Case File: Lower Plenty

Saturday 04.00, 22 August 1987. Lower Plenty

Unknown subject: break and enter; violent rape; theft; female; 11 years. 

In the early morning of August 22,  1987, an unknown masked man removed a window pane at a property on Old Eltham Rd, Lower Plenty. He was well prepared with a small automatic handgun, a large hunting knife, electrical tape, four sets of handcuffs, and rope. He went directly to the main bedroom where the parents were sleeping. The intruder handcuffed,  gagged, and bound their hands and feet with rope before blinding them by placing surgical tape over their eyes. The offender then herded the young boy and girl into their parent's bedroom, where he  then gagged and tied the boy to the bed and locked the parents in the wardrobe. From the main bedroom, the offender was heard to have made a threatening telephone call and was heard saying” Move your children or they will be in danger”. The call was made to a person he referred to as “Bozo”. He then took the 11-year-old girl into the living room, turned on the radio, and violently raped her. The offender stayed in the house for 2hrs - making himself a meal and pulling the phone off the wall before finally leaving the premises at 06.00 on foot. He stole $250 cash, and also took with him a London Philharmonic Orchestra boxed record collection. 

Description: Australian; 25-30 years; 168-183 cm; brown hair with greyish spots; slim build; dark blue balaclava;  blue jeans; brown sports jacket over a blue nylon zip-up jacket; blue runners white trim; carrying a grey cloth satchel; 

Weapons: Handgun; Red-and-white and plain nylon clothesline cord; red, green, and yellow electrical tape; handcuffs x 4. 

“The parents were uncuffed and then restrained around the hands and ankles with nylon cord, which Mr. Cruel expertly tied using knots commonly used by sailors and those familiar with using rope to secure loads.” (Moore)

“Police believe the attacker could be responsible for three similar attacks in Warrandyte, Bulleen, and Doncaster”(Simpson. 1987).

“The offender may be a local resident” (Simpson. 1987).