Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - Cold Cases: The Family Court Killer (with Vanessa!)

Episode Date: March 20, 2023

Imagine knowing who a serial killer is for years but not having enough evidence to prove it. This is what happened to police in Sydney, Australia. During the 1980s, Leonard Warwick was angry when he lost custody of his daughter after his divorce, so he targeted employees of the family court system. And the only way to stop the violence was for his ex-wife to surrender custody. Today, Vanessa joins Carter Roy for a special crossover episode with Cold Cases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi, listeners, today's episode is a special one, an examination of Australia's family court killer. It's a fascinating story, not just because of who the killer was, but more so why he chose to kill. It was such an honor to team up with Carter, Roy, and cold cases for this episode. I hope you enjoy it. Due to the nature of this case, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of murder, bombings, domestic violence, and trauma, and utilizes explosive sound effects. Consider this when deciding how and when you'll listen. Since the first episode of this show, I've looked at so many cases where investigators spend

years looking for that one piece of evidence that will nab the killer and finally bring justice to the victims of their families. When these cases are solved, it's often partly thanks to advancements in forensic science, DNA or fingerprints that definitively tell us who the culprit is. But what happens when knowing the identity of the killer isn't enough? I'm Carter Roy, and this is Cold Cases, a Spotify original from Parcast. Every Monday, I tell you the story of a crime that went unsolved for years. We'll explore a vast array of offenses, from burglary to arson to murder. Some weeks, forensic breakthroughs will solve long-dormant cases. Others will still be left searching for the truth. Today we're talking about Australia's

family court killer. He operated in the Sydney area in the 1980s, targeting employees of the family court system. The violence he wreaked is honestly pretty staggering. By the end of this story, several people will be dead and many more will be burned or maimed. But the The most intriguing part, and ultimately the key to the whole thing, is why he did it. That's why I've asked Vanessa Richardson to join me. As the host of serial killers, she spends a lot of time thinking about psychology and motive. That'll come in handy when breaking down this case. Thanks, Carter.

Usually when a serial killer's on the loose, there's a race against the clock to figure out who it is. but we'll know who the family court killer is early on. The problem is no one can prove it, so there's nothing authorities can do to stop him. The only one who can end the family court killer's attacks is his ex-wife. All she has to do is give up her child. We have all that and more coming up.

Stay with us. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Bonnie and Clyde, the Lonely Hearts Killers, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. These are infamous criminal duels. But you don't need to break any laws to find your perfect business partner because you have Shopify. It's the commerce platform that can help you with literally everything, website design, marketing, shipping, and more. So start your business today with the best partner, Shopify, and get that.

Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at Shopify.com slash killers. That's Shopify.com slash killers. This episode is brought to you by ZipRecruiter. Whether you're hiring for a role or searching for a killer, the hunt can be exhausting. When detectives looked and searched to find any kind of evidence to find the person they were looking for, like Jack the Ripper, the Golden State Killer, the Unit Bomber.

It's tedious work to find what you're looking for. So if you're hiring, I've got news for you. You can skip the lengthy investigation and the tiresome process of sorting through hundreds of resumes, just use ZipRecruiter. Try it for free at ZipRecruiter.com slash killers. Because not only does ZipRecruiter have the technology to match you with potential candidates quickly,

it also just added a new feature that pushes candidates who are qualified and interested in your role to the top of the list. They can even tell you why they're interested, making it easier for you to get a sense of who they are. Cut through the standard and get to the standouts with ZipRecruiter. Four out of five employers who post on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. And now you can try it for free at ZipRecruiter.com slash killers.

That's ziprecruiter.com slash killers. Meet your match on ZipRecruiter. Want to support your gut health? Take Activia's gut health challenge by enjoying two Activia yogurt today for two weeks and see if you feel a difference. With billions of probiotics and 20 years of scientific expertise, Activia is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to start your gut health ritual. Try Activia today. Enjoying Activia twice a day for two weeks as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle

may help reduce the frequency of minor digestive discomfort, which includes gas, bloating, rumbling, and abdominal discomfort. Everyone knows divorce court can get messy. Marriage, dissolution, and family issues are intensely personal. Emotions run high, and sometimes the tension can, can escalate into violence. In Australia, many of these cases run through what's known as the Federal Circuit and Family Court system.

