Mr. Cruel - Other Cases
Police also believe that Mr. Cruel may have been responsible for many other attacks beginning in the year 1985. The following list of rape cases have been mentioned in archived news articles and other sources. Some details have been published, such as crime locations which can also be analysed.
Case: Hampton 1985
Hampton, 1985, a 14-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy were abducted from their homes and raped in two separate incidents. Police believe these crimes could also be the work of Mr. Cruel. In February 1985, a man snatched a 14-year-old girl from her home in Hampton, drove her to an unknown site, and sexually assaulted her. Sometime later she was dumped at Moorabbin Bowl on Nepean Hwy, Moorabbin. Interestingly, it is reported that the rapist had said to the 14-year-old victim during the assault "My liberty, my freedom is more important than your life" and again something similar to Nicola. Most people do not give a thought to freedom and liberty in Australia, so this is an odd thing to say and would more likely be said by someone who had previously been incarcerated for a lengthy period of time. On close inspection of the release location at Moorabbin Bowl it is revealed that that following the telephone exchange pattern, the Highett Telephone exchange is just 900m from this location at 1061-1063 Nepean Hwy. Highett.
UPDATE : journalist Adam Shand, The Hunters program, 23 June 2024 revealed that police secured a dna sample from the first Hampton case . It was also revealed that police held a dna sample from the Sharon Wills abduction case . The genetjc beween the two samples were tested to determine whether they were from the same person. It was a no match result.
Victorian Police have not verified this information .
Then again, on 14 July a 14-year-old boy was abducted from his home, taken to an unknown address, and sexually assaulted. He was released at Caufield at 21:45.
Warrandyte 4 December 1985
A woman was raped in her home by a masked man armed with a sawn-off shotgun.
Donvale 6 December 1985
A woman was raped in her home by a man with a rusty revolver.
Bulleen 7 December 1985
A woman was raped in her home by a man with a silver pistol or sawn-off shotgun.
Greensborough 1987
In March 1987 a woman was raped in her home on Poulter Ave, Greensborough. Another women was raped on the 25th of August 1987 at a house on Joyce Ave. These houses are just one street away from each other.
These cases match all identified geographical patterns in later cases. Both houses back on to the Plenty River Trail , are within minutes of the Greensborough Telephone Exchange at 23 Main St and most interesting, the Greensborough Electrical Station is located on Poulter Ave, on the same Street of the attack that occured in March 1987. The attack at Joyce Ave, occurred just two days prior to the Lower Plenty case.
Norman Colvin shares his memories of growing up on Poulter Avenue from the early 1950’s.
In December 1959 Norm and Marie Colvin moved there from Ivanhoe. They had been renting near Norm’s mother’s home, but Lizzie had passed away and the family house sold, so Norm got a War Service Loan and bought at Greensborough.
Dad was the local State Savings Bank(SSB) Clerk of Works. (Building Inspector), he would look after the interests of those who were building homes with an SSB loan. His area extended from Oak Park to Hurstbridge and from Doncaster Templestowe to Lalor. He visited about 6 job sites a day.
Is it just coincidence that Detective Ron Iddles informant , Alf Gay’s who claimed his friend Norman Lee confessed to murdering Karmein Chan and that his house matched the description of Mr. Cruel’s detention premises , had a relative who lived streets away in Thomastown at the time that Karmein Chan was murdered and dumped at the Thomastown Electrical Station that was also a SSB employee and another relative on Old Eltham Rd, Lowe Plenty was a Repatriation Officer which which it is known that housing loans part of their services . Also, by all evidence Mr. Cruel may have been employed in the electrical industry. All of which could be mere coincidences of course, or could Mr. Cruel have known any of these people and visited their homes?
My Memories of Poulter Ave Residents
By Norm Colvin
Victorian Collections
Accessed
Other cases :
Chelsea Heights, Black Rock, Dingley, Brighton, Moorabbin, Caufield