on, it became clear that planning red herrings to confuse investigators was part of Mr. Krul's evil schemes. It would be over a year before he preyed on his next victim, and once again found gratification. Two days after Christmas Day is still an extension of the merry celebration, but for the Willis family in the Ringwood suburb area in Melbourne, December 27, 1988 was a day of trauma and utmost fear. John Willis, his wife and their four daughters, were fast asleep when at around 5.45 a.m., the father of the house was startled and woke up by the sensation of an object pointed at his temple. Then he heard a voice telling him,

Don't be a hero. And right then and there, John knew his family would be experiencing a nightmare. Mr. Cruel, wearing dark blue overalls and a blue ski mask, was holding a gun to John's head and a knife in his other hand. Mr. Willis knew that to fight back would be to risk the lives of his entire family, so he and his wife followed the attacker's orders. Much like the crime and lower plenty in August of 87, The Willis couple rolled onto their stomachs, then the attacker bound their wrists and ankles using copper wire.

Notable was the type of knot utilized, like in the first crime, that was a specialized one used primarily by those with nautical backgrounds. As expected, John and his wife were blindfolded and gagged with the same surgical tape. Then the intruder assured them that all he wanted was the couple's money. After getting $35 from their bedside table, Mr. Kruel went through the house and cut off the telephone lines. Then it was on to his main agenda. Invade the room of the four daughters of the Wills couple. He particularly singled out the eldest, 10-year-old Sharon Wills, whom he woke up by calling her name.

This makes one think that Mr. Kruel researched and perhaps surveilled his targets before committing the crimes. Sharon, still groggy, was blindfolded and gagged like her parents. Her captor then picked up some of her clothes and hurriedly fled with her in tow. The Wills couple eventually broke free of the restraints 15 minutes later and realized that their eldest daughter was missing. With cut-off telephone lines, John rushed to their neighbor's house to use their phone. Then he searched the neighborhood, but it was all in vain. Sharon was nowhere to be found and was clearly abducted by the masked man. The thought that their daughter could be gone to.

forever sent the Wills couple into a panic state. 18 hours after Sharon was taken away by Mr. Kruhe. She was dropped off near the Bayes Water electrical substation. Just a little past midnight, a woman stumbled upon a small figure standing on the street corner who was wrapped up in green garbage bags. The girl then told the woman, my name is Sharon Wills, and I was taken from my home early this morning. A man left me here and told me to go and ring home. Admiringly, the 10-year-old girl was strong, calm, and collected, despite undergoing a traumatic experience the previous night. Sharon was reunited with her family and police investigation soon began.

Since she was blindfolded, Sharon couldn't give a physical description of her abductor. What she observed, though, was that he spoke gently, like he actually seemed caring, which police found contrasting in relation to the crime he had just committed. Sharon also said that she was fed a sandwich with milk and lemonade. What the police and the Will's family weren't expecting was Sharon's anecdote that her abductor gave her a thorough cleaning, not only washing off any possible forensic evidence he had left behind, but also clipping her fingernails and toenails,

brushing and flossing her teeth and more. Then, before letting Sharon go, the masked man discarded her clothes to avoid tracing of evidence to him, dressed her in garbage bags, and dumped her off in the area of Baywater High School just a few miles away from her house. Then she spoke about hearing low-flying aircrafts during her short captivity, which would become an important clue in the investigation. With these pieces of information, investigators quickly connected the case to the crime committed

and lower plenty. Sadly, the investigation reached a dead end, though, since very little evidence was on hand or ever found at all, and none of it could be used to nail a specific person. Fear among the citizens arose, and the question most had in mind was, who would be the next victim? The answer came nearly two years after Sharon Wills was abducted and assaulted. And the victims? Brian and Rosemary Linus, an affluent English couple renting a house in Canterbury, Victoria,

just on the outskirts of Melbourne. Located west of Ringwood and south of Lower Plenty, the neighborhood was known as a place where the wealthy and powerful live like Australian politicians and public officials. The Linus family moved to Australia for business reasons, but had plans to go back to England in the very near future. They chose the Ringwood area, believing it was safe to raise their children there, 15-year-old Fiona and 13-year-old Nicola. But on July 3rd, 1990, their perception of the neighborhood's safety was shattered. That night, Brian and Rosemary attended a farewell party thrown in their honor

as they were leaving for England in a few days. Left at home were Fiona and Nicola, who were awakened by the angry, commanding barks of a masked intruder shortly before midnight, armed with a knife and a gun again. Mr. Kruill ordered Nicola to gather her school uniform from the Presbyterian Lady's school she attended while he tied up Fiona to her bed. The elder daughter was then blindfolded and bound, and the two girls gripped with fear couldn't do anything to save themselves. He then told Fiona to tell her father that he had to pay $25,000 for the safe return of Nicola. Mr. Kruel then took the girl using the family's rental

car parked in the driveway. They drove for about a kilometer, then stopped and transferred to another vehicle which he had prepared beforehand. 20 minutes now after the abduction, Brian and Rosemary returned home and were greeted by an empty driveway and an open front door. Fear started to creep within them, which worsened upon seeing Fiona tied to her bed and telling them about the ransom demand of the masked intruder. Police immediately did an investigation, but found almost no evidence of the crime scene itself because the kidnapping of Nicola Linus had been done in a precise and strategic manner. This made police realize they were in a tough situation as the other previous cases also turned cold days after the crimes were committed.