There's no jury in these cases. That means the couple's fate is up to just one person, the judge. So all the emotions and anger get directed at the presiding justice. Violent threats are routine. Threats, but not murder. At least not before 1980. It starts on June 23rd of that year. As usual, Justice David Opaz is at work at the Parramatta Family Court, upriver from the Sydney Opera House.

After his cases are over, David looks through some documents and chats with his associates. At 5.30 p.m., a driver picks him up from work. About an hour later, David's dropped off at his red brick home in the quiet suburb of Woolara. As he pushes open the wooden front gate, his dogs come running up to greet him. Inside the house, he finds his wife, Kristen, cooking dinner. His kids, six-year-old Persia and eight-year-old Josh hug him. David turns on the TV and dances with Persia around the living room. Soon the family sits down at the table.

They're ready to dig in when the front gate bell rings. It's a little after seven, and they're not expecting anyone. David goes outside to answer it. About four minutes later, Kristen and the kids are still at the table, and David hasn't come back. Kristen wonders, why did an alarm just go off across the street? Why is her husband taking so long? And why are the dogs so upset? They're by a window going nuts.

Kristen goes outside to see what the problem is. That's when she sees her husband lying on the sidewalk not moving. Kristen rushes over to him. There's blood on his shirt. He has no breath, no pulse. The police and paramedics arrive 10 minutes later. They transport David to a nearby hospital, hoping doctors can revive him. But three hours later, the judge is pronounced dead.

A homicide squad gets to the home within the hour. They search the house and dust the front gate for fingerprints, but they don't find much. Two neighbors saw a man run from the scene, but their descriptions differ. One thinks the man was 28 to 35 years old, while the other says the guy was in his 50s. They both say he was solidly built, about 5'9 or 10. As for the fire alarm, it was from a furniture shop across the street, and investigators don't really know why it went off. but it was probably just a coincidence.

At least one news outlet noted the shop alarm was faulty. While officers continue to sift through the evidence, Kristen gets another horrible surprise. It's clear police think she has something to do with David's murder. They grill her about her relationship with her husband, looking for a motive. Kristen can't believe they're wasting time pointing the finger at her because her husband had a lot of enemies.

Like we said, David O'Paz worked at the family court. It's a job full of emotional proceedings and unhappy litigants. So it doesn't take police long to move on from Kristen. 14 detectives combed through court transcripts from the judge's open cases. It's not easy. David had about 40 cases a day. A lot of the notes still haven't been transcribed from shorthand, so they take forever to read.

Police spend six months going through the documents, looking for litigants who had a volatile case. They find quite a few unhappy couples, like Andrea and Leonard Warwick. Here's a quick summary on the Warwick. Andrea left Leonard, a firefighter and former soldier, in early 1979. About a year and a half before David's murder, she took their baby daughter Trudy with her. That March, she filed an application for sole custody and scheduled a hearing at the Parramatta Family Court in Sydney. They appeared in front of Justice David Opaz that April. His stipulations for Leonard were counseling, regular progress reports, and bi-weekly supervised visits with Trudy. But Leonard

wasn't really a rules guy. He would show up at Andrea's unannounced, and once he took Trudy and refused to give her back. By May of 1980, Judge David had officially lost patience. He temporarily took away Leonard's access to his daughter and threatened him with jail time. This was about a month before David's murder. There was a follow-up hearing set for that July, but he was killed before that could happen. The police decide to interview Andrea and Leonard about all this. Again, they're not the only ones that have. have a bone to pick with the judge, authorities identify about 1,500 litigants they want to speak with.

