Gruesome woodchipper death: Murder accused captured on hidden cameras

When Bruce Saunders was killed in a woodchipper it was first thought to be a tragic accident but undercover recordings allegedly capturing Saunders’ accused killers on tape have been filed by police in court.

A pair of legs sticking out of a woodchipper were all that remained when police arrived to investigate the death of 54-year-old Bruce Saunders at a rural property about 20km outside of Gympie in November 2017.

But was it a tragic industrial accident or a grisly financially-motivated murder spurred on by an ex-girlfriend as part of a twisted four-way romantic entanglement?

A court has heard the two men with him at the time of his death claim Mr Saunders’ death was simply a terrible mistake triggered by him doing “stupid things” while operating the chipper in poor light.

A wood chipper is removed from the property. Picture: Supplied

But police allege something much more sinister was at play. They allege Mr Saunders was murdered his ex-girlfriend Sharon Graham, 60, and her two romantic partners who were with him when he died – Peter John Koenig, 64, and Gregory Lee Roser, 62.

In the months after the fatality, the trio was allegedly captured on hidden cameras discussing getting their stories straight, who the ‘mastermind’ was, a secret code to arrange meetings and about their fears of going to jail.

SECRET RECORDINGS

The Sunday Mail can exclusively reveal the alleged contents of the secret audio and video recordings taken from inside Graham’s home in the months after Mr Saunders died.

Police allege Mr Saunder’s life insurance policy, of which Graham was the sole beneficiary, was increased from $500,000 to $750,000 five days before he died and she began a claim on that policy three days after his death.

Bruce Saunders was killed in a woodchipper.

Graham, Koenig and Roser were each arrested, charged with murder and attempting to pervert justice in late May 2018, about six months after Mr Saunders was killed on November 12, 2017.

Police initially treated the death as a fatal industrial accident but began a criminal investigation after discovering the “relationship dynamics” between Graham, Roser, Koenig and Saunders “which raised suspicions”.

According to court documents, filed in the failed bail application made by the co-accused, Graham and Saunders had been In a relationship which ended in 2017 but the pair were still living together at a Nambour property when he died.

Prosecutors allege Saunders was unhappy about the breakdown of his relationship with Graham who he continued to harbour romantic feelings for but she had begun a secret relationship with Roser.

Prosecutors say there is also evidence that the third man Koenig was “infatuated” with Graham.

FOUR-WAY AFFAIR

The bizarre four-way romance prompted further investigations by police who planted video and audio surveillance in Graham’s home over a period of weeks in early 2018.

Transcripts of the conversations captured were tendered to the Supreme Court as part of an unsuccessful bail application by the murder-accused trio late last month. All three maintain they are innocent.

Co-accused Gregory Roser and Sharon Graham. Picture: Supplied

Roser says police will get warrants and want to question them and Graham responds: “Make sure your answers are not an answer …. you know what I mean”.

Later that day, Graham calls Koenig to discuss the ongoing police investigation and when they hang up, Roser tells her: “I thought you said you weren’t going to talk about it over the phone.”

Graham allegedly replies: “ … I know I’m not going to say anything I’m not stupid”.

Shortly after 9pm on January 31, Roser arrives at Graham’s house after an interview with police and asks if they want to know what is happening but warns they cannot speak about it there.

Roser confirms Mr Saunders’ death is being treated as a murder investigation and says the blood pattern at the rear of the wood chipper wasn’t consistent.

Graham allegedly replies “well you knew that would happen”, and Roser says the officers “grilled the shit out of me”.

Sharon Graham. Picture: Facebook

Roser and Koenig then leave the house and drive off, returning 13 minutes later when Graham then goes and joins them in the car where they stay for about 30 minutes before going inside.

Inside Koenig asks Roser about his “facial expression” during the interview and Roser replies “I just thought of my dead mother”.

Koenig and Roser then discuss talking in code to arrange a meeting and one of the men is heard saying: “Pete you want a hand with that trailer? That means I want to talk to ya.”