So were they in for another dead end? Well Sharon Wills was returned 18 hours after her kidnapping. Nicola wasn't returned several hours after hers. Her father then held a press conference, conference after 36 hours pleading to the abductor to return Nicola and expressing his willingness to give in to the ransom demands. No details about where to give or drop the ransom was specified by the abductor. Brian's business dealings were then investigated as police thought the crime was related to his work or personal dealings. But nothing came out of this effort and the Linus's daughter was still missing. A ray of sunshine though appeared 50 days after Nicola's abduction. When Brian received a phone call past 2 a.m. And on the other line was

his missing daughter. Mr. Kruel left Nicola outside an electricity station in coup, just a short distance away from her home. She was fully dressed and wrapped in a blanket with the blindfold still on. When she was sure that her abductor had already gone, Nicola took off the blindfold and went to the nearest house and phoned her father. When investigators, question the teenage girl. She shared information that was valuable in the probe. Most prominent among them was a rough estimation of the perpetrator's height, which was roughly five feet eight inches, based on comparing her own height with the abductor when he rushed her from her bedroom to the getaway car. Nicola also thought he had reddish-brown hair. She was blindfolded for the most

part of her captivity, but was given a few chances to get a glimpse. For the duration of her captivity, Nicola was forced into a neck brace that was fastened to the abductor's bed. She also reported hearing Mr. Krull talking aloud to another person while she was blindfolded in her bedroom, but there was no response. Investigators thought that the other person was an accomplice or such, or it's likely that it was just one of Mr. Kruel's many red-holt. herrings. Just like what he did to his previous captive, Mr. Kruel also bathed and cleaned Nicola thoroughly before releasing her. Months after, the Linus's had moved back to England. Nicola then remembered hearing the same type of low-flying aircraft previously reported by Sharon.

The investigators posited that the suspect lived in the surrounding vicinity of the nearby Telemarine Airport, most likely in its direct flight path. Despite the additional information, Nicolet told investigators, though, and what Sharon wills had also shared with them. No one became a person of interest, and Mr. Crue's worst crime was still yet to come. Aging couple, John and Phyllis Chan, were both immigrants to Australia and worked hard to give their three daughters luxurious lives. They owned three restaurants in the Elfam area of Victoria, and also a handful of

other property investments. Busy with work, John and Phyllis would go home at almost midnight, leaving their daughters alone with the eldest, 13-year-old Carmen, taking care of her younger sisters. The family resided in the comfortable, Temple Stowe district of Victoria, in a house that many would classify as a mansion, but their safety wasn't fully guaranteed. On April 13, 1991, the Chan family was not immune to the beastly acts of Mr. Cruel. It was an extra busy Saturday for the Chan couple attending to their restaurants, so the three girls were left at home watching movies in Carmen's room. At around 8.40 p.m., Carmen and her sister went to the kitchen to fix some food when they were confronted by a masked intruder with a green-gray track suit and holding an intimidating knife. Mr. Krul told the three girls that he only wanted money and forced the younger girls into Carmen's closet.

He only wanted Carmen to show him where the money was. He then blocked the closet with a bed locking in the two younger sisters as he made his getaway with Carmen. When the two sisters managed to get out of that closet, they immediately phoned their father, who straightaway reported the incident to the police. When authorities arrived at the Chan Home, they knew that the attack was planned

for what they saw in the driveway was the family's car with these words written. Payback, Asian drug dealer, more. More to come. But after looking into all angles, including the personal transactions of John, investigators believe the warning written on his car was just another red herring of Mr. Cruel. Roughly 72 hours later, the Chan couple held a press conference where Phyllis broke down, pleading for her daughter's return. They offered $300,000 in ransom money for Carmen's release, and her sisters even wrote letters appealing for her return that were published in the media.

Months passed, though, and still there wasn't any word about Carmen. And this triggered one of the largest man hunts in Australian history, known now as Operation Spectrum. It was a multi-million dollar 40-member undertaking that spent tens of thousands of man-hours, along with many thousands of more volunteer hours with the goal of finding Carmen. but their efforts didn't yield any positive results. On April 9, 1992, Carmen's remains were stumbled upon by a man walking his dog in the nearby area of Thomaston along Edgar's Creek.

Based on her fully decomposed skeleton, an autopsy showed that she was shot three times in the head execution style and had likely been dead for close to a year. But why did Mr. Cruel kill her, unlike his first three victims. Phyllis could only surmise that Carmen was stubborn and fought her abductor and learned of his identity so he got rid of her. Operation Spectrum continued for a few more years costing $4 million in total.

It investigated over 27,000 suspects, received over 10,000 tips from the public, and searched over 30,000 houses in the hopes of identifying a single clue. yet Mr. Cruel was never identified by the task force until it was finally shelved in 1994. After the murder of Carmen, no other crimes would be attributed to Mr. Cruel. In 2010, Task Force Apollo was launched, hoping that new technology and methods would finally find more details that would pin down Mr. Cruel, but the only recovered DNA of him had disappeared. Unfortunately, the cases against the serial child abductor and rapist are still open. He remains unidentified and is considered as one of Australia's most wanted criminals. Up until justice is served, his victims' families can say that the world indeed can be cruel.

Anyone with information is urged to call crime stoppers in Australia at 1800-333-000. So that's it for this week's episode of Every Town. For more content from us, please go check out our Scary Mysteries podcast or YouTube channel. Thank you so much for tuning in and come back next week for another episode filled with scary, strange, and mysterious stories. Because who knows? Maybe your town will be next.