But when they talk to Andrea, that list quickly dwindles to one. Are you looking for support in your weight management journey? Zepbound terseptitide may be able to help. Zepbound is a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with obesity. or some adults with overweight who also have weight-related medical problems to lose excess body weight and keep the weight off. Zepbound is approved as a 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, or 15 milligram injection. Zepound contains terseptide and should not be used with other terseptide-containing products or any GLP1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known if Zepound is safe and effective for use in children. Don't share needles or pens or reuse needles. Don't take a allergic to.

it, or if you or someone in your family had medullary thyroid cancer, or if you've had multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. Tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. Stop Zepbound and call your doctor if you have severe stomach pain or a serious allergic reaction. Severe side effects may include inflamed pancreas or gallbladder problems. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes before scheduled procedures with anesthesia. If you're nursing, pregnant, plan to be, or taking birth control pills. Taking Zepbound with a sulfonel urea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and worsen kidney problems.

Talk to your doctor. Call 1-800-545-99 or visit Zepbounds.lily.com. Transport your senses with Sol de Janeiro's limited edition perfume mist collection. At Sephora, spritz on lush notes of rainforest orchid and crisp sea breeze with have freshened. Paraiso. Embrace a floral and fruity scent inspired by Rio's nude beach with chiqui bikini or capture sun-kissed bliss with limonada gelada, where zesty Brazilian lemonade accord meets coconut milk and golden brown sugar. Don't miss Sol de Janeiro's limited edition perfume mist collection only at Sephora. So Justice David Opaz has been murdered. Investigators have

combed through his recent cases for suspects who might have been angry at the judge and while there are quite a few candidates, one couple sticks out. Andrea Warwick tells investigators that after a recent family court hearing, her estranged husband Leonard said she wouldn't have to worry about Judge David Opaz anymore. Andrea asked where David was going, and Leonard replied, he just won't be there at all. There's more. Leonard has a history of violence.

He's unpredictable and manipulative. He abused Andrea during their marriage, so much that she believed he'd kill her if she stayed. There's more. A few months ago, Andrea's brother Stephen was found dead. He'd been shot in the head at home in his sleep. His body was later found dumped in a creek. No one can prove it, but Andrea is convinced Leonard did it.

He never gave an alibi for the night Stephen was killed. and Stephen's body was tied up using a pocket line, a type of rope issued to Leonard at his job as a fireman. These are details Andrea uses to justify her suspicions, but really she just knows. Her ex-husband is possessive. He gets angry when things he considers his are taken away, like Trudy, and Andrea's brother always protected Trudy.

She's sure it made Leonard furious that Stephen would get in the way, way like that. Still, the police are cautious. Before speaking to Leonard, they interview his family and his lawyer, who gives them an unsettling warning. Don't interview Leonard at his house. He's a hunter, so he has a lot of guns. This is Leonard's lawyer, implying that his client might be dangerous. If the police had any doubts about Andrea's story, they probably just evaporated. Police search Leonard's house and work. In the sweep, they find news clippings about David Opaz's murder. Well, that seems suspicious, but Leonard did know David,

so it's not surprising he'd follow the investigation. They also find the guns, the lawyer mentioned, but none matched the 22-caliber bullet that killed David. Still, police bring Leonard into the station for a chat. He fits the physical description, the witness. gave. Stocky build, 5'8. He fits Andrea's characterization, too. Combative and manipulative.

He doesn't say anything especially suspicious, but he also doesn't say much at all. Most of his replies are, no comment. The interview is a bust, so police see if they can eliminate him with detective work, beginning by looking at his firehouse shifts. On June 23rd, Leonard finished work at the Fairfield fire station at 6 p.m., which is about a 50-minute drive from the Opaz home.

The judge was killed at 7.11 p.m. If Leonard took his car, he would have been able to get there in time. There's motive, opportunity, and ability. But it's not enough. There's no hard evidence that directly links Leonard to the crime scene. And suspicious, as he may seem, he's still one of many people who might have wanted to kill the judge. Just because police can't rule him out doesn't necessarily mean he's their guy. They make little progress in the case for the next two years. Eventually, the authorities hold an inquest into David's murder. For context, an inquest is sort of like a hearing. It's an opportunity for those involved in the case to give testimony that might shed light on what happened. In this case, they want to see if they have enough evidence to actually charge a