Roser allegedly claims in the recordings that police were disappointed when he left the station and says: “one part there I thought oh my god, they’re gonna get me, but they let me out”.

GETTING THE STORIES STRAIGHT

Graham reiterates it was an accident and Roser says most of his answers were that he cannot remember. Graham repeatedly tells Roser to say he had no memory as “they can’t do shit about it”.

The transcripts allegedly capture audio of Graham in late January 2018 telling Roser “we need to have all the stories straight, right”.

At 10.50pm Roser discusses being questioned about his sore back before saying police “can’t charge me on suspicion …. you’v egot to have circumstantial evidence, which is a proven fact.”

Graham replies: “and they haven’t got that have they? They can’t get that? Can they get that?”

Roser replies: “They can’t get it … they can’t charge me with the murder, they can’t even charge me with (unintelligible) cos they got nothing … Bruce and they can’t get that back”.

At 11.19pm Roser is alleged to tell them he had nothing to worry about: “I know I’ve done everything right. I’ve never said one thing out of place to contradict myself. Oh I was a bit worried I was going in, then they turn around and said to me ‘Greg did you kill Bruce Saunders’.

Peter Koenig. Picture: Facebook

They are heard laughing before Roser says his response to police was: “that’s my best mate”.

Graham is later heard saying “what they’ll try and do now is catch you out on lies … so you gotta be careful.”

Roser tells Graham the police were good however during the interview he thought “do more houses because I am beating you atthe moment. I thought, no way in the f**king world are you going to snag me because I am quite aware of your little tricks”.

Graham replies: “well it’s, but it’s true what happened … don’t forget to say that.”

Roser responds: “I like, I didn’t murder anyone, I didn’t kill anyone”.

Around midnight, Graham is then allegedly overheard telling Roser not to tell police they were partners if they ask about their relationship status and warns him they should “back it off” with the romantic text messages to one another.

ALLEGED CONSPIRATORS

Roser replies: “this was like f**king (whooshing noise) but it didn’t hit tonight. It was like two ships in the night that didn’t collide but it was so close tonight. Didn’t really get a conclusion”.

Sharon Graham is brought into custody at the Maroochydore Watchhouse under arrest for the alleged murder of her former partner Bruce Saunders. Picture: Lachie Millard

Roser says: “the more we keep this between us three the f**king better off we are”.

Graham says there was a report indicating she had been in a relationship with Roser for eight months. Graham then whisper “because if they find that out …” and Roser replies “I know”.

Shortly after midnight, Graham allegedly whispers to Roser “f**k I hope they don’t get previous text messages. Oh f**k me. I didn’t respond to them so …”

Days later Graham is allegedly overheard telling Roser she’s concerned about police tracking their calls.

On February 2, an audio device in the bedroom captures Graham assuring Roser that if he and Koenig are arrested, she “would never ever never ever go anywhere or do anything”.

She also comments on how she could end up in jail herself and that it would be her worst nightmare: “you never know I could end up there (inside prison) myself.”

Later on, Roser says: “it’s a Bermuda triangle and no one’s going to know. No one ever will know what’s happened”.

Graham tells Roser there is no point assuming, and he replies: “only one person knows and he’s not here”

Site at Tinana Road Goomboorian, near Gympie where Bruce Saunders was killed in what was originally thought an accident with a woodchipper, but police are now calling his death suspicious.

After midnight, Graham says she feels sick and Roser replies “me too I feel sick in the guts”.

Roser says: “I don’t know where the hell this is going to go hey”.

Koenig replies “they are going to try and drop it on one of us … they are going to try pin it on one of us or both of us”.

MOTIVE, WHAT MOTIVE?

They then discuss the lack of motive with Roser saying “they never asked me what I had to gain out of all of it” and Koenig whispers to Roser “you’re the mastermind”. They both laugh.

Early in the morning of February 3, Roser and Graham can be heard whispering about the case and she tells him: “under no circumstances, at any time do you break”.

Roser replies “yeah no way”.

Koenig, Roser and Graham were all denied bail last month. The court heard it’s unlikely the case will progress to trial until at least the second half of 2022.