McCulkin murders: Dubois guilty of murdering McCulkin girls

UPDATE: GARRY Dubois could spend the rest of his life in prison after he was found guilty of two charges of murder and one of manslaughter in relation to the high-profile McCulkin family cold case.

Barbara Leanne McCulkin and Mrs Barbara McCulkin and Vicki Maree McCulkin.

GARRY Dubois could spend the rest of his life in prison after he was found guilty of two charges of murder and one of manslaughter in relation to the high-profile McCulkin family cold case.

Barbara McCulkin, 34, and daughters Vicki, 13, and Leanne, 11, vanished without a trace from their Highgate Hill home on January 16, 1974.

Garry Dubois, 69, had pleaded not guilty to charges including murder, rape and deprivation of liberty for allegedly helping Vincent O’Dempsey murder the trio, and his trial started in the Brisbane Supreme Court earlier this month.

It was alleged he assisted O’Dempsey, who goes to trial next year, by either restraining the trio or encouraging him through his presence.

The jury delivered its verdict on day three of deliberations, finding he murdered Vicki and Leanne, but was guilty of manslaughter in relation to Mrs McCulkin’s death.

He was also found guilty of deprivation of liberty and raping Vicki and Leanne.

Members of Mrs McCulkin’s family sobbed when the verdict was read out, while Dubois’ wife Jan shook her head.

Mrs Barbara McCulkin.

Artist’s impression of Garry Dubois.

Outside court, Detective Inspector Mick Dowie spoke on behalf of Mrs McCulkin’s family - including her brother Graham Ogden - and said they welcomed the jury’s verdict.

The jury heard almost two weeks of evidence from more than 40 witnesses, and listened to more than three days of closing addresses from the prosecution, defence and Justice Peter Applegarth.

The breakthrough in arguably Queensland’s most high-profile cold case came after a former criminal associate of Dubois gave police an explosive statement in 2014.

Peter Hall said Dubois detailed to him a graphic account of how the women were killed by O’Dempsey and their burials in bush graves at dawn.

“O’Dempsey had Garry tie them up. They took them somewhere out in bushland,” Mr Hall told the court.

“He (Dubois) said O’Dempsey separated the mother from the daughters into the darkness. He believes that he strangled her.

“He said there was gurgling sounds and he seemed to be gone for what seemed like a long period of time.”

Jan Dubois, wife of Garry Dubois, arrives at court.

Mr Hall said Dubois told him O’Dempsey raped one of the girls and then forced him to rape the other one, before O’Dempsey killed them both.

“He (Dubois) said they waited ‘till dawn and they buried the bodies,” Mr Hall said.

“He said once the sun came up and he looked at them... it was an horrific sight.”

Mr Hall admitted lying to police previously and at a corruption watchdog hearing.

Mr Hall said he, Dubois and two other men were paid by O’Dempsey to torch Torino’s Nightclub in 1974.

He said when the infamous Whiskey Au Go Go firebombing happened 11 days later killing 15 people, they feared they would be implicated.

Paul Dubois told the jury his brother Garry claimed Barbara McCulkin was “blackmailing” O’Dempsey.

“He said Vince O’Dempsey did it and he said... Barbara McCulkin had information on O’Dempsey that he felt could have got him 20 years and this is how he dealt with it,” Paul Dubois said.

“He said Vince told me the kids weren’t meant to be there.”

Two former South Australian police officers gave evidence that Dubois made a number of references to the McCulkins when he was awaiting extradition to Queensland on a warrant for their murders in 1980.

John Attwood said Dubois told him “if I blab I’m dead, and I’ll be an old man in jail if I don’t” and that he was “guilty by association”.

Two childhood friends and neighbours of the McCulkins said they were introduced to men named “Shorty and Vince” at their Dorchester St home the night the women went missing.

Dubois will be sentenced at a later date, but murder charges carry a mandatory sentence of life behind bars.