suspect and bring them to trial. Andrea Warwick and Kristen Opaz both give testimony. Then Leonard takes the stand. Like before, he refuses to answer most questions. Instead, he recites, quote, on the advice of my senior counsel, I do not intend to answer that question because it may tend to incriminate me. It's like he's playing with the authorities, like he knows there isn't enough to charge him. Leonard Warwick might be on the stand, but he's the one in control. In the end, the judge acknowledges David was murdered and that his position as a judge likely had something to do with it, but his official conclusion is vague. David Opaz died by a gunshot wound from an unknown assailant. The case will not

be going to trial. Un settling, as it may seem, the world just sort of continues on. Two years later, in 1984, David's death feels like a tragic blip. The O'Paz family has moved away, and David's cases are transferred to another judge, Justice Richard G. That includes Leonard and Andrea Warwick, and as one of Richard's litigants, Leonard keeps ignoring court orders. In January of that year, he takes Trudy from Andrea and refuses to give her back again. Around the end of January, Richard issues a warrant for authorities to take Trudy and return her to Andrea. So again, Leonard's daughter is taken away from him. That decision has explosive repercussions.

On March 5, 1984, Richard is home getting ready for bed. He prays while his two kids sleep. in the rooms at the back of the house. His wife's in the hospital with a heart condition, so prayers are important to Richard, especially now. When he's finished, he turns in. Soon, the household is fast asleep. At 1.45 a.m.

The house erupts in an inferno. The explosion wakes up neighbors who stumble outside to see a smoking mass of debris where the G's house once stood. Incredibly, the job. and his family are alive. The bomb was placed at the front of the house and the kids' rooms were at the back.

Richard sustained some injuries and the roof above him caved in. That debris fell on his wife's side of the bed. If she was home, she could have died. For the religious Richard, that's divine intervention. The arson squad is called in to examine the bomb from Richard's house. It used a slow-burning fuse.

which means someone probably set it on the steps, manually lit it, then ran. The bomb was made of Molonite. That's a type of explosive, usually used by quarries for blasting rocks. It's not typically sold to the public. But 120 boxes of Molonite were stolen from a quarry in Sydney two weeks prior. A nearby company that sells, fuses, and detonators was robbed too. The perpetrator wasn't caught. So authorities can't say if the theft is related to the attack.

But pretty early on, police and media think the bombing is related to the family court. Sydney police cite a potential connection to David Opaz. Police check Leonard's time card to see if he was working during the attack, and he wasn't. When they ask what he was doing, he stonewalls them and doesn't give an alibi. But without additional evidence, there's not much more they can do. In April, about a month after the G attack, there's yet another explosion, this time at the Parramatta family courthouse. It takes out the entire front porch of the building, but it's a Sunday night, so the place is almost empty and no one is hurt. When authorities look into Leonard, they learn Andrea filed trespassing charges against him two days earlier.

A hearing about the incident was scheduled to take place at Parramatta the day after the bombing. That appointment was obviously canceled. Leonard doesn't have an alibi for the courthouse attack again. And when police interview him, he says nothing again. Smug, amused silence has worked for him before. So it's not surprising that he sticks to it. Well, not surprising, but definitely frustrating. because after three attacks, all police have are a motive and a missing alibi.

There's no DNA, no prince, no confession. While Sydney police puzzle over Leonard Warwick, the public is terrified. They don't know the prime suspect's name, but they know someone's attacking the family court. Court employees across the country are told to check for planted explosives where they live and work. Some think it's all nonsense, like Justice Ray Watson. Ray thinks getting worked up and adding more security restrictions will make being a courthouse judge feel like a prisoner. So he takes over Richard G's cases, apparently without fear.

Leonard and Andrea are among those cases. And from what we know in hindsight, that might as well be a death sentence. This episode is brought to you by Prime. obsession is in session and this summer Prime Originals have everything you want steamy romances

irresistible love stories and the book to screen favorites you've already read twice off campus every year after the love hypothesis Sterling Point and more slow burns

second chances chemistry you can feel through the screen your next obsession is waiting watch only on Prime Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is California's number

