Killer with a history of animal abuse murdered mother in front of child

A murderer with a history of animal abuse and a fascination with knives brutally stabbed a young mother to death in front of her five-year-old child.

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A MURDERER with a history of animal abuse and a fascination with knives brutally stabbed a young mother to death in front of her five-year-old child.

He is among the Far North’s most cold-blooded killers, who committed terrible acts beyond comprehension.

Leanne Mayhew, victim of stabbing murder at Maytown Cl, Manoora.

In this series the Cairns Post will explore some of the most evil crimes executed across the region.

One such killer was Mark Andrew Stephenson – who murdered young mother Leanne “Nikki” Mayhew by stabbing her 30 times in the head and body with a large hunting knife while her young daughter could do nothing but look on in horror.

And he never said why.

Mark Stephensen pleaded guilty to the murder of Cairns mum Leanne Mayhew. L-R Sue Mayhew (mother of Leanne)

“He had this fascination with knives. It was never reported in court but there was a history that he’d been abusive to animals,” Cairns Criminal Investigation Branch Detective Sergeant Brad McLeish said.

He added that Stephenson, like a number of other criminals this series will cover, also had a fascination with killing.

“He 100 per cent killed her because he was just fascinated by the thought of killing her,” Det Sgt McLeish said.

“There’s no reason to kill the people they killed, they’ve killed for the sake of killing.”

Stephenson had binged on alcohol and drugs, including LSD, speed and cannabis, over 12-hours before he murdered the 24-year-old mother, who was his former housemate.

When police found her slain body on the bathroom floor of her Manoora unit the first thing they saw was her young daughter covered in her mother’s blood.

“That one sticks out for me because her five-year-old was there for the whole thing,” Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Anthony Moynihan said.

Detective Insp. John Hartwell with a knife similar to the one sort by Police in relation to the murder of Leanne Mayhew in Manoora.

He and Det Sgt McLeish responded to the job on August 4, 2010.

They recalled seeing little footprints in blood around the body.

“She had been walking around mum,” Det Snr Sgt Moynihan said.

SES crews search surrounding drains for a knife which is sought by Police in the investigation of the murder of Leanne Mayhew.

He can still remember the moment he had to deliver the news to Nikki’s parents.

Her mother was overcome with pain and fell over in the hallways of their home, while her father walked around the house and kept repeating that he had to find his work boots.

“It sticks in my memory, the shock,” he said.

Tomorrow the true crime series will examine the horrific assault and murder of a grandmother, who was attacked on her way to work by a 19-year-old stranger.

Originally published as Killer with a history of animal abuse murdered mother in front of child