one entertainment destination for today's superstars. Catch the Jonas Brothers return to the Yamava Theater stage on April 30th, the powerful vocals of Demi Lovato on May 17th, and the signature Southern Country Rock of Eric Church on July 19th. Tickets on sale now at Yamavatheater.com, only at Yamava Resort and Casino, celebrating its 40th anniversary. You in? Must be 21 to enter. July 4th, 1984, around 8 in the morning. A car idles outside a townhouse in a quiet suburb of Sydney, Australia. The driver waits for his passenger to come out so he can drive him downtown to the courthouse. Inside the home, Justice Ray Watson is getting ready for work. He heads to the study to grab a few papers. Meanwhile, his wife, Pearl, is already waiting at the front door so she can say by to her

husband on his way out. He's still in the study when she opens the door. It sets off a massive explosion. Pearl is right in the middle of the blast. She's killed instantly. In the study, Ray is bathed in dust and debris. He staggers from the room calling his wife's name. There's no answer. He makes it outside to see that his home has been completely reduced to rubble. And even some Some surrounding houses have been damaged. Neighbors stumble outside, blood streaming from some of their faces. The explosion was heard over three miles away. Authorities say the bomb was right outside the Watson's entrance, rigged to explode when the front door opened.

It could have been put there minutes earlier or the evening before. Either way, no one saw it. not even the judge's driver who was waiting outside. He only saw a flash of light before his windows shattered. It's the third justice of Sydney's family court system to be attacked at home. And they were all overseeing Andrea and Leonard Warwick's case. Investigators pull out all the stops. They question him, search his house, surveil him, but still there's no new breakthroughs.

nothing to concretely tie Leonard to the attacks. At this point, the police are desperate. They offer a half-million dollar reward for information that leads to the bombers' capture. A task force is established, while judges and their families are put under 24-hour surveillance. The extra attention doesn't make Sydney feel safe, because for many, this new attack confirms their worst fears. There's a serial killer on the loose. If Leonard is the culprit, he already meets the Australian standard of a serial killer, which is two murders in separate instances.

Even so, he doesn't quite match the most typical image, a killer who selects and stalks their victims to satisfy some kind of internal desire or drive. Part of what makes serial killers so terrifying is that they target vulnerable strangers, people they have no connection to, which incidentally makes them harder to catch. Leonard's different. He knows his victims, but there is a common serial killer trait he embodies,

a deep need for control. While he's desperate to get his daughter back, he also resents that anyone thought they could take her away to begin with, so resentful that he kills to take control of the situation. Of course, authorities haven't announced a formal suspect, so the public doesn't know about Leonard. They're mainly just thinking, am I next?

There's one person who's mulling over this question more than anyone else. That's Andrea, Leonard's ex-wife. While police suspect Leonard is the family court bomber, Andrea knows it. Like investigators, she doesn't have evidence. But how can she think otherwise? She knows those judges too.

She's appeared in front of them with her ex-husband, and she's heard each one refused to give him what he wants, their daughter. Andrea knows that's the motive behind all this. Leonard wants custody of Trudy, and he doesn't care what he has to do, or who he has to kill to get it. In February 1985, Leonard appears at Andrea's door demanding to see Trudy, just like he has so many times before.

Andrea tells him to leave and threatens to call her lawyer Gary Watts. Leonard tries to grab Trudy and run, then punches Andrea when she stops him. After a few tense moments, Andrea manages to get Trudy back inside and locks Leonard out. The next day, Andrea gets a call from the police. Someone hid explosives at Gary Watts. Watts old residence, which was still listed in the phone book under his name. Luckily, the bomb was found before going off. No one was hurt.

The attack on Watts feels like a threat directed at Andrea. Like if she doesn't do what Leonard wants, he'll take out everyone who tries to protect her. And maybe in the end he'll kill her too. Andrea calls her sister Judy and relays her fears. Judy already knows all about Leonard's abuse. She's been the target of it. He's threatened to kill her and her kids before. At some point, Judy loops in the police, and their advice is run.

You heard that right. Law enforcement is so pessimistic about their chances of stopping Leonard. They seem to think that Andrea and Judy are better off getting out of town than relying on them. for protection. So Andrea and Judy take their kids and flee. With the help of some friends from Judy's church, a Jehovah's Witness congregation called Kingdom Hall. The sisters hope Leonard will have no idea where they've gone, and he doesn't, which really winds him up. He must have a sense that Judy's congregation helped her, though, because he starts calling them and waiting outside their homes demanding to know where his daughter is. No one can or will tell him,

which he's not happy about. A few months later in July 1985, over 100 congregants gather at Kingdom Hall in Sydney for a service. Elder David Winder stands at the podium, reciting John 668, a passage about peace and everlasting life. The clock hits 10 a.m. And Winder doesn't get to finish his psalm. A pile of explosives under the podium detonates, sending him through the roof before plunging back down to the floor. Miraculously, he lives, but the blast kills Graham Wykes,

who was sitting in the front pew holding hands with his wife. The survivors stumble around in chaos. It's like a war zone with the war. blood and debris everywhere. All told, one is dead and 77 are injured 14 severely. It's not a court hit, but it's the same kind of explosive used in most of those attacks, Molinite. The detonator's the same as a few of the others, too. But there's one other big difference between this bombing and the others. This time, there might be forensic evidence.

Someone broke into the church the week prior and again the night before the explosion. There were no fingerprints, but during the first break-in, someone cut themselves and left blood throughout the church. The cops test the blood and it's type O positive. If they can get a blood sample from Leonard, they'll be able to see if it's a match. But seeing as Leonard won't even answer questions, he's not about to voluntarily give up a blood sample, which they'd need him to do in this case. So they find a workaround. Leonard's old army records have his blood type listed.

Lo and behold, it's O positive. It's the closest thing to a smoking gun they've gotten so far, except a lot of people have that blood type. So really, it's just more circumstantial evidence, and police still don't move forward with an arrest. It is enough for another search of Leonard's house, though, authorities descend on the home nine days after the bombing, and find a list of the names, addresses, and numbers of Jehovah's witness congregants, all in Leonard's handwriting. When investigators interview Leonard, they get the same treatment as always, objections, avoidance, and no leads whatsoever. But Leonard does issue a chilling warning.

I know more about you than you know about me. There's a long history of serial killers taunting police. Infamous murderers from the Zodiac killer to Jack the Ripper left messages at crime scenes or sent notes to authorities. A column in the Los Angeles Times says some reasons for this could be attention-seeking overconfidence or a need for a thrill. Leonard's not sending the police notes, but he might be getting a thrill from seeing them flounder.

Maybe it's reinforcing the idea that he's smarter than law enforcement, that he's in control. To add insult to injury, investigators can only hold Leonard for 24 hours without charging him, so police have to let him go. It isn't just a blow to their ego. Letting Leonard go could be very, very dangerous. Remember the Mullenite theft from the quarry?

Over a hundred pounds were stolen. An unknown amount was used at the G's house. Three sticks were used in the attempted murder of Andrea's lawyer, Gary Watts, and more were used to bomb the Jehovah's Witnesses. The problem is, Mullenite is waterproof and long-lasting. The bomber has more than enough ammo to do this time and time again. They don't have the right kind of evidence yet, so they're going to watch him. Leonard is surveilled, trackers are put on his cars, and choppers hover over his property.

They keep trying. Each minute wasted could mean more victims. Andrea feels this pressure, too. As each day passes with no news of an arrest, she stays in hiding, agonizing over how to end all this. If she keeps running, it seems that Leonard will just keep killing people to get at their daughter. But there's another option. Her daughter, Trudy, is seven now, and she's sick of moving around. Sick of the tension at home of her mother's tears.

And despite how cold Leonard is to everyone else, he's kind to Trudy. She feels a connection to him and looks forward to his visits. So she starts begging her mom to let her live with her dad. It's a hard thing to even consider. Even if Leonard weren't dangerous, this would be an impossible position and fraught with judgment. Anecdotally, there's a huge social stigma against mothers who give full custody to the father. People wonder if they're unfit or judge them on the decision. And in this case, the stakes are even higher.

Andrea's done everything she can to keep Leonard away from their daughter. But despite all of that, the irony is Trudy loves her dad. And Andrea wonders if maybe Trudy would change him for the better, or at least once he got what he wanted, the violence would stop. Finally, Andrea calls Leonard and tells him to come get their daughter. There isn't another attack after that. April 1986, authorities hold an inquest into the Jehovah's Witness bombing. They release Leonard's name to the public and lay out their findings in court. There's a mountain of circumstantial

evidence, but the judge isn't convinced. Police still can't place Leonard at any of the crime scenes. He's not confident they can get a conviction so it doesn't go to trial. In all, four people were killed, plenty more were injured, countless were traumatized, and Leonard got what he wanted. With that, the 1980s come to a close, and so does the story. Until almost 30 years later, there's some renewed momentum. This was a huge national case, and some people aren't happy that Leonard's gone free all these years. Like reporter Ross Colthart and true crime writer, Debbie, be Marshall. In 2013, they team up and work with an investigative team to release a documentary.

In it, they lay out the timeline and all the incriminating evidence against Leonard. It seems to make authorities pay attention because shortly after the documentary is released, they start looking into the case again. And soon, they realized there's an essential piece of evidence that wasn't a smoking gun at the time, but could be now, the blood from Kingdom Hall. Because with advancements in DNA testing and genetic genealogy, they don't need Leonard Warwick to give a sample. They can test the blood from a living relative, like his daughter.

Trudy is an adult at this point and understands the trauma her father is caused. She feels guilt too because in his own twisted way, her father loved her. so much that he killed people for her. She was at the center of this whole thing. Still, when detectives ask if she'd give a sample, it's complicated. Part of her thinks it's a betrayal, but she wants answers too. The attacks and the suspicion around her dad have haunted her all her life. So to give closure to everyone the bomber hurt and to herself, she gives a blood sample. In July of 2015, 68-year-old Leonard Warwick is in the middle of a treadmill workout at a rehab facility. He's huffing away on the belt when detectives swarm him and place him in handcuffs.

The blood sample Trudy gave was a match to the blood left in Kingdom Hall. It's the evidence investigators needed, provided by the killer's own daughter. Leonard will be charged with an astounding 32 crimes. It takes about five years of trials, appeals, and waiting. But in 2020, Leonard Warwick is convicted on 20 counts and sentenced to three life terms. At 73, it means he'll probably die in jail. The case is closed, but I can't stop thinking about Andrea's unthinkings.

sacrifice. She gave up her daughter to stop the killing, and that was only possible because she understood Leonard's motive and psychology. That's true, and Trudy made a choice too. Andrea's decision might have stopped the violence, but it was forensic evidence that finally put Leonard away, forensic evidence provided by his own daughter. Like I said, divorce court can get messy. In this case, it ignited one of the most violent family dramas in Australian history. Thanks again for listening. We'll be back next Monday with another cold case. For more information on the family court killer, we found the family court murders by Debbie Marshall, especially helpful. You can find all episodes of cold cases, serial killers,

and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free. on Spotify. Thanks for joining me, Vanessa. Thanks for having me. We'll see you next time. Cold Cases is a Spotify original from Parcast with executive producers Max Cutler and Drew Cole. Our head of programming is Julian Bois Roe. This show was developed by Mickey Taylor. Our supervising sound designer is Russell Nash with Nick Johnson as our head of production and quality control by Spencer Howard. Ryan O'Leary Jones is our supervising editor, and Derek Jennings is our writing lead. This episode of Cold Cases was written by Kate Murdoch, edited by Karris Allen and Andrew Callagher,

fact-checked by Haley Milliken, researched by Mickey Taylor, with sound design by Russell Nash, and produced by Aaron Larson. I'm Carter Roy, and my guest host today was Vanessa Richardson. A beloved 75-year-old man washing up getting ready for bed. is brutally beaten and killed. Despite an exhaustive investigation, the killer avoids arrest and then strikes again. I'm Global News crime reporter Nancy Hixed. You might listen to a lot of true crime podcasts this year,

but they're not crime beat. Search for and follow the award-winning podcast Crime Beat on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Do you want to hear something spooky? Some monster. It reminded me. of Bigfoot.

Monsters Among Us is a weekly podcast featuring true stories of the paranormal. One of the boys started to exhibit demonic possession. Stories straight from the witnesses' mouths themselves. Something very snake-like lifted its head out of the water. Hosted by me, your guide, Derek Hayes. Somehow I lost eight whole hours. Listen now on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.